On 10/9/71, while on a flight out of Adelanto, California, the Schempp-Hirth Cirrus N6664 crashed near the summit of Mount Baden-Powell. A witness to the accident saw the sailplane climb and cross the mountain ridge and turn to recross it. The sailplane hit the trees on the ridge and crashed on the slope on the other side. Crash investigators didn't find any malfunction with the sailplane. The pilot was killed in this accident.

This Cirrus was C/N 84, manufactured in 1969.

A view of Mount Baden-Powell from the Angeles Crest Highway.

The plan for today is to do a hike from Dawson Saddle to Vincent Gap stopping at Throop Peak 9138’, Mount Burnham 8997’ and Mount Baden-Powell 9399’ along the way. The infromation I had on the Cirrus crash site said it was near the summit of Mount Baden-Powell.

Looking down at Dawson Saddle as we start the hike.

View to the north from Throop Peak at 9138 feet. The two lake beds are Rosamond and Rogers at Edwards Air Force Base.

Zoomed in on Rogers Lake.

A short time after arriving on the peak, we could see sailplanes climbing out to clould base which was around 12,000 feet. The two tiny dots are the sailplanes, two more were a few thousand feet below.

Mount Burnham on the left and Mount Baden-Powell on the right from Throop Peak.

Hiking on towards Mount Burnham. A few photos after this shot, my camera stopped working. The rest of the photos were taken with Sooz's camera.

Sooz with the inner section of the Cirrus left wing. More pieces from the sailplane can be seen behind her. She is the one who first spotted the wreckage.

Not sure how the wings attached to the fuselage, but this shot shows the two spars with alignment pins on the ends.