The Martin NB-57E Canberra S/N 55-4267 was assigned to the 6515th Organizational Maintenance Squadron at Edwards AFB. On 6/23/71 it was scheduled for an instinctual engine out demonstration flight with the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School (ARPS) call sign COBRA 714. The instructor, Major Donald L. Thurman was seated in the rear cockpit, the student Captain David E. Dieffenbachia in front. The aircraft had full internal load of fuel, no tip tanks and an empty bomb bay tank which gave the aircraft a take off weight of approximately 44,000 pounds. The crew chief stated that everything appeared normal during engine start and taxi. The take off was made at 10:05am and the aircraft climbed to an altitude of 20,000 feet. The flight seemed to proceeded normally with the flight crew reporting to Edwards Approach Control (RAPCON) several times during the flight up to 10:59am when they acknowledged a traffic advisory. At 11:05am, an ARPS T-33, COBRA 337, called RAPCON to report sighting a downed aircraft. Both pilots lost their lives in the accident. No cause as why the NB-57E went down was given in the crash report.

This Martin B-57E Canberra S/N 55-4269 is two serial numbers away from the aircraft at the crash site. (U.S. Air Force photo)

My truck parked at the edge of the dry lakebed. I started the hike to the crash from here. I was in Death Valley the day before doing a hike to Towne Peak and decided to check out this site on the way home.

After looking around for awhile, I came upon the first piece of wreckage. It's a yellow T-handle with the word "PULL" on it.

More wreckage. I was finding single pieces scattered over a large area.

Push switch.

Started finding more pieces as I looked around.

Connector with wires.

Piece from the canopy.

Lot of bolts with safety wire.