The left wing attachment points of this Northrop F-89C-30-NO Scorpion, 51-5781, failded during a fly-by at the Inaternational Aviation Exposition, Detroit, Michigan, 30 August 1952. (U.S. Air Force)
Northrop F-89C-30-NO Scorpion 51-5781, inflight breakup, Detroit, 30 August 1952
I was a spectator at that show, but only 6 years old, so didn’t really understand what was going on. My father was an air traffic controller at the field and left us to go see if he was needed. The only thing I remember from that day was all the commotion after the incident, and all the kids in the neighborhood talking about it afterwards. I do remember some talk about the wreck ending up near the air national guard ammo dump, but that might have just been kids talking.
20 mm ammo from the crashed Scorpion did go off. Contemporary newspaper reports said that the airplane crashed between railroad tracks and willow Run Expressway. No mention of ammunition dump.