AIRPLANE CRASHES IN THE AREA
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AIRPLANE CRASHES IN THE AREA
2/25/2014
There have been about 10 plane crashes in the area over the years in Sussex and Warren Counties. I’m going to talk about a few of them.
In 1932 a small monoplane crashed in Millbrook. The pilot was apparently in trouble and was trying to find a place to land. As he circled the area he hit the top of a tree and then crashed. The pilot, as well as a passenger perished.
10 years later, in 1942 there was another crash. This one as well as several others involved the military. This time, a formation of four Army Air Corp C47 twin engine aircraft took off from Massachusetts bound for Texas. They were scheduled to make a refueling stop in Washington DC.
This was still in the early days of the War and the pilots were not fully trained.. In fact they only had visual training and did not have any training on the instruments. However, the weather was excellent when they took off making an instrument rating “unnecessary”.
However, the weather changed and the pilots encountered dense fog after about an hour. Two of the planes successfully landed in DC; one landed in Hartford but the fourth pilot became disoriented..
After losing one of the engines the plane lost altitude and crashed over Walnut Valley in Warren County. A clock on the plane stopped at 4:03 Sept 19, 1942. There were seven persons on board and they all perished.
Two years later, in 1944 another crash occurred near Millbrook. This plane was a four engine B-17. The plane developed navigational problems and then ice formed on the wings. Pilot inexperience was also cited as a factor. There were 12 fatalities. This crash occurred Feb 22, 1944.
Another military event occurred a few years later. In 1948 a C-47 struck a B-25 cruising at an altitude of 7,000 feet over Swartswood. The B-25, while losing part of its wing went on to its final destination.
The C-47 crashed and 6 enlisted men plus the crew perished.
Additional information is available on our web site.
http://planecrashmap.com/list/nj/
http://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/02/nyregion/four-killed-in-crash-of-plane-in-jersey-resort-area.html
http://www.njskylands.com/hs_aircrash_104
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100530/NEWS/5300331
This is a photo of the crashed B-17 near Millbrook 2/22/1944