Groton, Connecticut – May 9, 1944
TBM-3E Avenger
U. S. Navy Photo
On May 9, 1944, a TBM-1C Avenger, (Bu. No. 45503), took off from Groton Field with a three-man crew aboard. After climbing to an altitude of 500 feet the engine suddenly backfired and quit. The pilot was unable to restart the engine, and the plane crashed in a wooded area of the Noank section of Groton. The crew escaped with non-life-threatening injuries – the aircraft was consumed by fire.
Source:
U. S. Navy accident report dated May 9, 1944.
