Latest edit 11-5-2023 by Wayne Blanchard for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

— 7 Independent Record, Helena, MT. “Plane Crash Death Toll Now Seven.” 8-11-1946, p. 1.

— 7 Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana, PA. “Probe Crash at Airshow.” 8-13-1946, 12.

— 7 Salt Lake Tribune, UT. “AAF Probing Montana Air Tragedy.” 8-12-1946, p. 2.

— 7 Wikipedia. “List of Airshow Accidents and Incidents.” 11-3-2011 modification.

— 6 Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT. “Planes Crash at Gt. Falls Fair…” 8-9-1946, p. 1.

— 6 Independent Record, Helena, MT. “Probe Pressed in Fair’s Plane Wreck.” 8-10-1946, p. 1.

— 2 Crew; USAAF Douglas A-26C Invader 44-35962, 8-9-1946. Aviation Safety Network,

— 2 Crew; USAAF Douglas A-26C Invader 44-35973, 8-9-1946. Aviation Safety Network.

— 1 Andy Seaman of Rexburg, Idaho, horse trainer.

— 1 Dorothy Mae Szabo of Belt, Mont., a State university student.

— 1 Unidentified “parts of a seventh body have been found.” Aug 12.[1]

Narrative Information

Aug 9: “Great Falls, Aug 9 – (AP) — Five civilians and the crew of at least one B-26 army bomber were known to have been killed when three planes in an army airshow collided in midair today and two of them crashed. The civilians were killed when one plane crashed into a racehorse barn behind the grandstand of the Northern Montana State Fair, setting the building ablaze. Fifty animals also were in the flaming building.

“The other plane was seen by thousands of spectators to crash in a field about two miles from the grandstand. It was not known immediately whether its crew escaped death or injury.

“A third plane, member of a tight formation that swept low over the grandstands in maneuvers, was believed to have escaped crashing. Spectators said the planes were flying so low that they could not determine immediately whether the third airship crashed, too. The three planes were believed to have been crewed by four men each.

“Flying in too-tight formation was blamed for the collision, which occurred so low over the crowded grandstand that the ill-fated planes barely missed a crowd that was witnessing the show, an event that climaxed the 14^th annual Northern Montana State Fair.” (Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT. “Planes Crash at Gt. Falls Fair…” 8-9-1946, p. 1.)

Aug 10: “Great Falls, Aug. 10. – (AP) – The grim task of completing identification of charred bodies continued today as local army authorities pressed an investigation into the army air-show tragedy which yesterday brought flaming death to six persons before 20,000 horrified spectators at North Montana State Fair. Four of the victims were crewmen of the two attack bombers, which collided as they zoomed low in front of the grandstand and crashed – one into a race-horse barn near the huge crowd, the other some distance away. Two others were believed to have been civilians standing in or near the barn. Two have been identified as Lt. Arthur Pelletier of Coleraine, Minn., a pilot of one of the planes, and Dorothy Mae Szabo of Belt, Mont., a State university student.

“Some 25 other persons were injured, three seriously, when one of the airships hit the barn, spreading flaming debris over a wide area and enveloping the wooden building into an inferno of death for 19 valuable race horses….Eight automobiles parked by the structure were demolished as the plane ripped through flimsy timber.

“Three of the twin-engined medium bombers were roaring low over a grandstand packed with fairgoers when, eyewitnesses said, a wing from one of the planes apparently sheared off the tall

of the other. The third plane swung away, undamaged.

“One of the planes burst into flame and zoomed into the horse barn, filled with race horses. The other sped crazily on, flaming as it dug into the earth a mile away.

“The barn flared and the screams of burning horses brought near panic to the crowd. Seventeen of the animals perished in the flames, and two others were so badly injured they were destroyed. Fairground employes fought the barn fire and helped take the bodies of the dead from the smoking ruins.

“Army officers said the attack bombers usually carry a pilot and two crewmen, but that the planes engaged in the air show carried only a pilot and copilot. The planes were based at the Lake Charles, La., army air base and were flying in air shows under command of Col. Wilson R. Wood, from the Smyrna, Tenn., air base, the Great Falls army air base reported.” (Independent Record, Helena, MT. “Probe Pressed in Fair’s Plane Wreck.” 8-10-1946, p. 1.)

Aug 10: “Great Falls, Aug. 10. – (AP) – Police Chief Harold Mady reported late today part of the body of a seventh victim of yesterday’s spectacular airplane collision and resulting fire had been found in the ashes of a North Montana state fair horse barn here. The police chief said workmen recovered the body this afternoon in debris of the horse barn which yielded three bodies yesterday after two army A-26 invader attack bombers collided and one crashed into the barn while 20,000 fair spectators looked on. The body was believed to be that of a civilian, Mady said.

“Mady announced also that one of the victims found yesterday was positively identified as Andy

Seaman of Rexburg, Idaho, horse trainer. Identification was established by Seaman’s wife, Mady added. Meanwhile, an army board investigated the collision of the planes, which were flying In an air show. Two of the dead previously were identified as Lt. Arthur Pelletier, Coleraine, Minn., pilot of one of the planes, and Dorothy Mae Szabo, Belt, Mont., Montana State university student, who perished in the barn.

“The two planes collided during air show maneuvers. Its tail severed, one aircraft burst into flames, plummeted to the horse barn and caromed into an auto parking lot. The other plane flew over a hill, crashed and burned.

“Nineteen horses died, or had been killed, and eight automobiles were destroyed after the crashing plane sprayed flaming fuel over the area….” (Independent Record, Helena, MT. “Plane Crash Death Toll Now Seven.” 8-11-1946, p. 1.)

Aug 11: “Great Falls, Mont., Aug. 11 (AP) – Top army air forces officials Sunday sought to determine the cause of Friday’s air show tragedy which brought flaming death to possibly seven persons when two attack bombers crushed before the eyes of 20,000 horrified spectators at north Montana State Fair….A coroner’s jury Saturday night blamed the tragedy on low flying and too close formation by three planes.” (Salt Lake Tribune, UT. “AAF Probing Montana Air Tragedy.” 8-12-1946, p. 2.)

Aug 13: “Great Falls, Mont., Aug. 13 – (AP) – Maj. Gen. Junius Jones, Army Air Inspector General, said today that ‘everything possible’ was being done to determine the cause of the North Montana State Fair Army airshow tragedy…The officer, who flew here from Washington, D.C., with Col. Desmond O’Keefe, Army Air Judge Advocate, said in a statement that he was sent to investigate the crash of two attack bombers by Gen. Carl Spantz, Army Air Forces commander, and that ‘proper corrective action’ would be taken….

“The third ship was damaged, but returned to the Great Falls Army Air Base safely, it was announced last night.” (Indiana Evening Gazette, PA. “Probe Crash at Airshow.” 8-13-1946, p12.)

Aug 15: “Pasco. – A Fourth air force traveling equipment exhibit mounted on 10 huge truck and trailer units enroute to Portland from the Montana State fair at Great Falls, stopped here Tuesday night. The recruiting show, on a 10-week tour of the Northwest, was under command of Lt. Co. A. F. Mulligan….” (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA. “Aviation Unit Puts on Show.” 8-15-1946, 7.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Army Air Force Probing Cause of Falls Crash.” The Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT, 8-12-1946, p.5. Accessed 11-5-2023 at:

https://newspaperarchive.com/kalispell-daily-inter-lake-aug-12-1946-p-5/

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1946, p. 21. USAAF Douglas A-26C Invader 44-35962, collision and crash, near Great Falls MT, 8-9-1946. Accessed 11-5-2023 at: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/105495

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1946, p. 21. USAAF Douglas A-26C Invader 44-35973, collision and crash, 2mi NW of Great Falls, MT, 8-9-1946. Accessed 11-5-2023 at: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/105496

Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT. “Planes Crash at Gt. Falls Fair…” 8-9-1946, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=91021074

Independent-Record, Helena, MT. “Plane Crash Death Toll Now Seven.” 8-11-1946, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=5352043

Independent-Record, Helena, MT. “Probe Pressed in Fair’s Plane Wreck.” 8-10-1946, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=5352026

Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana, PA. “Probe Crash at Airshow.” 8-13-1946, 12. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=114103362

Salt Lake Tribune, UT. “AAF Probing Montana Air Tragedy.” 8-12-1946, p. 2. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=91104112

Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA. “Aviation Unit Puts on Show.” 8-15-1946, 7. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com

Wikipedia. “List of Airshow Accidents and Incidents.” 11-3-2011 modification. Accessed 11-6-2011 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airshow_accidents_and_incidents

[1] Assoc Press. “Army Air Force Probing Cause of Falls Crash.” The Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT, 8-12-1946, p5.

1946 — Aug 9, USAAF A-26 Invaders collide, ground casualties, No. Montana State Fair, Great Falls–7