AI notes: On December 8, 1945, a Douglas C-47B aircraft, operating as a U.S. Army Air Forces charter flight carrying returning World War II veterans, crashed near Billings Municipal Airport in Montana. The flight, originating from Fargo, North Dakota, encountered poor weather, heavy snow, and nighttime conditions on approach. While executing a left turn during its final descent, the aircraft lost altitude too rapidly, likely due to wind shear or a downdraft, and struck trees about 0.4 kilometers south of the airfield before crashing and bursting into flames. Of the 23 people on board, including two crew members and 21 passengers, 19 were killed, mostly servicemen returning home, and only four survived with serious injuries. Investigators determined that both engines were functioning at the time, and the crash was attributed to controlled flight into terrain rather than mechanical failure. This remains the deadliest aviation accident in Billings history, and the victims are commemorated at a memorial in Veterans Park, marking a tragic post-war loss of life.
