Middletown, Rhode Island – May 26, 1943
On the morning of May 26, 1943, an Ensign left Quonset Point Naval Air Station in an NE-1 trainer aircraft, (Bu. 26207), for a familiarization flight. After about 45 minutes in the air the pilot noticed a decrease in engine RPMs which he though might be related to trouble with the plane’s magnetos. He landed in an open hay field in Middletown, where he checked his engine and found everything in good order. He then made preparations for takeoff. The field had a slight downgrade to it, and the pilot taxied to the bottom of the grade. He then proceeded to attempt an up-grade take off into the wind. Unfortunately the long hay slowed the speed of the aircraft, and the plane didn’t leave the ground until it was almost at a tree line bordering the field. The pilot, believing he wasn’t going to clear the trees, attempted a climbing left turn and stalled the aircraft at an altitude of about 30 feet. The plane then crashed into an adjoining graveyard. The plane was a total wreck, but the pilot wasn’t injured.
Source: U.S. Navy Accident Report #43-7026, dated May 26, 1943
