Porter Maine History | New England Aviation History

Freedom, N. H. – November 5, 1966

July 3, 2020

Freedom, New Hampshire – November 5, 1966

Republic F-84C – U.S. Air Force Photo

On November 5, 1966, Massachusetts Air National Guard Captain Edward S. Mansfield was piloting an F-84 fighter jet in the vicinity of Freedom, New Hampshire, when mechanical failure forced him to abandon the aircraft. The F-84 crashed and exploded in Freedom. Meanwhile Capt. Mansfield came down safely in the neighboring town of Porter, Maine.

Captain Mansfield was assigned to the 102nd Tactical Fighter Group then stationed at Boston’s Logan International Airport.

Source: Sanford Tribune, (Me.), “Plane Destroyed, Pilot Unhurt In Freedom Crash”, November 10, 1966, page 11.

Kezar Falls, ME. – November 5, 1966

July 2, 2018

Kezar Falls, Maine – November 5, 1966

F-84 Thunderjet – U.S. Air Force Photo

On November 5, 1966, Captain Edward S. Mansfield, 29, of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was piloting an F-84 Thunderjet, (Ser. No. 51-9466), over the New Hampshire-Maine state line when the aircraft developed engine trouble and he was forced to bail out at 10,000 feet. Capt. Mansfield landed safely in the village of Kezar Falls, which is located in the southern portion of the town of Porter, Maine. Once on the ground he made his way to a nearby farm house.

The F-84 came down in a nearby wooded area, and nobody on the ground was injured.

It was reported that this was the second time Capt. Mansfield had been saved by a parachute. He was forced to bail out of another F-84 in Spain in 1962.

Source:

Boston Sunday Advertiser, “Ejection Seat Saves Pilot Second Time”, November 6, 1966

Filed Under: Maine - Military Tagged With: Captain Edward S. Mansfield USAF, F-84 Ser. No. 51-9466, Kezar Falls F-84 Crash, Kezar Falls Maine History, Kezar Falls Maine Plane Crash, Massachusetts Air National Guard History, Porter Maine F-84 Crash, Porter Maine History

Porter, ME – August 11, 1982

May 28, 2018

Porter, Maine – August 11, 1982

On August 11, 1982, a yellow and white Cessna 180 seaplane with five people aboard crashed into a wooded area in the town of Porter. The site of the crash was about 15-20 feet off Route 160, near the New Hampshire state line. Those aboard included the pilot, a husband and wife, and their two children. The pilot and the husband died in the crash. The mother and two children were transported to a medical facility. The cause of the crash was not stated.

Source:

The Westerly Sun, “Two Dead, Three Hurt In Plane Crash In Maine Woods Wednesday Afternoon.”, August 12, 1982, (With photo of crash.)

Filed Under: Maine - Civil Tagged With: Porter Maine History, Porter Maine Plane Crash, Seaplane Crash Maine