On July 16, 1967, a charter plane carrying nine individuals skidded to a halt at the Grand Forks International Airport without any injuries reported. The incident occurred when the twin-engine aircraft’s landing gear collapsed during its descent.
The aircraft, piloted by experienced commercial pilot Lee Gilligan from Minneapolis, was returning from a fishing trip in Canada. According to Norman Midboe, the airport manager, the plane was on approach for landing around 15:30 local time when the landing gear failed. Despite the collapse, the plane remained upright and skidded along the runway before coming to a stop about six blocks west of the airport’s administration building.
As the aircraft came to a halt, smoke began to fill the cockpit. Airport personnel quickly responded with fire extinguishers, but the smoke dissipated before they arrived. Passengers, including eight men and a boy, exited the plane swiftly, retrieving their baggage as they evacuated. The identities of the passengers have not been disclosed.
The charter flight was owned by Crystal Shamrock Inc., a charter service based in Minneapolis. Following the incident, the passengers were transferred to two special charter flights arranged by the airport and continued their journey.
In response to the situation, Midboe expressed appreciation for the cooperation received from the Grand Forks Air Force Base. A crane from the base was utilized to lift the damaged aircraft off the runway. Damage to the plane included not only the collapsed landing gear but also two bent propellers and other scrapes on the aircraft’s underside.
An investigation into the cause of the landing gear failure is currently underway, with officials seeking to determine the circumstances that led to this incident.
