What Was Maine’s Deadliest Commercial Plane Crash?

Over the last few days, we have had our news sites and newsfeeds filled with articles and posts about that tragic plane crash at Bangor International Airport.

On the off chance that you have not heard the story, in the middle of Sunday's winter storm, a jet flying from Houston to Paris made a refueling stop at Bangor International Airport.  Tragically, the plane crashed while it was attempting to take-off.  At least six people were killed in the crash.

Despite the fact that our state is home to several busy little airports, including Bangor International Airport (known for being a destination for international flights that encounter problems in transit), we have had very few serious commercial airline crashes.

Recently, WMTW posted an article listing some of the deadliest plane crashes in Maine.  For the most part, they were all military flights.  Most of these happened during World War 2 and the Cold War.

What Was The Deadliest Commercial Plane Crash in Maine?

The article explains that the deadliest commercial plane crash in Maine happened in May of 1979 near Rockland.

The article explains that Downeast Airlines Flight 46 crashed while attempting to land at Knox County Regional Airport in Owls Head, near Rockland.  Heavy fog was reported in the area at the time, making conditions especially dangerous.  The pilots reportedly allowed the plane to drop below the safe operating altitude.  As a result, the plane crashed into terrain.

There were sixteen passengers and two crew on board.  The only survivor was sixteen-year-old John McCafferty.  He had been returning, by himself, from a trip to Florida.

It remains one of the most tragic moments in the state’s aviation story, and a sobering reminder of how quickly things can go wrong when weather turns bad along the coast.