The Douglas C-47B Dakota #43-16143 USAAF that I was searching for crashed in Wildcat Gulch in heavy clouds on 11/11/44 during a flight from Hamilton Field, San Rafael to Mines Field, Los Angeles. Only one of the thirteen people onboard survived.

This was the starting point of the hike on Big Tujunga Road. Wildcat Gulch is in the background.

Looking back at the car at the base of Wildcat Gulch.

I made my way up an overgrown firebreak. I was hoping by staying up on the ridge I could look down into the canyon and spot the wreckage.

Frist blood, sign of things to come. I thought the brush on the firebreak was bad.

Looking back down the ridge I followed up to this point. The road I started from can be seen below.

This is looking up the ridge towards Barley Flats. I only hiked to the next high high point then decied to go down a ridge to the main canyon, MISTAKE!!! The thinking was that I already past the crash site and if I followed the main canyon out and would come across some parts that washed down the slope.

After pushing through VERY HEAVY brush for two hours, all I wanted was to try and make it back to the car. In that time I only made it less than 1/4 mile, things were looking bad. I just happen to look up and saw this door from the plane. Found the area that the C-47 went down.

One of the prop hubs. While trying to make it down to the main canyon I started finding more parts. I had the GPS with me and marked the loctions of the pieces. With that info I should be able to figure out where the main wreckage is located.

One of the engine cylinders.