Pittsfield, Maine – December 15, 1943
At 3:55 p.m. student pilot Rowland Kenneth Quinn, 18, took off from Pittsfield Airport in a Piper J5A (NC 35953) for a practice flight. At 4: 45 p.m. while he was about four miles form the airport, the engine began running roughly and loosing r.p.m. Quinn put the plane into a glide and throttled back to 1100 r.p.m. At an altitude of 600 feet the engine stopped completely and Quinn aimed for an open field.
The aircraft struck hard and the landing gear was torn away. The plane came to rest on its nose.
It was noted that the temperature was 10 degrees below zero at the time of the crash, which likely contributed to the engine failure.
Source: Civil Aeronautics Board Investigation Report No. 5234-43, Adopted May 22, 1944.
