North Grafton Airport History | New England Aviation History

North Grafton, MA. – July 21, 1929

January 16, 2022

North Grafton, Massachusetts – July 21, 1929

On July 21, 1929, two men were in an unspecified airplane flying 2,500 feet over the airport in North Grafton. After nearly completing what was described as a “long loop”, a piece of the wing fabric tore loose which caused the plane to plummet and crash to the ground. Both the 31-year-old pilot, and his 44-year-old passenger, a commercial photographer, were killed instantly. Both men were from Worcester, Massachusetts.

Source:

The Brownsville Herald, (Texas), No headline, AP news item with just a byline “Worcester, Mass.”, July 22, 1929.

North Grafton, MA. – May 12, 1932

January 16, 2022

North Grafton, Massachusetts – May 12, 1932

On or about May 12, 1932, a biplane with registration number 773-H, piloted by a a man from Worcester, Mass., was approaching the airfield in North Grafton. Upon landing, the aircraft nosed over and came to rest upside down. The plane suffered little damage, there was no fire, and the pilot was uninjured. The reason for this rather unremarkable accident making nationwide news lay in the registration number, “773-H”, which bystanders were now reading upside down.

Source: Imperial Valley Press, “Sentiments Expressed”, May 13, 1932