A History of Airplane Crashes in New Hampshire

By Mark Okrant

Airplane travel is among the safest forms of travel, trailing only the intercity bus. Unfortunately, when an airplane falls from the sky, the impact is seldom minor, and the results can be disastrous. According to the research team of Panish, Shea, Boyle and Ravipudi, “aviation accident rates have gone down in recent years, but the growing popularity of travel by private jet and helicopter threatens that trend.”

According to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) data, at a time when there are millions of flight hours, the percentage of trips that produce fatal crashes is a fraction of one percent. For example, during a recent calendar year, airplanes produced 0.01 deaths per million miles traveled, while train travel produced 0.04 deaths. Panish, Shea, Boyle and Ravipudi tell us that 80 percent of all aviation accidents are the product of some type of human error, with nearly one-half occurring during times when planes are taking off or landing. Pilot error is thought to account for a majority (53%) of aircraft accidents, followed by mechanical failure (21%), and weather conditions (11%).

During 2022, there have been two fatal airplane crashes involving large commercial aircraft. In three other incidents this year, no loss of life occurred. A table depicting air crashes between 1982 and 2018 indicates that the numbers of crashes, fatal injuries, serious injuries, and minor injuries have diminished significantly over that 37-year period—crashes were down by 56 percent, fatal injuries by 47 percent, serious injuries by 53 percent, and minor injuries by 56 percent.

Most of us would be surprised to learn that there have been nearly one thousand military aircraft crashes here in northern New England. In Maine alone, there were 741 military aircraft involved in accidents between 1919 and 1989. Many of those crashes involved planes being delivered to the warfront during World War II.

Peter Noddin, the region’s leading aviation archaeologist, began searching for lost aircraft in Maine during his high school years, in the early 1980s. Noddin became serious about this endeavor during the mid-1990s, several years after graduating from the University of Maine. First, he researched old maps in an effort to locate lost historic military equipment. Subsequently, Noddin’s research repertoire continued to evolve. To increase his success rate, he began collecting and studying old newspaper clippings . . . anything with a story about an airplane that never reached its destination. This led him to seek out sources that provided military records. Owing to his growing range of resources, Noddin once located two F86 Saber crash sites in one day. During the last several decades, as Noddin became more successful at finding lost aircraft, he discovered that there are people throughout the United States with similar motivations; thus, a network was born. 

During the early years of his searching, Noddin relied upon an excellent resource—people who had actually witnessed airplane crashes within the region. However, with the passage of time, many of these people are no longer alive. Aiding Noddin’s current searches is a modern piece of technology—the GPS. For Noddin and his fellow aviation archaeologists, the availability of this navigation tool has proven to be a mixed blessing. At a time when modern logging practices have opened up formerly remote areas, accessibility in conjunction with the GPS have made crash sites reachable by souvenir hunters. The latter have had a detrimental impact on those wishing to document crash histories, and their efforts to help surviving family members get answers about loved ones.

When was asked to describe the aviation archaeology situation in New Hampshire, Noddin replied, “a quick scan of records and our data base shows that there were 238 military aircraft crashes in the state. Many of New Hampshire’s crashes were at or near Grenier Field/AFB in Manchester.” 

Grenier Field was located at the site of the present Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. Noddin indicated that numerous crashes of the Army Air Corps’ B24 and B17 aircraft occurred at Grenier Field, and in surrounding areas, during World War II. Grenier had served as a staging base for aircraft headed to the European theater. There also were occasional fighter plane crashes in the region following the war. Other New Hampshire military airplane crash sites include a T33 plane crash in Spofford, and a B52 crash in Freemont.

For those who are interested in learning more about the aircraft industry, there is a resource in New Hampshire that will not require you to strap on waterproof boots and hiking gear, or to venture into the wild. Situated at 27 Navigator Road in Londonderry, the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (AMNH) is operated by the New Hampshire Aviation Historical Society. Aside from providing an important educational function to the next generation of aviation enthusiasts, the AMNH contains exhibits about key persons, places, events, and artifacts related to the state’s aviation history. Visitors learn about the early contributions to the aviation history of this country and the world by key New Hampshire men and women. 

The AMNH is housed in a beautiful 1937 art deco building that once served as the Manchester Airport terminal. The museum’s collection includes a large photography exhibit; the Doodle Bug—a biplane manufactured in New Hampshire; and the Around the World flight simulator. AMNH offers group tours and hosts a number of educational opportunities. Hours are Friday and Saturday from 10am-4pm, and Sunday from 1-4pm. Admission is $10, or $5 for seniors and children between the ages of 6-12. For more information, visit www.nhahs.org.