Squantum NAS – August 26, 1950

Squantum Naval Air Station – August 26, 1950

 

F4U Corsair
US Navy Photo

     On August 26, 1950, a U. S. Navy F4U-4 Corsair, (Bu. No. 82015), was in the process of taking off from the Squantum Naval Air Station when the engine lost power.  The aircraft ran off the end of the runway and flipped onto its back.  The aircraft was damaged beyond repair, but the pilot was not injured.  

     The aircraft was assigned to VF-915. 

     Source:

     U. S. Navy accident report dated August 26, 1950

Squantum, MA. – September 24, 1945

Squantum Naval Air Station – September 24, 1945

 

SNJ Trainer Aircraft
U. S. Navy Photo

     On September 24, 1945, a U. S. Navy SNJ-3, (Bu. No. 7006), was landing at the Squantum Naval Air Station in Massachusetts, when the wheels collapsed.  The aircraft skidded to a stop and there was no fire.  Neither of the two men aboard were injured.  The aircraft was returning from a familiarization flight.  The aircraft required a major overhaul. 

 

     Source:

     U. S. Navy accident report dated September 24, 1945

Squantum NAS – April 6, 1952

Squantum Naval Air Station – April 6, 1952

 

TBM-3E Avenger
U. S. Navy Photo

     On April 6, 1952, a navy TBM-3E Avenger, (Bu. No. 53112), was returning to the Squantum Naval Air Station after a routine familiarization flight.  As the pilot approached Runway 26 from over the water, there was a strong crosswind blowing.  Just before landing, the aircraft suddenly dropped below the level of the runway, and the landing gear struck the erosion preventing rip-rap at the end of the runway.  The impact tore the landing gear away and the aircraft came down on its belly and skidded 200 feet to a stop.  There was no fire. The pilot was not injured, but the airplane was damaged beyond repair.  

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated April 6, 1952. 

 

Squantum NAS – July 29, 1949

Squantum Naval Air Station – July 29, 1949

 

TBM-3E Avenger
U. S. Navy Photo

     On July 29, 1949, a navy TBM-3E Avenger, (Bu. No. 86167), lost power immediately upon take off at the Squantum Naval Air Station.  The aircraft fell back onto the runway but there wasn’t enough distance left to stop.  The aircraft went off the end of the runway and into a saltwater marsh.  The pilot was not injured, and the two other crewmen aboard suffered minor injuries.  The aircraft was severely damaged and a recommendation was made to scrap it.

Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated July 29, 1949. 

Squantum NAS – October 31, 1948

Squantum Naval Air Station – October 31, 1948

 

TBM-3E Avenger
U. S. Navy Photo

     On October 31, 1948 a navy TBM-3E, (Bu. No. 85728), was making a landing at the Squantum Naval Air Station on Runway 32.  The aircraft touched down, bounced, and came back down on the runway.  At this point the landing gear collapsed and the aircraft skidded 600 feet on its belly to a stop.  The aircraft suffered substantial damage, but there were no injuries. 

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated October 31, 1948 

Squantum, MA. – May 2, 1946

Squantum, MA. – May 2, 1946

 

TBM-3E Avenger
U. S. Navy Photo

     On May 2, 1946, a navy TBM-3E Avenger, (Bu. No. 86286), was making its final approach to the Squantum Naval Air Station when the engine suddenly stopped.  The aircraft crash-landed 450 ft. short of the runway and slid 300 feet before coming to rest in a marshy area.  There was no fire.  The aircraft suffered extensive damage, but nobody aboard was injured. 

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated May 2, 1946.

Squantum, MA. – February 13, 1946

Squantum, Massachusetts – February 13, 1946

 

TBM-3E Avenger
U. S. Navy Photo

     On February 13, 1946, a navy TBM-3 Avenger, (Bu. No. 23077), was taking off on a training flight from the Squantum Naval Air Station in Massachusetts, bound for the Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island.  Immediately after leaving the ground the engine vibrated, backfired, and lost all power.  The aircraft fell back to the runway with its wheels still locked and down.  Upon landing, the pilot was forced to put the airplane into an intentional ground loop to avoid crashing into some ground obstructions.   Due to the speed at which this occurred, the aircraft suffered substantial damage, but the pilot was not hurt. 

     The aircraft was assigned to VJ-15

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated February 13, 1946. 

Squantum NAS – March 12, 1949

Squantum Naval Air Station – March 12, 1949 

     On March 12, 1949, a navy FG-1D Corsair, (Bu. No. 92326), was returning to the Squantum Naval Air Station after a training flight when the aircraft landed half-way down the runway and was unable to stop before going off the end and nosing over.  The plane was damaged but the pilot wasn’t hurt.

     Source:

 U. S. Navy accident report dated March 12, 1949.    

 

Atlantic Ocean – September 15, 1948

Atlantic Ocean – September 15, 1948

     On September 15, 1948, a navy FG-1D Corsair, (Bu. No. 66072), from the Squantum Naval Air Station in Massachusetts, was on a gunnery practice flight over the ocean about twelve miles east of Cape Cod. During the exercise the aircraft engine began running rough and the pilot,  Commander Willard T. Grove, was cleared to return to Squantum.  While at 7,000 feet the engine suddenly stopped and the pilot put the plane into a glide as he tried to restart the engine, but he was unsuccessful.  The pilot made an emergency landing in the water about four-and-a-half miles east of Cape Cod, and suffered serious injuries upon impact because the safety-harness lock failed.  He was rescued, but the aircraft was lost at sea.        The pilot was rescued while floating in a yellow life raft by Coastguardsmen using a DUCK vehicle under the command of Boatswain Mate 1c Arthur Silva and seaman 1c Joseph Sheahan.  Then a Coast Guard rescue plane arrived and the pilot was transferred to the aircraft and flown to Squantum NAS.  

     Sources:

     U. S. Navy accident report dated September 15, 1948. 

     The Provincetown Advocate, “Coast Guard Saves Pilot After Crash”, September 16, 1948

     The Provincetown Advocate, “Crash Pilot Identified”, September 23, 1948

Squantum NAS – August 3, 1944

Squantum NAS – August 3, 1944 

 

U.S. Navy SBD Dauntless
U.S. Navy Photo.

     On August 3, 1944, a U. S. Navy SBD-5 Dauntless aircraft, (Bu. No. 54546), made a normal landing at the Squantum Naval Air Station.  Just after touchdown, while the aircraft was still rolling at high speed, the landing gear suddenly collapsed dropping the plane onto the runway where it skidded on its belly to a stop.  The two-man crew was not injured, but the aircraft required a major overhaul.

     Source:

     U. S. Navy accident report dated August 3, 1944. 

Squantum NAS – January 15, 1944

Squantum Naval Air Station – January 15, 1944 

 

OS2U Kingfisher without float
U. S. Navy Photo

     On January 15, 1944, a flight of U. S. Navy OS2U Kingfisher aircraft were returning to the Squantum Naval Air Station after an anti-submarine patrol.  The pilot of one of the aircraft, (Bu. No. 5564), was allowed to make a touch-and-go landing at an auxiliary air field located near the tip of Cape Cod so as to familiarize himself with the field. When the aircraft touched down, the left wheel hit a rut which damaged the left wheel strut of the landing gear.   The pilot was able to keep the aircraft airborne and advised his flight leader of the situation.  The flight leader then flew near #5564 and viewed the damage from his aircraft, and advised the pilot to jettison his bombs. (This was done three miles off Brant Rock.)  Afterwards the damaged aircraft continued to the Squantum NAS where preparations were made for an emergency landing.  When the pilot landed at Squantum the left landing gear collapsed and the plane ground-looped.  The aircraft required extensive repairs, but the pilot was not hurt.   

     This same aircraft had been involved in another accident a year earlier.  On January 10, 1943, the aircraft’s landing gear collapsed after a hard landing.  There were no injuries.    

     Sources:

     U. S. Navy accident report #44-10990, dated January 15, 1944.

     U. S. Navy accident report #43-5635, dated January 10, 1943.

Squantum NAS – January 31, 1944

Squantum Naval Air Station  – January 31, 1944

 

OS2U Kingfisher without float
U. S. Navy Photo

     On January 31, 1944, an OS2U-3 Kingfisher aircraft, (Bu. No. 5369), was landing at the Squantum Naval Air Station when the landing gear collapsed just after touchdown causing major damage to the aircraft.  The crew was not injured.  The caused of the accident was determined to be mechanical failure.

     Source:

     U. S. Navy accident report #44-11356, dated January 31, 1944.   

Squantum NAS – January 10, 1943

Squantum Naval Air Station – January 10, 1943

 

OS2U Kingfisher without float
U. S. Navy Photo

     On January 10, 1943, a flight of U. S. Navy OS2U Kingfisher aircraft were returning to the Squantum Naval Air station after an anti-submarine patrol flight over the Atlantic.  One of the aircraft, (Bu. No. 5564), landed too close behind the flight leader’s plane, and was caught in its slipstream.  The slipstream caused 5564’s left wing to drop and hit the runway with enough force to dislodge two depth charges, but they did not explode.  5564 was still traveling fast enough for the pilot to give full throttle and remain airborne.  The aircraft circled the field and came in for another landing attempt with flaps 1/3 down.  The aircraft hit the tarmac 4/5 of the way down the runway during which point the left landing gear gave way and the aircraft skidded to a stop.  The aircraft suffered substantial damage, but the two-man crew was not hurt.     

     This aircraft was repaired and put back into service.  It was later involved in another accident on January 15, 1944 when the left landing gear collapsed while making an emergency landing at the Squantum Naval Air Station.  There were no injuries.

     Sources:

     U. S. Navy accident report #43-5635, dated January 10, 1943.

     U. S. Navy accident report $44-10990, dated January 15, 1944.

Squantum NAS – April 6, 1944

Squantum Naval Air Station – April 6, 1944

 

U.S. Navy SBD Dauntless
U.S. Navy Photo.

     On April 6, 1944, an SBD-5 Dauntless, (Bu. No. 28761), made a wheels-up landing at the Squantum Naval Air Station and skidded 300 feet to a stop.  The aircraft suffered heavy damage, but the crew was not injured.

     The aircraft was assigned to VS-31.

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report #44-12971, dated April 6, 1944. 

Squantum NAS – January 24, 1944

Squantum Naval Air Station – January 24, 1944

 

U.S. Navy SBD Dauntless
U.S. Navy Photo.

     At 7:45 p.m. on the night of January 24, 1944, an SBD-5 Dauntless, was returning to the Squantum Naval Air Station after a night training flight.  As the Dauntless came in to land, a British TBF Avenger also landed on the same runway, but ahead of the Dauntless.  Neither pilot was aware of the other aircraft’s presence until it was too late.  The Dauntless landed directly behind the Avenger, and quickly overtook it, crashing into the back of it.   Both aircraft were damaged. There were no reported injuries aboard the Dauntless.  It’s unknown about the crew of the Avenger.

     The accident was due to miscommunication between aircraft and control tower.

     Source:

     U. S. navy accident report #44-11151, dated January 24, 1944.    

Squantum, NAS – January 24, 1944

Squantum Naval Air Station – January 24, 1944

 

U.S. Navy SBD Dauntless
U.S. Navy Photo.

     On January 24, 1944, a SBD-5 Dauntless, (Bu. No. 28952), was returning to the Squantum Naval Air Station after a training flight.  As the aircraft approached the runway the pilot noted that the right landing gear had failed to come down.  The pilot began to circle the field and attempted to fix the problem but was unable to do so.  When his fuel ran low he was advised to make an emergency landing on one wheel, which he did.  The aircraft was damaged in the landing, but the crew was not injured.

     Source:

     U. S. Navy accident report #44-11150, dated January 24,1944.    

Quincy Bay, MA – July 27, 1917

Quincy Bay, Massachusetts – July 27, 1917 

    

      Little information exists about this early military aviation incident. 

     On July 24, 1917, a severe electrical storm formed over the Boston metropolitan area causing heavy winds and widespread damage.  At the time of its arrival, two military aircraft from the Squantum air training station were airborne on a routine training flight and were caught in the squall and blown out to sea.  The types of aircraft and the pilot’s names were not released by the military. 

     Immediately after the storm, navy boats were ordered to search for the missing airmen in the Dorchester Bay, Quincy Bay, and Hough’s Neck areas.  The search was called off after two hours after both men were found to be safe, however the details of their recovery were also withheld by the military. 

     It was stated in the Meriden Morning Record: “One of the patrol boats were reported to have rescued an aviator from the water of Quincy Bay and another boat was said to have on board a portion of a wrecked machine”     

     The rest of the news article focused on three persons killed by the storm.

     One of those killed was Pvt. James F. Broderick, of the Massachusetts 2nd Field Artillery who was struck by lightning in his tent where the unit was camping in Boxford, Massachusetts.

     Two women were killed when the unfinished building they’d sought shelter in collapsed.

     Source: Meriden Morning Record, “Aviators Caught In Thunderstorm”, July 28, 1917 

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