Charlestown, R. I. – May 27, 1958

Charlestown, Rhode Island – May 27, 1958

 

Douglas Skyraider
U. S. Navy Photo

      On May 27, 1958, Lt. (Jg.) Paul John Marback was killed when the AD-5W Skyraider, (Bu. No. 132747), he was piloting crashed in Foster’s Cove in Charlestown.  

     Lt. (Jg.) Marback was assigned to VAW-12. 

     Source:

     Information supplied by Larry Webster, aviation historian, Charlestown, R. I. 

Atlantic Ocean – January 20, 1945

Atlantic Ocean – January 20, 1945

 

F6F Hellcat
U. S. Navy Photo

     On the night of January 20, 1945, Ensign Robert Edward Swenson, (21), took off from the Charlestown Auxiliary Naval Air Field in an F6F-5e Hellcat, (Bu. No. 72587), for a training flight over the Atlantic Ocean about three miles southeast of Block Island.  He was part of a two aircraft flight practicing low altitude interception with a target aircraft.  It was during this exercise that Ens. Swenson’s aircraft crashed and exploded in the water.  Neither he nor his airplane were recovered. 

     Ensign Swenson was assigned to Night Fighting Squadron 91.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/245988209/robert-edward-swenson

     Sources

     Information supplied by Larry Webster, aviation historian.

     www.findagrave.com 

Charlestown, R. I. – September 20, 1943

Charlestown, Rhode Island – September 20, 1943

 

TBF-1 Avenger
U. S. Navy Photo

     On September 20, 1943, a TBF-1 Avenger, (Bu. No. 00652), with a lone pilot aboard, was taking off in strong crosswinds  at the Charlestown Navy Auxiliary Air Field when the aircraft went into some trees at the end of the runway and nosed up violently.  The pilot wasn’t seriously hurt, but the aircraft was destroyed.

     The aircraft was assigned to VT-14.

     Source:

     U. S. Navy accident report #44-5720 

Charlestown, R.I. – March 2, 1945

Charlestown, Rhode Island – March 2, 1945 

Charlestown Auxiliary Naval Air Field

     Updated July 13, 2017

U.S. Navy F6F Hellcat
U.S. Navy photo

     At 11:15 p.m. on March 2, 1945, Lt. (jg.) Kenneth B. McQuady, age 21, took off from Charlestown Auxiliary Naval Air Station in an F6F-5N Hellcat, (Bu. No. 71418,) for a night training flight.  Just after he became airborne, his aircraft was seen to lose altitude and crash on the ice covered water of Charlestown Pond at the end of Runway 22.  Upon impact the belly tank ruptured and caught fire.  The plane bounced another 100 yards before coming to rest.   Lt. McQuady received fatal injuries.

     Lt. McQuady is buried in Wildwood Cemetery in Bartow, Florida.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37759116/kenneth-bruce-mcquady

     The propeller from Lieutenant McQuady’s Hellcat was recovered years after his accident and presented to the Quonset Air Museum and made into a memorial.     

Quonset Air Museum Memorial to Lt. Jg. Kenneth Bruce McQuady

Description of accident that killed Lt. McQuady

     Unfortunately, since this original posting, the Quonset Air Museum has closed.

     Sources:

     Quonset Air Museum 

     U.S. Navy Accident Report dated March 2, 1945

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