(JDupre5762) wrote:

Yesterday May 7, 2004 a 1942 vintage Cessna T-50 popularly known as a
bamboo
bomber was lost near Sharon, MA. The pilot was killed and the
aircraft
destroyed.

Any more info on this? Perhaps a link to the story? An friend from NH
has a Bamboo Bomber and I can't contact him.

The pilot is identified as Darren Banfield of Brookline, NH. The WHDH TV news
showed a file footage shot of a Cessna T-50 and used the nickname "Bamboo
Bomber" to describe the plane.

The only thing recognizable in the wreckage photos were the rounded wing tips
typical of many planes of that era. Supposedly Banfield had only bought the
aircraft a few hours before.

The AP story in a couple of local papers describe the aircraft as a "twin
pontoon seaplane".

I guess the truth will come out in the NTSB preliminary report.

Usually any plane crash is good for a 48 hour news cycle but the next day a
family of 5 was lost in a boating accident with only 2 survivors.

My condolences to Mr. Banfield and his family and friends.