Stafford Springs Plane Crash | New England Aviation History

Stafford Springs, CT. – August 7, 1942

January 26, 2022

Stafford Springs, Connecticut, – August 7, 1942

On August 7, 1942, a BT-14 trainer aircraft, (Ser. No. 40-1209), took off from Bradley Army Air Field in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, for a routine flight. The aircraft crashed in Stafford Springs, and the two pilots aboard were injured. The reason for the crash wasn’t stated in the press, and it’s unclear which pilot was flying the plane at the time. The injured pilots were identified as 1st Lt. Barney E. Turner, of Miami, Florida, and 2nd Lt. Bart L. Judge, Jr., of Milford Pike, Pennsylvania.

2nd Lt. Judge later perished in another plane crash on December 22, 1942. For more information, click here: Camp Edwards – December 22, 1942

Source:

The Waterbury Democrat, “Pilots Injured”, August 8, 1942.

Stafford Springs, CT – April 15, 1949

November 10, 2015

Stafford Springs, Connecticut – April 15, 1949

On April 15, 1949, a small plane carrying two men was en-route from Florida to Smithfield, Rhode Island, when they encountered foggy conditions over Connecticut, and crashed on a farm in Stafford Springs.

The plane, an Aeronca “Champion”, was a total loss, but the two men escaped with only minor injuries.

The pilot was identified as Peter J. Vecchio, 21, of Miami, Florida, and the passenger as Edward Hayden, 20, of Wallingford, Connecticut.

Source:

St. Petersburg Times, “Pilot Escapes Plane Crash”, April 16, 1949