The plane crashes listed below involved military airplane crashes in the Tucson area. This is not a total lists of all of the military airplane crashes in Tucson. The crashes on this list involved fatalities and had an impact on Tucson.
Bomber Crash (outside Tucson at the time—now inside Tucson city limits)
Two B-24 bombers crashed just outside Tucson on November 30, 1944 at 7:40 a.m. The two airplanes had a mid-air collision. Eighteen crew men died in the crash. The location of this crash was in the Pantano Wash, at a point half-way between East Broadway and East Speedway.
Sources:
"Army bomber crash in air, crews killed." Tucson Citizen. November 30, 1944. Page 1.
"Eighteen dead as D-M planes collide in air." Arizona Daily Star. December 1, 1944. Page 1
Jets Crash over Mount Bigelow
On July 8, 1957 two F-86 Saberjets from Davis Monthan collided over Mount Bigelow. Both pilots ejected from their planes and survived. The remains of one of the jets landed in a remote area of the Catalina Mountains, so the plane's remains are still there. If you hike on the Butterfly Trail in the Catalina Mountains you can see the wreck.
Sources:
"Beauty and the Butterfly." Arizona Daily Star. June 20, 2009. Page C1.
"Both Pilots Bail Out Safely." Arizona Daily Star. July 9, 1957. Page 1.
"Hike goes to jet-crash site." Arizona Daily Star. May 10, 2002. Page F6.
Jet Crash into Food Giant supermarket
A U.S. Air Force Phantom Jet crashed into a Food Giant grocery store in Tucson on Monday, Dec. 18, 1967. Four people died. (The address of the Food Giant grocery store was 1830 South Alvernon. Near East 29th Street and South Alvernon.)
Sources:
"Four dead, none reported missing, toll called 'miracle'." Tucson Citizen. December 19, 1967. Page 1
“Plane plows into Tucson shopping center; 15 feared dead in fiery crash." Arizona Daily Star. December 12, 1967. Page 1
Jet Crash by the UA near Mansfield Junior High.
An Air Force Jet crashed on October 26, 1978. Two people died. (The address of Mansfield Junior High is 1300 East 6th Street.)
“Crash spurs letters” Tucson Citizen. November 1, 1978. Page 25
“Change flight patterns” and “Weekend letters roundup spotlights plane crash” Tucson Citizen. November 11, 1978. Page 8A.
“Mansfield junior high’s brush with death” Tucson Citizen. October 27, 1978. Page 8A.
Cessna crash into home
A Tucson man who had not flown an airplane since 1995 died Sunday, September 16, 2001 when his single-engine Cessna crashed into the garage of a Northwest Side home. A woman in the home escaped injury.
Source:
"Pilot dies as plane hits garage." Arizona Daily Star. September 17, 2001, A1 (A correction about La Cholla Airpark ran September 21, 2001, A2)
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