1968 — March 19, Beechcraft business plane crash in foggy weather, Terrible Mount., VT–7

–7 Aviation Safety Network. Beechcraft G185 crash, foggy, hits mt. near Weston VT. 3-19-1968
–7 Bridgeport Post, CT. “Plane Victims Rites Arranged.” 3-22-1968, p. 48.
–7 National Transportation Safety Board. “NTSB Identification: NYC6868A0107.”

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database:
“Date: 19-Mar-1968
“Time: 09:55
“Type: Beechcraft G185
“Owner/Operator: D. L. Peterson Trust
“Registration: N172S
“MSN: BA-541
“Fatalities: Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
“Other fatalities: 0
….
“Location: Weston, VT
….
“Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
“Narrative:

“While cruising under VFR [visual flight rules] mode in foggy conditions, the crew failed to realize that their 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 [instrument flight rules] flight with known defective directional gyro.”

National Transportation Safety Board. “NTSB Identification: NYC6868A0107.”
“Aircraft: Beech G18S, registration: N1725
“File 3-2004
“Date 68/3/19
“Time 0955
“Location Weston, VT
“Aircraft Data Beech G195, N1725…destroyed
“Injuries CR- 2 [fatal]
PX- 5 [fatal
OT- 0
“Flight Purpose Noncommercial corp/exec
“Pilot Data ATP, flight instr., age 35, 6221 total hours, 711 in type, instrument rated.
“Type of Accident Collision with ground/water: Controlled
“Phase of Operation In-flight: normal cruise
“Probable Cause(s) Pilot in Command – continued VFR flight into adverse weather conditions.
Pilot in Command – became lost/disoriented
Weather – fog
“Factor(s) Instruments/equipment and accessories…Directional gyro
Pilot in Command attempted operation w/known deficiencies in equipment
“Ceiling at accident site 1700
“Visibility at accident site 3 miles or less
“Obstructions to vision at accident site Fog
“Fire after impact
“Remarks – struck side of fog enshrouded mt. attempted IFR FLT with known defective directional gyro.”
Newspaper

March 22: “Services will be conducted tomorrow for four of the seven men who were killed Tuesday when a plane crashed on a mountain near Weston, Vt., while en route from Bridgeport to Springfield, Vt. The men, executives of the Perkin-Elmer corporation of Norwalk, were on a business trip when the plane crashed in a heavily-wooded remote area known as Terrible Mountain.

“Services for Donald J. Scalo, of…Bridgeport, will take place at 8 a.m. …
“Services for Leonard F. Glancy, 48, of…Trumbull, will take place at 9:15…
“Services for James E. Ettorre, 51, of…Fairfield will take place at 9:15 a.m. …
“Services for Burton B. Burks, 52, of…Norwalk, will take place at 11 a.m. …

“The other three men killed in the crash were Wilbur Spafford, 51, of…Bethel, a field engineer for Jones and Lamson company, Springfield, Vt.’ William Benham, 32 of West Hartford, the co-pilot; and Frederick Vieweg of Granby, the pilot….” (Bridgeport Post, CT. “Plane Victims Rites Arranged.” 3-22-1968, p. 48.)

Sources

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database. Beechcraft G185 crash, foggy, hits mt. near Weston VT. 3-19-1968. Accessed 7-17-2023 at:
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/4266

Bridgeport Post, CT. “Plane Victims Rites Arranged.” 3-22-1968, p. 48. Accessed 7-17-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/bridgeport-post-mar-22-1968-p-48/

National Transportation Safety Board. “NTSB Identification: NYC6868A0107.” Accessed 7-17-2023 at: https://www.baaa-acro.com/sites/default/files/2018-05/N172S.pdf