Warwick, Rhode Island – June 7, 1928
On the evening of June 7, 1928, a pilot was offering plane rides over the Warwick area. Shortly before 7:30 p.m. he took off from a grassy field in the Potowomut section which he’d rented for aviation purposes, with a lone passenger aboard. The passenger was sitting in the front seat, and the pilot in the rear. Shortly after take off the plane flew over a wooded section of railroad tracks belonging to the New Haven Railroad. It was there that the pilot reported he’d hit an “air pocket” which caused the plane to drop, at which time the landing gear struck the top of a 75 foot tall tree. The aircraft then crashed in a wooded section beside the tracks pinning the passenger.
The passenger received non-life-threatening injuries, and was transported to his home to recover. The pilot was not injured.
At about the same time this accident occurred, an army monoplane made an emergency landing in a field in the Hoxie section of Warwick. The pilot told police he’d experienced fuel line problems. After repairs were made, the plane took off to return to Brainard Field in Connecticut.
Source:
(Prov.) Evening Bulletin, “Passenger Hurt In Plane Crash Near Potowmut”, June 8, 1928, p15.
