White Mountain National Forest – February 21, 1959

White Mountain National Forest, Near the town of Lincoln, New Hampshire – February 21, 1959

     On the morning of February 21, 1959, a Piper Comanche, (Reg. no. N5324P), with two men aboard took off from West Lebanon, New Hampshire, bound for Berlin, New Hampshire. Both men were doctors, and the primary purpose of the flight was to treat a heart patient in Berlin who was under the care of one of the doctors. 

     The doctors were identified as Ralph E. Miller, (60), and Robert E. Quinn, (32).  Dr. Miller was an experienced pilot and member of the Lebanon Civil Air Patrol.  Dr. Quinn was a cardiologist and pulmonary disease specialist. 

      At about 3:30 that afternoon the pair took off from Berlin for the return trip to West Lebanon.  They were last seen heading south under low cloud cover at an altitude of about 1,000 feet.  By 9:00 p.m. the aircraft was reported missing, and a large scale search was initiated.  The search was hampered by poor weather and numerous alleged sightings reported from throughout the region.     

     The plane had gone down in the wilderness of the White Mountains near the town of Lincoln, and wasn’t found until May 5, 1959.  Examination of the crash site indicated both men had survived the initial crash, but perished a few days later.    

     A detailed account of this tragedy was documented in a book titled “Shrouded Memories, True Stories From The White Mountains Of New Hampshire”, by Floyd W. Ramsey. c. 1994.  

     Today, a memorial marks the site of the crash.  

     To see more information about Dr. Miller, click on the link below. 

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/87029520/ralph-english-miller

     To see more information about Dr. Quinn, click on the link below.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/136644649/robert-edward-quinn

     Sources:

     Book: Shrouded Memories, True Stories From The White Mountains Of New Hampshire, by Floyd W. Ramsey, copyright 1994, Bondcliff Books, P.O. Box 385, Littleton, New Hampshire

     Dartmouth Medicine, (A Magazine For Alumni And friends of Dartmouth Medical School, and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center) “Unforgiving Forests” by John Morton, Winter, 2000.   https://dartmed.dartmouth.edu/winter00/html/plane_crash.shtml

     www.findagrave.com

 

 

 

Randolph, N.H. – August 24, 1974

Randolph, New Hampshire – August 24, 1974

     On August 24, 1974, a Cessna 340 crashed into the north side of Mt. Adams killing both people aboard.  The dead were identified as Vernon Titcomb, 56, and his wife, Jean, 53. 

     The couple was from California, and had flown cross-country.  Before the accident, they had stopped at Whitefield Regional Airport a.k.a. Mt. Washington Regional Airport, to refuel before taking off again bound for Rockland, Maine.  Shortly after take off, the pilot radioed he would be returning to the airport due to bad weather. 

     Sources:

     New York Times, “2 Die In Plane Crash”, August 27, 1974       

     Stories From The White Mountains: Celebrating The Regions Historic Past, by Mike Dickerman, History Press, 2013

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