The Terrifying, Deadly Plane Crash In Connecticut That Will Never Be Forgotten

Like all places, Connecticut has its fair share of disasters. The 1944 circus fire in Hartford was an incredibly tragic event that killed over 160 people. We've also had plenty of weather-related incidents: tornadoes, hurricanes, and snowstorms have all hit the Nutmeg State and resulted in casualties. Fatal plane crashes, while uncommon, also take place here, and one of the worst in history occurred when Allegheny Airlines Flight 485 crashed down in June 1971. Of the 31 occupants on the flight, 28 died, making it one of the worst plane crashes in Connecticut history.

Alleghany Airlines Flight 485 was a passenger flight between Washington DC and Newport News, Virginia. The flight had two scheduled stopovers in Connecticut. The aircraft was a converted Convair 440 flown by an experienced pilot and First Officer.

The plane took off from DC the morning of June 7, 1971. The weather was unusually foggy and the flight crew had difficulty seeing.

Due to the poor weather, the plane made three attempts to land at Groton-New London Airport for the first stopover before finally touching ground an hour later than anticipated.

The plane then headed to its next stopover at Tweed New Haven Regional Airport. It was cleared for landing but due to the fog, the pilot missed the runway and ended up crashing near the water. When the plane crashed, it hit three beach cottages before bursting into flames.

Tragically, 26 of the 27 people who died on-site survived the crash itself and died from either burns or chemical asphyxiation after the crash. The smoke caused the passengers to be unable to read the instructions on how to open the rear service door, and they were overcome by the fire before being able to escape.

Only three people survived the crash. Several recommendations were made to the Federal Aviation Administration after the accident, including increasing emergency lighting and guidance for flight attendants to point to each exit during their pre-flight instructions to passengers.

This tragic plane crash in Connecticut was among the worst aviation disasters in the state.

Do you remember the crash of Allegheny Airlines Flight 485?