Mansfield, MA. – October 29, 1971

Mansfield. Massachusetts – October 29, 1971

     On October 29, 1971, a 44-year-old pilot from Braintree, Mass., was not injured when he crashed his single engine airplane in a field on a farm located 100 yards away from the Mansfield Airport.  No further details are known.  

     Source: The Pawtucket Times, “Plane Crashes; Pilot Walks Away”, October 30, 1971, pg. 8

Mansfield, MA. – October 30, 1986

Mansfield, Massachusetts – October 30, 1986     

     On October 30, 1986, a student pilot with his instructor were at the controls of a single-engine Cessna 152 making practice runs over the Mansfield Airport.  The student was wearing a special hood that only allowed him to see his instrument panel as he received training in instrument flying. 

     Meanwhile, a twin-engine Piper Navajo with three people aboard was passing through the area on its way from Providence to Boston’s Logan Airport.   Both aircraft collided in mid-air 2,500 feet over the airport    

     A portion of the Piper’s tail section penetrated the cockpit of the Cessna and broke off, and the instructor suffered a broken leg when it did so.  Additionally, one of the landing gear struts was also torn away by the impact.  Despite his injury, the instructor took control of the aircraft and made an emergency crash-landing at Mansfield airport.  The instructor was transported to a hospital for treatment.

     Meanwhile the Piper flew to Norwood Airport where it too made an emergency landing.  There were no reported injuries aboard the Piper.

     Sources:

     The Sun, (Lowell, Mass.), “One Person Hurt When Two Small Planes Collide”, October 31, 1986

     Providence Journal Bulletin, “Student Pilot Wearing Special Hood When Planes Collide In Mansfield”, November 1, 1986  

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