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Crash of a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain in Springfield: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 10, 1979 at 2216 LT
Type of aircraft:
Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain
Operator:
Nichols Aviation
Registration:
N27530
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Farmingdale - Springfield
MSN:
31-7852047
YOM:
1978
Location:
Springfield-Hartness State
Vermont
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Captain / Total flying hours:
400
Circumstances:
On final approach to Springfield-Hartness State Airport by night and poor weather conditions, the pilot failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck the ground and crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled collision with ground on final approach due to improper IFR operation. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Low ceiling,
- Rain,
- Fog,
- Visibility down to zero,
- Below minimums weather conditions,
- Published missed approach procedures not followed.
Final Report:

Crash of a Gulfstream GII in Burlington

Date & Time: Feb 22, 1976 at 1504 LT
Type of aircraft:
Gulfstream GII
Operator:
Registration:
N397F
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Executive/Corporate/Business
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Newark - Burlington
MSN:
72
YOM:
1969
Location:
Burlington
Vermont
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
4744
Captain / Total hours on type:
754.00
Circumstances:
On final approach, during the last segment, the airplane was unstable and rolled right and left. This caused the right wing to struck the runway surface then the left wing. The aircraft cartwheeled and came to rest. While all four occupants escaped uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Improper operation of flight controls caused the aircraft to cartwheel on landing. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Unfavorable wind conditions,
- Snow showers.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 411 in Burlington: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1972 at 2006 LT
Type of aircraft:
Cessna 411
Operator:
Registration:
N111DS
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Newark - Burlington
MSN:
411-0042
YOM:
1964
Location:
Burlington
Vermont
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Captain / Total flying hours:
950
Circumstances:
While on an NDB approach to Burlington Airport by night, the pilot descended below the MDA when the twin engine airplane hit tree tops, stalled and crashed in flames in a wooded area located in Winooski, about 1,5 mile short of runway 15. The airplane was destroyed by a post crash fire and all four occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
Improper IFR operation on part of the pilot. The following factors were reported:
- Low ceiling,
- Snow falls,
- High obstructions,
- Visibility below minimums,
- Hit trees approximately one mile from outer marker during a NDB approach.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland TU-6A Beaver in Burlington: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 6, 1970
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver
Operator:
Registration:
51-16489
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Burlington - Laconia - Bedford - Warwick
MSN:
253
YOM:
1952
Location:
Burlington
Vermont
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
LTC Mendes of the U.S. 1st Army borrowed the plane, designated as a TU-6A from the Rhode Island Army National Guard on the previous day (Saturday) under the pretence of obtaining additional flight time for his certification. Officially, Mendes’ mission was to deliver a helicopter part to the Vermont Army National Guard. He took off from the Theodore Francis Green airport in Warwick, RI., and flew to Burlington, VT., with two stops en route – contrary to his official flight plan. At Hanscom Field in Bedford, MA., he picked up three persons – all unauthorized civilians. In Laconia, NH., they were joined by another unauthorized civilian. On arrival in Burlington, they stopped overnight. Sunday afternoon, the TU-6A Beaver took off from Burlington in a serious snow squall and shortly after lift-off LTC Mendes radioed that he was experiencing trouble with an aileron. The aircraft subsequently spun into the ground. It appears that no pre flight check was completed and the accident was caused by a build up of ice on the wings. The aircraft is reported as destroyed and the pilot and the four passengers received fatal injuries.
Source: www.dhc-2.com
Probable cause:
The aircraft stalled after takeoff due to an excessive accumulation of ice on wings and fuselage. Poor flight preparation as the aircraft was not deiced prior to departure.

Crash of a Beechcraft G18S in Weston: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 19, 1968 at 0955 LT
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft G18S
Operator:
D. L. Peterson Trust
Registration:
N172S
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Executive/Corporate/Business
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
BA-541
YOM:
1960
Location:
Weston
Vermont
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Captain / Total flying hours:
6221
Captain / Total hours on type:
711.00
Circumstances:
While cruising under VFR mode in foggy conditions, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane struck the slope of a mountain shrouded in clouds and located in the region of Weston. The aircraft was destroyed and all seven occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
The crew continued under VFR mode in adverse weather conditions and became lost and disoriented. The crew attempted an IFR flight with know defective directional gyro.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing B-52D-65-BO Stratofortress near Plainfield: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 9, 1960
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
Operator:
Registration:
55-0114
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Westover - Westover
MSN:
17230
YOM:
1955
Location:
Plainfield
Vermont
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a training mission out from Westover AFB. En route, while cruising near the Canadian border by night, the aircraft slowly banked to the left without any action from the pilot-in-command who apparently suffered a blackout. The airplane descended with a rate of 2,000 feet per minute when the navigator thinking she was breaking up ejected without direction from the pilot. Eventually, the captain instructed all crew to bail out as well and the airplane crashed and burned in an open field located near Plainfield, making a crater 350' long, 30' deep and 30' wide. Eight occupants were found alive while the body of the navigator was found seven months later.
Probable cause:
The reason the aircraft rolled over was the pilot blacked out, and without positive control input the aircraft entered a gentle slow roll. This initially went undetected by the rest of the crew, who were each performing their own chores. As the aircraft achieved a high angle of bank the rate of descent went over 2,000 feet per minute.

Crash of a De Havilland L-20A Beaver near Brandon: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 2, 1957
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Governors Island – Burlington
Location:
Brandon
Vermont
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft left Governors Island, New York, in the morning, bound for Burlington, Vermont. After passing over the Hudson River, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. Off course, the plane hit trees and crashed on the east side of the Bloodfoot mountain, about 7 miles east of Brandon. As the aircraft failed to arrive at Burlington, SAR operations were conducted but the wreckage was found ten days later only. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants have been killed. It was reported that one of the occupant survived the crash but died from his injuries three days later.
Crew:
Cpt Eual Cathey.
Passengers:
Col David M. Perkins,
Col Emery Hyde,
Lt Col Clinton Merrill.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-178 in Burlington

Date & Time: Sep 20, 1948 at 1141 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
NC17335
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Montreal – Burlington – New York
MSN:
1921
YOM:
1937
Flight number:
COL003
Location:
Burlington
Vermont
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
3727
Captain / Total hours on type:
2537.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
5417
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1517
Aircraft flight hours:
34238
Circumstances:
The flight departed Montreal at 1112LT and was cleared to Burlington by the Civil Aeronautics Air Route Traffic Control to proceed In accordance with visual flight rules. A message was received from the aircraft, by the Colonial radio at Burlington, indicating that it was over the Grand Isle Fan Marker, approximately 25 miles northwest of Burlington at 1135. Colonial radio acknowledged the report and transmitted the latest local weather ceiling 800 feet, visibility 1 mile in heavy rain. This report was acknowledged. Nearing the airport, light rain was encountered. The flight asked Burlington Tower for its existing traffic, and being in the approach control area, farther asked permission to make an approach from its present position. After checking with Boston Air Route Traffic Control establishing that no traffic was in the area, the aircraft was cleared to approach VFR. The windshield wipers were turned on and simultaneously wit passing over the range station at an altitude of approximately 700 feet and sighting the airport, the tower called and stated that it had the ship in sight and that the flight was cleared to land. Flight 3 previously had been informed that the surface wind was west, variable to northwest, 5 mph, and due to a heavy rain occurring east of the airport the pilot elected to use Runway 1. The aircraft headed southwest in order to widen the pattern and establish a downwind leg at a suitable distance from the runway. During the turn to final approach the flaps and landing gear were extended, and descent was made toward the airport aligned with Runway 01. The aircraft landed long and was unable to stop within the remaining runway, overran and came to rest in trees. All 17 occupants escaped slightly injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the pilot's action in landing too fast and too far down the wet runway following a high approach.
The following factors were considered as contributory:
- The captain elected to land on Runway 1, approximately 3,600 feet in length, the surface wind being west variable, northwest 5 mph,
- Touchdown was at a distance of 1,875 feet from the approach end of the runway, followed by no perceptible deceleration of the aircraft,
- The aircraft again became airborne only 175 feet from the end of the runway, and as a result struck trees adjacent to the airport.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing B-29A-70-BN Superfortress near Perkinsville: 12 killed

Date & Time: Jun 15, 1947 at 0014 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-62228
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Davis Monthan - Andrews - Hanscom Field - Davis Monthan
MSN:
11705
Location:
Perkinsville
Vermont
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Circumstances:
The flight had originated the previous morning when the plane took off from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, for a navigational training mission to the east coast. The plane was scheduled to land at Andrews Field (Later known as Andrews Air Force Base) in Washington, D.C., but due to bad weather was diverted to Pittsburgh Airport where it arrived at 1507LT. After refueling, the aircraft proceeded towards Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, Massachusetts, where it was to remain overnight before flying back to Arizona the following day. However, the weather grew worse, and with poor visibility and darkness falling the crew became lost, ending up over Vermont instead of Massachusetts. Shortly after midnight on June 15, the bomber crashed into the southeast side of Hawks Mountain and exploded. All twelve men aboard were killed, and to this day the incident remains the worst aviation accident to ever occur in Vermont.
Crew:
1st Lt Robert G. Fessler, pilot,
2nd Lt Wilfred E. Gassett, copilot,
2nd Lt Ceasare P. Fontana, observer,
M/Sgt D. D. Jack, crew chief,
T/Sgt Paul H. Fetterhoff,
T/Sgt Clayton K. Knight,
S/Sgt Oliver W. Hartwell,
S/Sgt Sylvester S. Machalac,
S/Sgt John J. O’Toole,
Cpl Harry C. Humphrey,
Cpl Robert Clark,
Pfc Robert M. Stewart.
Source:
http://www.newenglandaviationhistory.com/tag/b-29-44-62228/

Crash of a Consolidated B-24J-5-FO Liberator on Mt Camels Hump: 9 killed

Date & Time: Oct 16, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
42-51067
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Location:
Mt Camels Hump
Vermont
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
En route, the four-engine aircraft hit the slope of the 4,083 foot Mt Camels Hump located east of Huntington. Nine crew members were killed, among them Pfc Casper Zacher. The only survivor was the air gunner James W. Wilson. The exact circumstances of the accident remains unknown.
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