1945 — July 8, USAAF B-29 encounters thunderstorm/loses tail/crashes, 20M ~Pueblo AAB, CO–13
Last edit Dec 3, 2023 by Wayne Blanchard for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–13 Assoc. Press. “Lightning Kills 13 Men in plane.” Somerset American, PA. 8-19-1945, 1.
–13 Mireles 2006. Fatal Army AF Aviation Accidents…US…, V3, Aug 1944-Dec 1945, p1129.
Narrative Information
Mireles: “At 1840 MWT, a Boeing B-29 flying in poor weather broke up in flight and crashed 20 miles southeast of Pueblo Army Air Base, Pueblo, Colorado, killing 13 crewmembers….. Investigators stated,
“B-29 #44-86315 was scheduled for combat training mission which consisted of bombing practice to be followed by 1,600 mile navigation training mission. The ship took off [from Pueblo Army Air Base] at 1613 MWT and returned to the base for a landing at 1749, with the bombing mission completed. At this time, two passengers, the instructor bombardier and the instructor radio operator, were let out of the airplane. The ship then took off at 1803 on its navigation mission. Approximately 37 minutes later [the airplane] crashed 20 miles southeast of Pueblo Army Air Base….
The ship had evidently gone on course for some time when it encountered a severe thunderstorm. Evidently the pilot did not attempt to enter this thunderstorm and changed course to bring him back in the vicinity of where he later crashed. By one witness, the airplane-was seen flying in a westerly direction with a heading of approximately 260 degrees and paralleling the front of the aforementioned thunderstorm. During the time this witness watched, the ship covered a distance of approximately five miles. The ship started into a turn to the left and at this time the only reliable witness stopped observing the airplane for a few seconds. When he looked back [at the airplane], it had completed approximately a 180-degree turn and at this time he noticed the tail was gone. The ship started into a dive of approximately 45 degrees to the ground and, on contact with the ground, exploded. At this time a huge ball of fire went into the air some 200 feet….[The airplane suffered the] failure of both outer wing sections at approximately 20 feet in from the wing tip; failure of the vertical stabilizer and rudder, horizontal stabilizer and elevators. Failure of these parts were induced by extreme turbulence when the airplane was being flown in the vicinity of a thunderstorm….The tail of the ship, less the vertical fin and horizontal stabilizer was found approximately 300 yards west of the final impact. The outer wing panels were found approximately 500 yards west of the impact point. At the time of the crash there was a considerable amount of lightning in this vicinity.” (Quoted in Mireles 2006, p. 1129.)
Newspaper
July 9, AP: “Pueblo, Colo., July 9 – (AP) – Pueblo air base officials late today released identifications of 13 men killed yesterday in an explosion soon after takeoff of a Pueblo-based B-29 Superfortress, reportedly hit by lightning. There were no survivors. He dead included:
“1st Lt. E. J. Fallon, instructor-navigator, Jersey City, N.J.
“2nd Lt. L. C. Marshall, radar instructor, Curwensville, Pa.
“The plane blew up about 20 miles southeast of Pueblo. A rancher and his son told base authorities they saw lightning rip into the sky giant shortly after 6 p.m. and the ship exploded immediately.” (Associated Press. “Lightning Kills 13 Men in plane.” Somerset American, PA. 8-19-1945, p. 1.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Lightning Kills 13 Men in plane.” Somerset American, PA. 8-19-1945, p. 1. Accessed 12-3-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/somerset-daily-american-jul-10-1945-p-2/
Mireles, Anthony J. Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 3: August 1944 – December 1945). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006.