New Boston/Lyndeboro, N.H. – August 15, 1959

New Boston/Lyndeboro, New Hampshire, August 15, 1959

     On August 15, 1959, two air force jets en-route from England Air Force Base in Louisiana, to Westover AFB, in Chicopee, Massachusetts, each ran out of fuel and crashed in New Hampshire. 

     One plane, piloted by Capt. Russell Nelson, 27, of Big Spring, Texas, crashed in an isolated part of New Boston, a town west of Manchester.   Capt. Russell was seen ejecting from the aircraft, but according to witnesses his parachute didn’t open.  His body was found next to his ejection seat after a twelve hour search. 

     The other jet, piloted by Capt. James Howard, crashed and burned on a mountain in the neighboring town of Lyndeboro, about six miles from the New Boston crash site.  Capt. Howard parachuted safely.  

     Both men were assigned to the 31st Tactical Fighter Wing at George Air Force Base in California.   They type of aircraft they were flying wasn’t mentioned in the newspaper article, but they were likely F-100s, based on the operational history of the 31st Tac. Ftr. Wing.  (Wikipedia) (F-100)   

     Capt. Nelson is buried in Trinity Memorial Park Cemetery in Big Spring, Texas. (See www.findagrave.com, Memorial #48111436.)

     Source: Nashua Telegraph, “Two Jet Planes Crash In State; One Pilot Killed”, August 17, 1959 

    

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