1946 – Sep 16, three US mil. plane crashes, Aleutian Isl., AK, Granite Falls, WA, Twin Falls, ID–13
Compiled 11-13-2023 by Wayne Blanchard for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–13 Aviation Safety Network. 16Sep46 USAAF AK/1 & Twin Falls AP, ID/4; USN, Granite Falls, WA/8.
–1 USAAF P-38L Lightning. Fuselage cracked, crashed off Shema, Aleutians.
–8 US Navy PBY-6A Catalina. Low altitude flight, hit trees, Mt. Dolberg ~Granite Falls, WA[1]
–4 USAAF A-27 Invader, pilot loses control in air show maneuver, crashes. Twin Falls ID
Narrative Information
First Plane
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1946, p. 24 (off Shema, AK):
“Date: Monday 16 September 1946
“Type: Lockheed P-38L Lightning [a single seat plane (Wikipedia.)]
“Owner/operator: United States Army Air Force (USAAF)
“Registration: 44-26912
….
“Fatalities: Fatalities: 1
….
“Location: Aleutian Islands, AK – USA
“Narrative: Plane’s fuselage cracked in flight. The plane came apart and went down in
the ocean.”
Baugher: “….Lockheed P-38L-5-LO Lightning….26912…15 Sep 1946. Fatal crash near Shemya AAF.[2]”
Second Plane
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1946, p.24 (near Granite Falls, WA):
“Date: Monday, 16 September 1946
“Type: Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina
“Operator: United States Navy
“Registration: 63999
“Total: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
….
“Location: near Granite Falls, WA (USA)
….
“Departure airport: Seattle/Sand Point NAS, WA, USA
“Destination airport: Whidbey Island-NAS, WA…USA
“Narrative: Hit tall trees near Granite Falls, WA and flew into mountain.”
Bureau of Aircraft Accident Archives:
“Date & Time: Sep 16, 1946
“Type of aircraft: Consolidated PBY Catalina
“Operator: US Navy
“Registration: 63999
“Flight Phase: Flight
“Flight Type: Military
“Survivors: No
“Site Mountains
“Schedule: Sand Point – Whidbey Island
“MSN: 2069
“Location: Granite Falls, Washington
….
“Crew on board: 7
“Crew fatalities: 7
“Pax on board: 0
“Pax fatalities: 0
“Other fatalities: 0
“Total fatalities: 7
“Circumstances: While flying at low altitude, the seaplane (VP-53) hit tree tops and crashed
in a dense wooded area located on Mt Dolberg, near Granite Falls. All seven crew members were killed.”
Sep 18: “Seattle, Sept. 18. – Sixteen Navy search planes went aloft this morning to continue the hunt for a missing Navy PBY fling boat, which vanished a few minutes after leaving the and Point Naval Air Station here Monday on a short flight to the Naval Air Station on Whidby Island, in Puget Sound. The plane, carrying three officers and five enlisted men, failed to radio its field, which is customary over the Everett area, a few minutes flying time from Seattle. The search today was to concentrate in the Seattle-Everett-Bellingham area, where the lofty Cascades rim the eastern tips of the Skagit and Snohomish valleys.” (The Daily Alaska Empire, Juneau. “16 Navy Planes Making Search For Lost Craft.” 9-17-1946, p. 1.)
Third Plane
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1946, p24 (Twin Falls, ID)
“Date: Monday 16 September 1946
“Time: 14:30
“Type: Douglas A-26B Invader
“Owner/operator: 554th BU USAAF
“Registration: 41-39101
“MSN: 6814
“Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
….
“Location: Twin Falls Airport, 6 miles SW of Twin Falls, Idaho – USA
“Phase: Maneuvering (airshow…)
….
“Departure airport: Twin Falls Airport, Twin Falls, Idaho
….
“Narrative: Crashed September 16, 1946, during an air display at Twin Falls Airport,
and came down six miles south west of Twin Falls, Idaho. (The airport is four miles from Twin Falls). All four on board were killed.”
Sep 17: “Twin Falls, Idaho, Sept. 17. – Fur fliers died in the crash of an Army Air Forces A-26 attack bomber which was participating in an air show at the Twin Falls Airport. The speedy ship roared past the approximately 300 spectators, pulled up in a tight loop, then turned on its side and plunged to the ground a mile southwest of the airport….The Air Force unit on a nationwide demonstration tour, was from the Memphis, Tenn., Army Air base.” (The Daily Alaska Empire, Juneau. “Four Fliers Die in Plane Crash, Idaho Air Show.” 9-17-1946, p. 1.)
Sources
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1946, p. 24. USAAF Douglas A-26B Invader crash during air show, Twin Falls Airport, ID, 9-16-1946. Accessed 11-13-2023 at: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/105418
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1946, p. 24. USAAF Lockheed P-38L Lightning fuselage cracks in flight, and crashes, sea off Aleutian Islands. Accessed 11-13-2023 at: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/108859
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1946, p. 24. US Navy PBY-6A hits tall trees near Granite Falls, WA, 9-16-1946. Accessed 11-13-2023 at:
https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19460916-0
Baugher, Joseph F. “1944 USAAF Serial Numbers (44-001 to 44-30910).” Accessed 11-13-2023 at: https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1944_1.html
Bureau of Aircraft Accident Archives. “Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina in Granite Falls: 7 Killed.” Accessed 11-13-2023 at:
https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-consolidated-pby-5a-catalina-granite-falls-7-killed
The Daily Alaska Empire, Juneau. “16 Navy Planes Making Search For Lost Craft.” 9-17-1946, p. 1. Accessed 10-13-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/the-daily-alaska-empire-sep-18-1946-p-1/
The Daily Alaska Empire, Juneau. “Four Fliers Die in Plane Crash, Idaho Air Show.” 9-17-1946, p. 1. Accessed 10-13-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/the-daily-alaska-empire-sep-18-1946-p-1/
Wikipedia. “Eareckson Air Station.” 11-2-2023 edit. Accessed 11-13-2023 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eareckson_Air_Station
[1] Have not seen an explanation of this crash. The destination was Whidbey Island NAS, yet the plane crashed at least fifty miles away to the east by southeast.
[2] Shemya Air Force Base, on the Aleutian Island of Shemya, was renamed Eareckson Air Station in 1993. (Wikipedia. “Eareckson Air Station.” 11-2-2023 edit.)