Lt. Jack F. Smith

2nd Lt. Jack Fayette Smith, 22, son of Mrs. Florence Smith and the late Floyd L. Smith, was killed instantly yesterday afternoon in a collision of army air forces planes engaged in gunnery practice over the army air field at Yuma, Ariz., according to word received here last evening from his mother.

An Associated Press dispatch to the Tribune late last night reported two officers and an aviation cadet were killed when two training planes from the Yuma army airbase collided in flight. One cadet parachuted to safety. The accident occurred 15 miles southwest of the airbase. Officers said each plane was manned by a student and an instructor.

Lt. Smith had been stationed at the Yuma advanced flying field as an instructor for several months, after receiving his commission and wings upon graduation from the AAF advanced flying school at Roswell, N.M., last February. He had recently returned to flying duty after an illness with fever which kept him hospitalized for several weeks. Word had been received here this week that the class he had been instructing was his last, as he had been assigned to service as a pilot of Flying Fortresses and expected to be sent overseas to combat duty in about a month.

Mrs. Smith had resided with her son at his base since the death last Jan. 9 of Mr. Smith, who was the assistant managing editor and sports editor of the Lewiston Morning Tribune.

Lt. Smith was born at Spokane Feb. 19, 1921, where his father was at that time the sports editor of the Spokesman-Review. The family moved to Helena, Mont., where his father was engaged in newspaper work and held state offices, coming to Lewiston in 1934 when Mr. Smith became associated with the Tribune.

Lt. Smith was graduated from Lewiston high school in 1939 and then attended Lewiston normal and received preliminary flight training at the Zimmerly-CAA school at the Asotin county airport. He enlisted in the army air forces in March, 1942, but was not called for training until the following fall, being employed in the meantime by the city of Lewiston as a guard at the municipal reservoirs. His last visit here was in January, when he came to attend his father's funeral.

Survivors of Lt. Smith are his mother and a brother, Aviation Cadet Robert F. Smith, in primary training at the Cal-Aero Flight academy at Ontario, Calif. An uncle, Major Merle Smith, is stationed with the army at San Bernardino, Calif.

No information had been received here last night as to funeral arrangements.

Lewiston Morning Tribune
Monday, September 27, 1943