In July, 1946 a Flying Fortress B-17 bomber crashed into Mount Tom, killing all 25 passengers and crew returning home to Westfield Airforce Base.
The crash happened at about 10:20 at night. The impact was witnessed by many of the thousands of people attending events at the Mountain Park Amusement Area.
The bomber exploded on impact, starting several fires. However, a heavy downpour of rain prevented a serious forest fire from starting.
A memorial on the old tramway marks the crash site.
Visit GenDisasters to read the Fitchburg Sentinel newspaper account of the disaster, dated July 10, 1946.