1946 – March 7, Kirtland AAB USAAF B-29 disintegrates, Los Lunas bombing range, NM–10

—  10  Coshocton Tribune, OH. “Army Reveals Names Of 10 Men Killed…,” Mar 11, 1946, p.4.

—  10  Salt Lake Tribune. “B-29 Yields Last 2 of Ten Bodies,” March 9, 1946, p. 3.

—  10  San Mateo Times, CA. “10 Fliers Die In B-29 Crash,” March 8, 1946, p. 2.

—  10  Wikipedia. “List of accidents and incidents involving military aircraft (1945-1949).”

Narrative Information

Wikipedia: “7 March 1946… Silverplate Boeing B-29-30-MO Superfortress 42-65387 from Kirtland Army Air Field in New Mexico, on a practice mission to the Los Lunas bombing range, released a 10,150-pount Fat Man before it disintegrated for unknown reasons and spun in from 32,000 feet. Ten crew members died, and wreckage was strewn up to 16 miles from the crash site….”[1]

Newspapers

March 8, United Press: “Albuquerque, N. M., March 8.—(UP)—Ten army airmen were killed late yesterday when their B-29 Flying Fortress crashed and burned in an isolated section 60 miles southwest of here, Kirtland field authorities reported today.” (San Mateo Times. “10 Fliers Die In B-29 Crash,” March 8, 1946, p. 2.)

March 8, UP: “Albuquerque, N.M., March 8 (UP) – The blackened wreckage of a B-29 Superfortress, which crashed in isolated country southwest of here, Friday night gave up the last of the bodies of 10 fliers. The charred bodies of the airmen were brought to Kirtland field here, from which base the army fliers made their tragic flight, for identification….

“The Superfortress crashed and burned about 3½ hours after taking off from Kirtland field at 9:30 a.m. (MST) Thursday… First report of the crash came from an unidentified New Mexico rancher, who, with an Indian ranch-hand, saw the big ship slide out of control and plunge to earth, bursting into flames on impact. The rancher telephoned Kirtland field after making his way about 40 miles from the barren crash scene – 60 miles southwest of Albuquerque – to the nearest telephone.” (Salt Lake Tribune. “B-29 Yields Last 2 of Ten Bodies,” March 9, 1946, p. 3)

March 11, International News Service: “Albuquerque, N. M.—(INS) —The tenth army airman killed in the crash of a B-29 superfortress near Las Lunas N. M. late Thursday was identified today as Sgt. Carl W. Ruch 21 radio operator from Tamaqua, Pa. Earlier officials at Kirtland Field near Albuquerque, had released the names of nine of the ten crew members who died in the crash.

“Investigation was under way today to determine the cause of the crash. The giant bomber plunged into the ground 35 miles west of Las Lunas during a practice bombing run.” (Coshocton Tribune, OH. “Army Reveals Names Of 10 Men Killed When Plane Crashed,” 11 Mar 1946, p. 4.)

Sources

Coshocton Tribune, OH. “Army Reveals Names Of 10 Men Killed When Plane Crashed,” March 11, 1946, p. 4. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=4325605

Salt Lake Tribune, UT. “B-29 Yields Last 2 of Ten Bodies,” March 9, 1946, p. 3. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=91108799

San Mateo Times, CA. “10 Fliers Die In B-29 Crash,” March 8, 1946, p. 2. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=37284622

Wikipedia. “List of accidents and incidents involving military aircraft (1945-1949).” Accessed 11-8-2023 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_military_aircraft_(1945%E2%80%931949)

[1] Cites: Campbell, Richard H. The Silverplate Bombers: A History and Registry of the Enola Gay and Other B-29s Configured to carry Atomic Bombs. McFarland & Co., Inc., 2005, pp. 48 and 59.