Flathead National Forest Recon Aircraft Accident Fatalities 1955

On September 11, 1955 at approximately 1410, pilot Eugene A. Cole, Flathead National Forest employee Gene Tuininga, and Fred Wagner were killed when their Stinson Sedan single-engine aircraft crashed into Fatty Creek in the Mission Mountains, Montana. This flight was ordered by the Flathead National Forest as a forest reconnaissance flight. The Ranger at the nearby Condon office of the Forest Service spotted smoke in the mountains and made his way to the location with a Forest Guard to suppress the fire, which was in the area of other, small, staffed forest fires. The following day, a group comprised of the County Coroner, Forest Service officials, and an aviation expert rode into the crash site on horseback to remove the bodies.

Eugene A. Cole was the manager of Corsair Flight Service of Kalispell. Gene Tuininga was an Aerial Observer and former Missoula Smokejumper. Fred Wagner was a friend of Cole's who had been invited along for the ride. 

Fixed Wing Incident or Accident, Fatality, Aviation