Helena – Cut Bank

On January 26, 1962 at 03:30 PM, Helena – Cut Bank experienced a crash involving Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), operated by Air National Guard, with the event recorded near Wolf Creek Montana.

The flight was categorized as government and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

6 people were known to be on board, 6 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 3, passenger fatalities: 3, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. On behalf of the Montana Air National Guard, the aircraft departed Helena Airport bound for Cut Bank, carrying a crew of three and three members of the Montana Government who were en route to a speaking engagement. Weather conditions worsened and the crew encountered heavy winds and snow falls. Control was lost and the airplane crashed in the Wolf Creek Canyon located about 25 miles north of Helena. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed. Crew: Maj Clifford Hanson, pilot, Maj Joseph Devine, copilot, M/Sgt Charles Ballard, mechanic. Passengers: Donald Grant Nutter, Governor of Montana, Dennis Gordon, executive secretary, Edward Wren, commissioner of agriculture.

Aircraft reference details include registration 42-100861, MSN 19324, year of manufacture 1943.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 47.0061°, -112.0693°.