Norwood, MA. – August 5, 1944

Norwood, Massachusetts – August 5, 1944

 

F6F Hellcat
U.S. Navy Photo

     On the morning of August 5, 1944, the pilot of a navy F6F-5 Hellcat, (Bu. No. 58931), was practicing glide-angle training runs over the Norwood, Massachusetts, area when a sudden “jolt” occurred in the engine compartment followed by sections of cowling falling away, and oil spraying the windshield.  Immediately afterwards the aircraft began trailing smoke.  The pilot nursed the aircraft up from 1,500 feet to 2,500 feet where he bailed out.  The plane came down and was destroyed.  The pilot landed safely with a lacerated hand.     

     Source:

     U. S. Navy accident report dated August 5, 1944

 

Norwood, MA. – October 25, 1970

Norwood, Massachusetts – October 25, 1970

     On the afternoon of October 25, 1970, a pilot-instructor and his student were practicing take offs and landings at Norwood Airport in a Piper Cherokee aircraft.  At one point, as the pilot was preparing to make a landing approach to the airport, the engine suddenly stopped and could not be restarted. The aircraft was over the center of town at the time, and the pilot wasn’t sure if he had enough altitude to make the air field, so he turned the plane around and away from the densely populated town center, and aimed towards Norwood High School hoping to land on the football field.  However, as he approached the school he saw that a football game was in progress, and instead aimed for the streets of a nearby housing development hoping to land there.  The aircraft came down on Dorset Street, and would have made a perfect landing except that the wing struck a telephone pole and some wires which flipped it on its roof.  Both pilot and student scrambled out and were not injured.  There was no fire.

     Source:

     Providence Journal, “R. I. Pilot Lands On Mass. Street”, October 26, 1970

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