Dr. Carlucci, Shown with his youngest son, Vincent, while the young doctor was serving as dental surgeon at a hospital in Italy during World War 2.

April 30, 1955 - This was the scene Saturday night about 9 o'clock on the Connecticut river near Charlestown, NH, after the seaplane which carried Dr. Vincent Carlucci, 32, Springfield, Vermont dentist to his death, had been pulled to shore. Grim-faced men stand by the plane while not far away workers try in vain to bring back a spark of life to the dentist.

Efforts to Save Young Dentist Life Fail - Doctors and firemen working with resusitator in an effort to save the life of Dr. Vincent Carlucci, 32, drowned when his plane crashed Saturday night in the Connecticut river. Shocked bystanders watch the losing fight.

Daytime view of the Piper Pacer seaplane, shortly before it was loaded on to a truck and taken from the scene of the crash.

Above photo gives an idea of the terrific damage done to the plane. Investigation of the crash is still underway by New Hampshire and Civil Aeronautics officials. They were aided by Vermont Aeronutifs and police officials, but New Hampshire officials have jurisdiction in such a crash.

    Dr. Vincent A. Carlucci, 32, of 125 Commonwealth Avenue, popular dental surgeon who served many hundreds of patients of all ages in this area, former army captain, musician and enthusiastic sportsman, lost his life by drowning in a sea-plane crash on the Connecticut river at Charlestown, N. H., Saturday night.

    He leaves a widow and four children.

    Mourners who filled St. Mary's church for funeral services yesterday morning included neighbors, friends and relatives, representatives of the Veterans of Foreign War, the Vermont Dental society, the Springfield lodge of Elks, the Springfield Flying club, the Civil Air Patrol and others.

    The Rev. John Fradet, curate, offered the high mass of requiem. The service was sung by the members of the junior choir under the direction of Mrs. William L. Dee, organist. The acolytes were two young cousins of Dr. Carlucci, Anthony and Timothy Tomasi of Bennington.

    The bearers were Raymond and Alton Davis of Windsor, cousins, and William E. Fellows, Earl Whitney, John Alger and Fred Migliori of Springfield, close friends. George A. Rooney, a member of the board of selectmen of Springfield, was usher.

    A profusion of spiritual and floral tributes was received by the family. The Rev. P. A. Nolin, pastor, conducted the committal service at St. Mary's cemetery.

    Members of Robert L. Johnson post, Veterans of Foreign Wars acted as guard of honor, and Commander Stanley Carhsle presented the American flag to Mrs. Carlucci at the grave. The post was represented by Commander Carlisle, Charles Johnson, Kenneth Cram, George Colburn, Ralph Balch, Elwyn Pelletier, Guy Balch, Richard Forbush, Richard Jarvis, Sabin Morris and Donald Martin.

    Dr. Carlucci was an organizer and lead bugler in the Springfield VFW Drum and Bugle corps. The charter of the post will be draped for 30 days in his memory.

    Although the final results of investigation of the tragedy in which Dr. Carlucci died has not been completed by New Hampshire aeronautics officials, It Is felt by flyers with whom he had been associated that the accident occurred when he was practicing take-offs on the river in his Piper-Pacer plane, on which he had placed floats earlier in the day.

    He had loaded his plane with camping and fishing equipment in preparation to a fishing trip on Sunday to Little Averill pond in Norton, Vt., while his wife and two younger children were visiting relatives in Montreal.

    Associates of Dr. Carlucci at, Springfield Airport believe that the tragedy was due to a combination of circumstances, a weather condition which brought about a smooth "glassy", surface on the water of the river, which made it difficult to judge altitude, and the doctor's sudden realization that he was in the vicinity of the power "feeder" lines which cross the Connecticut river from below the "Hitormis" club on the Missing link road, to Charlestown, N. H. Airmen describe "glassy” water as one of the greatest hazards in “Float” or seaplane flying. They also state that flyers in the area, are instructed about the location of the power lines on the river.

    According to conjecture, Dr. Carlucci, who had been seen in a "fast taxi" along the river by Earl Brown who lives an the banks, got off the water into the air, headed south, and suddenly realized he was in the vicinity of the power line. Some of his friends are of the opinion that the dentist apparently thought he could not fly over the lines, and nosed his plane down to pass under them. They believe that due to the glassy water conditions be misjudged the altitude and struck the water before he expected to. The plane crashed turning over into a near vertical position, the entire cockpit completely submerged, with one float, the tail section and wing tip showing above the water.

    There was some evidence that Dr. Carlucci released his safety belt, and with a small pocket or pen knife tried to extricate himself from the cabin, the door of which had jammed. A great deal of the camping and fishing equipment in the back of the plane had fallen forward and it was necessary to remove it before it could be ascertained that a person was in the cabin.

    Also figuring in the investigation is the possibility that the right float or pontoon, which was damaged, had struck a sharp piece of wood or other debris in the water.

    (The air crash which claimed the life of Dr. Carlucci was the second in the Springfield area within a week. On Monday, April 25, Richard Tredo, 25, of East Middlebury, died when his orchard-dusting plane struck a maple tree and crashed at Wellwood orchards in Weathersfield. during a light drizzle.)

    Relatives said that Dr. Carlucci had treated dental patients in his offices in the Bank block Saturday morning as usual. He and a friend, Nick Aitgustinovich, jr., of Springfield, also a flyer, had worked after the noon hour in putting the "floats" on the plane which was kept docked in the Howe meadows on the Springfield side of the Connecticut river. The two men tried out the seaplane on test flights.

    Then, driving his station wagon, Dr. Carlucci went up to Deway street and picked up his sister, Mary, a dental technician, her husband, Arthur Cesario and their three children. During the afternoon they obtained a tent, fishing equipment, gasoline for the anticipated solo flight to Norton, and the doctor secured a fishing license at the police station.

    At the dock by the river, they loaded the gasoline and equipment into the plane, and put up a wind sock. The doctor taxied around on the water, but waited some time for favorable wind conditions to make practice landings and take offs with the aircraft. he had purchased last fall. Dr. Carlucci, described as a skillful pilot, had been flying "land" planes for the past few years.

    The Cesario family waited in the station wagon when the doctor finally taxied the seaplane down the river in the vicinity of the Cheshire bridge toward Bellows Falls. They last him when he disappeared around the bend. They waited about 45 minutes when Guy Leet of Springfield approached them and told them the plane was down in the river and that rescue attempts were being made by boat. He led them to the scene.

    Several persons on both sides of the Connecticut river saw the plane during the practice landings and taxiing on the river. A Keene, N. H., Teachers college student, Miss Mary Nelson of Charlestown, told authorities, she saw the plane hit the water and immediately go over. An alarm was sent out bringing to the scene 22 members of the Charlestown Volunteer fire department and police. First of the nearby residents to reach the scene tried unsuccessfully to reach the submerged aircraft by swimming. It was finally towed to the New Hampshire shore with ropes by men in boats.

    The wrecked plane was in the water about half an hour before Dr. Carlucci was extricated. Resuscitation efforts by the firemen who worked for an hour, failed to revive him. Some of the Springfield and local police aided in the rescue attempts.

    The Rev. John Fraklet, curate of St. Mary's church in Springfield, administered the last rites of the Catholic church.

    Death by drowning was pronounced by Dr. John Monroe, regional medical referee of Newport, N. H. Dr. Paul Willard of Charlestown also was present.

    The plane went down opposite Charlestown, in 30 to 40 feet of water. The river is still at its springtime high level, and the current was running powerfully. Elaine Ahern, a junior at Charlestown High school, reported she heard the plane evidently taxiing along the water trying to take off. Then, she said, there were two sharp reports "almost like rifle shots" and the sound of the engine abruptly stopped.

    At almost the same moment, in the dusk about 7:15, others noticed the stricken plane. Mr. and Mrs. Donald Higliter and children of Charlestown looked out and saw the tail sticking up from the water and drifting south. Mrs. Highter called Charlestown firemen.

    Fire Chief D. Howard Stearns, firemen Walter G. Smith jr. and Leo Y. Poisson were among the first on the scene with the Highters and Miss Ahern. They raced across cornfield and a cow-pasture to try to reach the plane.

    Elaine and some of the firemen tried swimming out to the wreckage, about 50 feet from the New Hampshire shore. They couldn't open the door. The Carter twins, Harold and Harry, who are also Charlestown firemen, had just mounted their boat on a light truck in preparation for a fishing trip. They rushed to the scene with it. With the aid of a rope brought by Arthur Streeter of Charlestown, they hooked on to the plane’s tail section and towed it to shore. The, water was quiet on the surface, but, the current was so powerful the aircraft drifted nearly a quarter of a mile from where it was first sighted before it was beached. Police Chief Ralph Willoughby of Charlestown, State Trooper Roy Messer of Claremont , N. H., and, Chief Stearns directed the rescue operations.

    Sullivan County Solicitor George Zopf of Claremont also was called into the investigation. Harold Anderson of Springfield saw the sunken plane from the Vermont side, on Route 5 south of Springfield just about the same time the Highlers looked out from Charlestown across the river. Richard Hurd of Montpelier, investigator for the Vermont Aeronautics association flew to Springfield Sunday to assist New Hampshire and CAA officials in the investigation. They were Jack Smith, safety officer for the Civil Aeronautics association in this area, Russell Hilliard and Gardner Mills of the New Hampshire Aeronautics administration.

    Dr. Carlucci, a native of Albany, NY, is the son of Mrs. John A. Tambini, the former Anne Tomasi, and the late James Nicola Carlucci. He was born October 11, 1922. As a small child he went to Barre with his family. He was educated in the Barre schools and was prominent athlete at Spaulding High school. He was a member of the football, baseball and track teams. In his senior year he was selected is a member of the allstate football team. He was a pianist, and also played the bugle and drums. He was a member of the American Legion band and in his freshmen year made a trip to New York with that group.

    An ardent lover of outdoor sports, he became the object of a, widespread hunt, also in his freshman year, when he became lost in the woods in extremely cold weather on the last day of the hunting season. Through his own ingenuity he kept warm, spent the night in a cave, and walked out to his family and searchers safety the next day.

    From Spaulding High school he went to Vermont Junior college, where he was prominent in sports. His colleagues included Ralph La Pointe, now coach at UVM. He took an accelerated three-year-course at, McGill university, graduating in 1945 with the DDS degree, at the top of his class.

    He interned for a year at a Montreal hospital. On November 3, 1945 he married Miss Carol Malchesky of Montreal, who was secretary at Nordine airport in that city. Throughout his his school and college years, Dr. Carlucci worked on construction projects and at Cone Automatic company in Windsor. He was also a member of the Army Reserve.

    After completing his internship he went into active service with the army. For two years he was chief dental surgeon at the U. S. Army hospital at Livera, Italy. He was also in charge of army dental clinics in Naples and Rome, and worked with the graves registration department.

    He was discharged with the rank of captain in June 1948, and the same summer came to Springfield, where with the encouragement of an uncle, Dr. Lawrence Tomasi of Windsor, he set up the practice of dentistry here. His skill, personality and friendliness drew him patients and friends in all age groups.

    Dr. and Mrs. Carlucci first lived at Westview and a few years ago purchased their present home on Commonwealth avenue. In addition to hunting and fishing in many parts of the United States and Canada, the doctor has been interested in the Drum and Bugle corps of the VFW, which he helped organize, and in flying. He had many cross country trips. He played softball with the Elks team for three seasons.

    Besides his wife, Carol, he leaves four children, Carol, 9 and Vincent, 7, who attend the Academy of Our Lady of Grace in New Hampshire, and Elaine, 5, and Lorraine, 4. He also leaves his mother, Mrs. J. A. Tambini of Brookline, Mass., (who plans to remain with her daughter-in-law for a time); a brother, Anthony, Brookline postal worker; two sisters, Mrs. Arthur Cesario of Springfield, a dental technician ,employed by Dr. Justin Bugbee, and Miss Rose Carlucci of Brookline who operates a beauty parlor in Boston. Two of his uncles, Dr. Lawrence Tomasi of Windsor and Dr. Francis Tomasi of Bennington, are also dentists. Among the out-of-town relatives attending the funeral were Mrs. Tambini, Miss Rose Carlucci and Anthony Carlucci of Brookline, Mass.; Mr. and Mr. W. J. Davis of Candia, N. H.; Mr. and Mrs. John Tomasi and family, Mr. and Mrs. George Fortier and family, Mrs. Rose Sassone, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Mitchell, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Crosier, Flora and Manuel Maza of Barre; Miss Mary Massuco of Bellows Falls; Dr. and Mrs. L. J. Tomasi, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Raymond and family, Mr. and Mrs. Elton J. Davis and family and Mr. and Mrs. Raymond R. Davis of Windsor. Also Dr. and Mrs. F. C. Tomasi and family of Bennington; Mrs. Annie Struck of Montreal, Mrs. Mary Malchesky, Mrs. Pauline Danyluk and Joan and Ted Malchesky of London, Ont.