Seekonk, MA. – June 12, 1939

March 12, 2026

Seekonk, Massachusetts – June 12, 1939

     In the early morning hours of June 12, 1939, three young male friends were drinking in a tavern in Seekonk.  They left the tavern around 3 a.m. and drove to the Providence Airport, which was located in Seekonk.  Their intent was to take an airplane for a “joy ride”. 

     They broke into one of the hangars where two Aeronca airplanes were being stored, and pushed one of the planes outside, but couldn’t get it to start.  They then pushed the second plane from the hangar.  As two of the men sat in the aircraft, the third spun the propeller and the engine roared to life with the throttle wide open.  The plane then immediately propelled itself across the field and crashed head-on into the other plane that had failed to start.  Both planes were then pushed into a gas tank but there was no fire. 

     The sound of the crash awakened nearby residents, and the three men fled the airport. 

     State police arrived and began their investigation.  Within a short time they’d arrested a 21-year-old Rehoboth man who was presently under investigation for a similar incident which had occurred in March at Hillsgrove Airport in Rhode Island.  The arrestee confessed to the crime and gave police the names of his two companions. 

     Unfortunately for the owner of the two planes, neither was insured.  Each plane was valued at $1,000. 

     Source: 

     Evening Bulletin, (RI), “2 Held In Plane Crash Escapade”, June 12, 1939, pg. 7.  (With photo)    

Filed Under: Massachusetts - Civil Tagged With: , ,

Seekonk, MA.- October 27, 1925

February 12, 2024

Seekonk, Massachusetts – October 27, 1925

     On the afterno0n of October 27, 1925, what was reportedly “the largest cargo airplane in the world” took off from Hartford, Connecticut, bound for Boston.  The aircraft was a Remington – Burnelli, with an 86 foot wing-span, named the “Miss Essex”.   It carried a crew of three, four passengers, and an Essex automobile.  

     The pilot was an experienced airman with 4,000 flight hours to his credit.

     As the plane was passing near the outskirts of Providence, Rhode Island, at about 3,000 feet, both of its engines suddenly stopped – possibly due to a broken fuel line.  While battling a strong cross wind, the pilot looked for a place to make an emergency landing and aimed for an open area in the town of Seekonk, which borders Providence.  Unfortunately the field wasn’t wide enough to accommodate the large wing-span and the aircraft was wrecked.

     Although the plane had suffered severe damage, the only injury that required medical attention was a laceration to the chin of one of the passengers.  Furthermore, it was reported that the Essex automobile was virtually undamaged from the crash.  

     Source:

     The Pawtucket Times, “Largest Cargo Airplane In World Wrecked By Forced Landing In Seekonk Field”, October 28, 1925

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Seekonk, MA. – July 26, 1975

August 4, 2018

Seekonk, Massachusetts – July 26, 1975

     Shortly before noon on the morning of July 26, 1975, a 52-year-old man from Cranston, R.I., was piloting his home-built BD-4 single-engine experimental aircraft over Seekonk when the engine began to run erratically.  According to one witnesses, it appeared that he was attempting to make an emergency landing on the first fairway at the Ledgemont Country Club, but after seeing that golfers were on the fairway, steered the craft towards the tenth fairway.  There the nose and one wing struck the turf and the plane flipped over and burst into flames.  Several caddies ran to assist, and dragged the mortally injured pilot out of the wreckage.   

     The pilot had taken off from North Central Airport in Smithfield, R.I., and was on his way to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, when the accident occurred.  He’d built the airplane at his home in Cranston in 1970. 

     Source:

     Providence Sunday Journal, Plane Crash In Seekonk Kills Pilot”, July 27, 1975.  (With photo of crash site.) 

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

Seekonk, MA – November 14, 1993

April 23, 2015

Seekonk, Massachusetts – November 14, 1993

    On November 14, 1993, a small plane left Pontiac, Michigan, with two men inside, bound for T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, R.I.    At 12:26 a.m., the aircraft crashed and burned in a wooded area of Seekonk, about one mile from Read Street.

     The dead were identified by Massachusetts State Police as Lea A. Sherman, 47, of Warwick, R.I., and Joseph Langlois, 42, of Coventry, R.I. 

Source: Woonsocket Call, “2 R.I. Men Killed As Plane Headed For Green Crashes”, November 15, 1993, Pg.3      

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

Seekonk, MA – November 25, 1928

April 20, 2015

Seekonk, Massachusetts – November 25, 1928

     Shortly after 1 p.m. on November 25, 1928, a private plane carrying three young men took off from What Cheer Airport in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for a sight-seeing flight.  Less than fifteen minutes later the plane crashed on Cole’s Farm in Seekonk. 

     The lone witness to the crash, Edward L. Cole, 17, stated the plane was passing over at an altitude of about 800 feet when the motor suddenly stopped, and the aircraft went into a spin and crashed. 

     The pilot, William Lang, 23, and a passenger, Stanislaus D’Ambra, 20, both of Providence, were killed instantly.  A second passenger, Francis Clancy 18, was still alive but gravely injured.  He died while en-route to Pawtucket Memorial Hospital.     

     Roland Coutu of Providence was supposed to go on the flight, but gave up his place to D’Ambra. 

     As often happened in such accidents, word of the crash spread quickly and thousands of curious onlookers descended on the scene. 

Sources:

     Woonsocket Call,”3 Providence Men Killed In Seekonk Plane Crash”, November 26, 1928, Pg. 1       

     The Cranston News, “Cranston Boy Killed Instantly In Plane crash Sunday”, November 28, 1928, pg. 1

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