Historical Account of the B-25A Mitchel Bomber Crash 

January 1, 2017 marks the 75th anniversary of the crash of a North American B-25A Bomber on January 1, 1942, which claimed the lives of five heroic servicemen. When one of the plane’s engines failed within minutes of take-off from Mitchel Field, the pilot veered the plane away from homes in New Hyde Park and into a sandpit. The plane, which was heavily laden with bombs, exploded on impact killing all five young servicemen aboard. The pilot, Charles Van Eewen, was later awarded a posthumous Distinguished Service Medal for avoiding hitting houses during the crash.

Click here to read a report on the crash of the North American B-25A Mitchel Bomber in New Hyde Park on January 1, 1942