A husband and wife from Rhode Island were killed Monday morning when their single-engine plane crashed onto Route 195 in Dartmouth, igniting a fire that shut down both sides of the highway for hours.
Massachusetts State Police said the Socata TBM-700 (reg. N111RF), which had taken off from New Bedford Regional Airport, went down around 08:15, scattering debris across the highway and nearby woods. The fuselage landed on the grassy median and burst into flames.
The victims were identified as Thomas Perkins, 68, and Agatha Perkins, 66, of Middletown, Rhode Island. They were found inside the burned fuselage and pronounced dead at the scene, according to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn.
A woman driving on the highway was injured when her car was struck by debris from the crash. She was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Authorities said the plane may have been attempting to return to the airport, though no flight plan had been filed. The crash occurred amid heavy rain and strong winds from a nor’easter sweeping across Massachusetts.
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the cause of the crash. Most lanes of Route 195 were reopened by evening, but troopers remained at the site overnight to secure the wreckage for federal investigators.
Small Plane Crashes on Massachusetts Highway
Key Facts
? Single-engine plane crashed on I-195 in Dartmouth
? Crash happened around 8:15 a.m. during a nor’easter
? Two people onboard killed
? One person on the ground injured
? Plane believed to be a Socata TBM-700
? May… pic.twitter.com/26keJUYHyr— Drunk Cicero (@Drunk_Cicero) October 13, 2025