There have been a number of terrible disasters in Georgia history. One of the worst, at least as far as aviation history is concerned, was the crash of Southern Airways Flight 242 in 1977. The plane suffered catastrophic failure of both engines and went down in a field in New Hope, Georgia. In total, there were 73 fatalities, with only 20 passengers and two flight attendants surviving.

Southern Airways Flight 242 was a Douglas DC-9-31 that had taken off from Muscle Shoals, Alabama and made a stop in Huntsville on its way to Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport (pictured).
Craig Butz/Wikimedia Commons
The pilot and first officer were both very experienced and had actually flown through the same area earlier that day. However, bad weather had intensified over the previous few hours.
Clipperarctic - Southern DC-9/Wikimedia Commons
Conditions were bad and worsening as the plane made its way into Georgia. Thunderstorms were grouping together to form a squall line, which the plane headed right into. The hail was so bad that it actually burst the plane's windshield. Both engines flooded out.
Anynobody/Wikimedia Commons

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Too far from any emergency airports, the plane had to chance a landing in the town of New Hope in Paulding County. The pilot attempted to land on a straight stretch of highway then known as Georgia State Route 92 Spur (now the Dallas-Acworth Highway).
Thomson200/Wikimedia Commons
As the plane landed, it hit a building and swerved to the left, hitting the trees. Both pilots and 61 passengers were killed in the crash, plus an additional nine people who were on the ground.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)/Wikimedia Commons
This was a horrific incident that will never be forgotten.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)/Wikimedia Commons

In 2021, a memorial was erected to honor those who passed away in this tragic Georgia plane crash. For more information, you can visit the New Hope Memorial Flight 242, Inc. Facebook page.

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