While researching a hiking trip, I came across an article about an airplane crash. On November 30, 1954, Northeast Airlines Flight 792 departed Laconia, New Hampshire, at 10:37 a.m. bound for Berlin, New Hampshire. The scheduled 35-minute flight was delayed when snow squalls around Berlin reduced visibility to near zero and closed the airfield. Despite being off course and low on fuel, the plane attempted to fly by instruments to the airfield. Approaching from the southeast at 120 mph, the bare summit of Mount Success came into view. The pilot sharply pulled the nose up, converting the plane’s imminent head-on crash into a belly landing in the dense evergreens just south of the summit. Tragically, two crew members lost their lives, while the remaining two crew members and three passengers were rescued 48 hours later by an Air Force helicopter.
The main wreckage lies just south of the southern summit of Mount Success along the eastern boundary of the Appalachian Trail corridor. After reading about the crash and learning that the wreckage remains intact and largely unchanged over the past seven decades, I shared the story with my son, Calum. We decided to take a hike out and explore the crash site for ourselves.
We embarked on a challenging hike to Mount Success in early May, a 3.3-mile trek to the summit that boasts an elevation gain of 2,145 feet. From the top, we embarked on a quest to locate the crash site, approximately a mile down the southwestern side of the mountain. This part of the journey proved arduous as we navigated through the dense scrubby pine forest, bushwhacking our way through the thick underbrush. Despite having a general idea of its location, visibility was limited to mere ten feet, making it an arduous task to traverse this rugged terrain.
After what felt like an eternity, we finally stumbled upon the crash site, where the main fuselage section protruded from the trees and brush. We were astounded by the sight of the wreckage, and it was even more remarkable that after 70 years, it remained in remarkably good condition. The fuselage walls were adorned with graffiti left by past hikers, and twisted pieces of aluminum were scattered along the mountain’s side. Just 100 yards further from the fuselage, a wing was still visible, along with parts of the engine.
This eerie and haunting site evokes a profound sense of nostalgia, transporting us back to a cold, snowy night seventy years ago. It’s a place that captures the imagination and leaves an indelible mark on the soul.
