I recently posted pictures to the MC Flickr group of a plane crash that happened near the MC Airport in the 1950s. Since the official 'tail number' was clearly visible I did a quick Google search and found an earlier picture of the same plane, and its history. Interestingly that history says it was destroyed in 1964 in Paraguay. Response to the pictures from airplane fans is puzzled. Clearly it is the same plane, and just as clearly it didn't get to Paraguay in 1964. You can check out the pictures and some of the resulting discussion on the MC Flickr group.

http://www.flickr.com/pho...hotostream

A remaining question is the exact date and circumstances of this crash. It was apparently after March 1953 when the earlier picture was taken. And it can't be much later than about 1955 from the context of the crash pictures and the place I found them in my parents partly organized slide box. Do any of you remember this or have any more information?
Ken Ziebarth

This crash happened September 22, 1953. It was loaded with soldiers from Korea. It flew over CCHS with an engine on fire, dropping pieces as it flew over. I was in Ina Olson's math class and was the first to see it. We ran to the window and watched it crash up on the Yellowstone hills. It was a C-46 and engine fires were not uncommon with that plane. Furthermore, I was a bellhop at the Miles-Howard Hotel and that is where the pilots stayed that night. No one was killed.

I have quite a bit of info about the crash.

Here's a quickly cleaned up copy. (More work would be required to actually do a good job at it.) Cool photos though Ken!



http://www.flickr.com/pho...hotostream

A little more of interest to this story. I was Ass't. Manager of the Miles Howard and Milligan Hotels at that time and recall the incident. The crew of the plane were put up at the Miles Howard and the soldiers who had bailed out were at the Milligan Hotel.
About 10 years later, I was a Lieut. at a State Jail in Connecticut. One evening we were booking in a couple of fellows for disturbing the peace, and in addition to fingerprints they would be checked for identifying scars. One of them had a large scar on his leg and when I asked him how that happened, He said "I got it when I bailed out of a plane in Montana." I asked him where in Montana and he replied," Miles City." He also mentioned how well they were treated in Miles City. They were not returned to the jail after their Court appearance, so I guess they were released.

I remember seeing this airplane fly over the garfield school. I went to see the plane with my dad, never did hear any of the particulars. Thanks all

In the early 1950s there was another airplane incident in Miles City. A large number of troops were on the way to Alaska for training of some sort, when one of the planes developed engine trouble. It was a C119, a flying "boxcar", a place with twin tail booms that was used for dropping troops. They had the fellows bail out. I recall them being all over town and even some landed a short distance out of town. We went up to the airport to view the place and saw another, larger plane there that had brought a new engine. We were allowed to tour the large plane.

That could have been when the fellow hurt his leg. No one bailed out of the C46 that crashed up on the Yellowstone hill. It crash landed and they just jumped out.

Do you have any newspaper clippings or other information to share about the 1953 crash in Mile City?

My uncle was one of the soldiers onboard and I am trying to collect information for him.
Thanks,
Muriel

I have info. Send me your email address. I was a bellhop in the hotel the fellows stayed at in MC.

I have been searching for a crash a year earlier. A Lockheed P-38 Lightning photo plane operating from Miles City crashed into the river on September 26, 1952 killing the pilot. I have never been able to identify the plane registration or any photographs of it. I was hoping that you might have something. Thanks.