Massachusetts National Guard Plane Crash | New England Aviation History

Granville, MA. – October 19, 1954

April 1, 2026

Granville, Massachusetts – October 19, 1954

T-33 Shooting Star – U. S. Air Force Photo

On October 19, 1954, a Massachusetts National Guard T-33 trainer jet with two men aboard took off from Barnes Field in Westfield, Massachusetts, for a routine training flight. After flying for about 15 minutes the plane developed engine trouble. The aircraft was over a populated area and the men knew that if they bailed out the jet could caused injuries or fatalities to civilians on the ground. Therefore, both men opted to stay with the aircraft and guide it over a rural area. The jet crashed into a wooded hillside in the rural town of Granville and both men were killed.

The National Guard members were identified as:

Lieutenant Richard G. Brown, 38, of Northampton, Mass.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/234043596/richard-george-brown

Tec/Sergt. Austin A. Cooper, 28, of West Springfield, Mass.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44783238/austin-atherton-cooper

Both men were assigned to the 131st Fighter Squadron based in Westfield, Mass.

Source:

Evening Bulletin, (RI), “2 Mass. Guardsmen Die In Jet Crash”, October 20, 1954, pg. 51.

Merrimack River – February 16, 1935

January 19, 2021

Merrimack River between Nashua and Hudson, N. H.

On February 16, 1935, an aircraft attached to the 101st Observation Squadron of the Massachusetts National Guard was flying over the Merrimack River between Nashua and Hudson, New Hampshire. The pilot and his observer were making a survey of “flood prospect conditions” along the river. The aircraft was flying at a low altitude when it struck powerlines that were strung across the river, and crashed into the cold water. The pilot and observer escaped the sinking plane and swam towards shore on the Nashua side. They were assisted by members of a railroad crew who had witnessed the crash. The two airmen were then placed on a railroad hand car and brought to Union Station. From there they were transported to a doctor’s office where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The severely damaged aircraft was salvaged from the river and brought to Boston.

Source: The Nashua Telegraph, “Wrecked Plane Moved From River”, February 18, 1935