Billy Wardle History Nut: Tragedy at Kingman Army Air Field Kingman, AZ

Mishaps were somewhat common place. The airbase was known as half-mast Kingman as a result. A training run of a B-17 Flying Fortress and a P-39 Airacobra turned tragic at 20,000 feet. The P-39 was providing mock attacks and the gunners on the B-17 were shooting blanks. There were actually three B-17s being attacked in a loose formation. For what ever reason the two planes collided and all were lost. The pilot on the P-39 had plenty of bomber experience, but very little eperience as a fighter pilot. Or perhaps the B-17 was out of position. Whatever the cause the two planes collided, an all were lost, 15 soldiers in all. This was November 3, 1944. Many of those aboard the B-17 were scheduled to graduate from gunnery school the next day.

There was another similar crash earlier that year, January 2, 1944. This time a plane broke up in the air in inclement weather, and again all were lost. It said that eleven of the men were from Kingman.

Only four days after this tragedy another occurred resulting in even more death. a bus carrying soldiers back to base collided with a train. 26 students died in this mishap, the instructor and the bus driver. Another seven soldiers were injured. AT the time it was the worse loss of life due to an accident in Arizona history. The train was approaching the crossing which is just outside the air base. It blew its horn and the bus seemed to stop. However it lurched forward and was jack knifed by the train. Those in the bus were returning from night target practice.