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Flight of the Phoenix - the crash

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Basil

Basil

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Most who have seen the classic Jimmy Stewart movie, Flight of the Phoenix, are aware that Paul Mantz, a seasoned stunt pilot, died during the making of that film. I stumbled upon a video showing the actual accident. The stunt plane was made of "Plywood and Aluminum". Seeing how easily the fuselage snapped in half, I'm amazed the thing was deemed air-worthy by the FAA.

 
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I have always loved that movie. I have a copy in my video collection at home. Thanks for posting the video link.
 
dklawson said:
I have always loved that movie. I have a copy in my video collection at home. Thanks for posting the video link.
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I remember seeing it for the first time as a kid in a Movie theater at a Military base in Germany. This was in 1968 so the movie had been out for a couple of years by then. I too have it in my iTunes movie collection (Also own the DVD). So many great performances in that movie! And did you know that the dancing belly dancer in Sgt Watson's dream sequence was Barry Chase - the same girl who played the bikini-clad dancer in Mad Mad World.
 
I loved that movie too (the original one). Saw it with my dad.
I knew about the death during filming, but now I see that the plane broke apart which caused the tumble.
 
I know I'm an ol' curmudgeon, but the second half of that film shows several other fatal air crashes. Tragedies.

But the newsreel's "triumphant" music accompanying each crash seems very inappropriate.

T.
 
I can't see the link to the video for some reason.
 
Of course the "Boston" (A-20) they they filmed making a wheels-up landing at Port Moresby was an early "straight" model B-26 with shorter wings belonging to the 22nd Bomb Group.
 
SaxMan said:
Of course the "Boston" (A-20) they they filmed making a wheels-up landing at Port Moresby was an early "straight" model B-26 with shorter wings belonging to the 22nd Bomb Group.
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Of course. :encouragement:
 
Basil said:
Of course. :encouragement:
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We're a little partial to the B-26 around here, since it was designed and built in Maryland, although later models were also built in Omaha, Nebraska, too.
 
SaxMan said:
We're a little partial to the B-26 around here, since it was designed and built in Maryland, although later models were also built in Omaha, Nebraska, too.
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I have been to this crash site in Saglek Labrador: https://www.b26.com/page/saglek_story_artic_tragedy_1942.htm

A very sad story - Not much of the plane was left. The real irony is, there was a village of Hebron just a few miles away, but they never knew it was there.
 
We used 26s to tow target socks down in Cuba in the early 60s. A winch was put in the back for towing. Loved that plane, very slick for a bomber, but very little room inside. PJ
 
By the 60s you're probably thinking the A-26 Invaders which were reclassified as B-26. The WW2 B-26 Marauder built by Martin was nearly extinct by then.
 
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