The Crash and Investigation
The plane took off from Jaffrey Municipal Airport (Silver Ranch) at approximately 11:50 a.m., and the plane experienced an immediate mechanical failure during takeoff. Witnesses nearby saw the engine lose power and noticed that the propeller completely stopped working as the plane cleared the runway.
The plane crashed near the airport on Turnpike Road at approximately 12:02 p.m.. As the mechanical engine failure occurred almost immediately during the initial takeoff climb, the aircraft never left the local area and came down in a field right next to the runway. The pilot and sole occupant was 75-year-old, Ronald Jones, from Brookline, New Hampshire.
Airport Manager and Owner, Harvey Sawyer, stated that “It hit hard,”, and the impact left Jones trapped inside the wreckage. Emergency crews from the Jaffrey Police Department and local fire departments rushed to the scene on Turnpike Road to extricate him.
According to NBC Boston, Jones was awake and responsive when rescuers reached him, but he suffered substantial facial injuries and severe back pain. After being stabilised by local paramedics, he was airlifted by a UMass LifeFlight medical helicopter directly to the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) took immediate control of the secure crash site. They began handling the active investigation to uncover why the homebuilt engine failed so abruptly during takeoff.
As the crash occurred so recently, the FAA has not yet released a definitive final determination. However, local authorities and preliminary federal oversight point directly toward an abrupt mechanical engine failure.
Past Incidents
This isn’t the first incident like this at Jaffrey Airport. Just two weeks prior, on Thursday, May 21, a single-engine homebuilt airplane flipped entirely upside down while attempting to land. The crash occurred at approximately 12:00 p.m.
The pilot was tracking toward the runway for a standard landing but veered sharply off the side of the tarmac. Upon hitting the unpaved ground adjacent to Runway 34, the aircraft completely flipped onto its roof, sustaining substantial structural damage. The plane was identified as a Van’s RV-7 homebuilt kit plane, with the federal registration tail number N732JG.
Local police and airfield officials noted that gusty wind conditions and a harsh sun glare likely caused the pilot to lose visibility and control during the final landing approach.
The two occupants on board, the pilot and a passenger, sustained serious injuries to their heads and torsos, however, non appeared to be immediately life-threatening.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) closed down the active runway for several hours to preserve the scene and gather preliminary evidence for their ongoing investigation.
The team sends our wishes of a smooth recovery for the pilot. For more like this, follow Travel Radar to stay updated about incidents in aviation.
