Mount Wachusett, Mass. – April 4, 1947

March 22, 2015

Mount Wachusett, Princeton, Mass., – April 4, 1947

     On April 4, 1947, two men rented a small airplane at Bolton (Mass.) Airfield for a sightseeing flight.  While circling the town of Princeton, Massachusetts, near the summit of Mt. Wachusett, the aircraft abruptly dove sharply and crashed into the south side of the mountain. 

     A witness to the crash stated he saw one of the men aboard wave to him a few seconds before the plane hit.  The plane exploded on impact and both pilot and passenger were killed.

     The dead were identified as David Wright, (20) the pilot, and Peter May, (23) the passenger.

     Source: New York Times, “Two Veterans Killed In Hired Plane Crash”, April 4, 1947.  

Filed Under: Massachusetts - Civil Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Princeton, MA. – April 16, 1973

July 10, 2017

Princeton, Massachusetts – April 16, 1973

     On April 16, 1973, a 27-year-old pilot from Rutland, Vermont, was piloting a single-engine Cessna at tree-top-level over the town of Princeton when he stalled the aircraft while suddenly pulling up to avoid a rise in the terrain.  He was killed when the plane crashed vertically into the ground.

     Sources:

     Providence Evening Bulletin, “Plane Crash Fatal”, April 17, 1973   

     Providence Journal, “Crash Cause Given In Death Of Pilot”, May 24, 1973

Filed Under: Massachusetts - Civil Tagged With: , , ,

Princeton, MA. – February 9, 1970

July 4, 2017

Princeton, Massachusetts – February 9, 1970

     On February 9, 1970, two men left Sterling, Massachusetts, airport in a small airplane bound for Nashua, New Hampshire.  Not long after take-off the aircraft crashed in a wooded section of Princeton, Mass. about two miles off Route 140.  Both men were killed.

     A search for the downed aircraft was instituted, but the effort to locate it resulted in a second fatal accident.  Three days later, on February 12th, a Civil Air Patrol aircraft taking part in the search crashed and burned at Sterling Airport.  The pilot, Stewart C. Woodworth Jr., age 50, of Weston, Mass., was killed.  His observer, Stephen J. Nottonson, of Newton, Mass., was severely injured.     

     The crash site was eventually discovered by snowmobilers taking part in the search.  

     Source: 

     Providence Journal, “Missing Plane, 2 Dead Fliers Found In Mass.”, February 13, 1970

Filed Under: Massachusetts - Civil Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
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