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Found Old Plane Crash

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Arizona's most famous plane crash site is in the Grand Canyon. The following is from Wikipedia:

 

"The 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision occurred on Saturday, June 30, 1956, at 10:30 am Pacific Standard Time when a United Airlines Douglas DC-7 struck a Trans World Airlines Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation over the Grand Canyon within the boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park, resulting in the crash of both airliners. All 128 on board both flights perished. It was the first commercial airline crash to result in more than 100 deaths, and led to sweeping changes in the control of flights in the United States. The location of the crash has been designated a National Historic Landmark."

 

On my first raft trip down the canyon in about 1970, there were blue airliner seats scattered all across a certain hillside above us and the raft guys pulled over to the beach, allowing passenger to climb up to them. My other trips down the canyon were in the late 1980s and mid-1990s, and although we didn't stop we saw a few blue seats that hadn't been removed yet.

 

Incidentally, rafting the canyon is something I'd do again in a heartbeat, even at age 80.

 

Best $600 I've ever spent taking myself and the wife. A trip I will never forget and the guides were fantastic. The bus broke down on the way back to the hotel and me and the Mrs. We're the last to get picked up by a guy named Mike. We talked hunting and what not and had a spike bull run out in front of us on the way back. It all only added to the overall experience. It was super awesome.

 

Bill Quimby

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I have come across 1 in the Sierra Anchas, in unit 23, and 1 in 37B, North of the Gila.

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This story took place in Montana 1991.

 

I was in w West Yellowstone for the summer. My Dads girlfriend had a brother that built his own airplane. He flew up to visit for a week with his young son. When they left for Tucson, the plane had a fuel system failure, and they crashed into Shoshone Lake inside Yellowstone park. The boy got out of the plane, but his Dad drowned. I don't know if that plane is still in the lake or not?

 

This thread got me thinking about that day when we received the bad news.

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I am pretty sure this is a Navy plane that was converted to a slurry bomber. It crashed on June 15, 1961 killing the pilot, Chuck Cochrane while fighting the Roberts Fire. He was having engine problems and crashed before making it back to the airport. The majority of the aircraft was removed in the late 70's. You can see on your one photo of the blue piece of metal with the painted "V" and a small white painted spot to the right of the "V" would have been a "Y" for Navy. You can also see where the metal has a smooth cut not the jagged fracture breaks that would have occurred during the crash sequence as seen in the other debris photos . Not sure why the salvage crew did not remove those pieces as well. Somewhere I have a photo of plane shortly after the crash.

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I know where there's one out around the superstition. My buddy that I hiked to it with did some research and turned up that it was an old airforce training plane. I don't recall if the pilot made it out or not though.

I've been there. That's a ways from anywhere. You spend a lot of time in that country?

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