On June 27, 1958, a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker attempting to break a world speed record crashed shortly after takeoff from Westover Air Force Base, killing all 15 aboard the plane.

These planes would cross over New York's Idlewild Airport, circle London, then land at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn around noon.

[4] However, it struggled to gain altitude and struck a tree top 4,100 feet (1,200 m) from the end of the runway, which caused the KC-135's right wing to dip and dig into the ground.

[4] The aircraft, which was heavy with fuel for the non-stop trip to London, sprayed gasoline as it hit the ground, which set fire to the roadbed, a barn, and the surrounding woods.

[9] In 1960, the families of James McConaughy and Glenn A. Williams sued the United States government for a total of $1,040,000 ($10.7 million in 2023), alleging that the plane was overloaded and the flaps were used excessively during takeoff.