Grand Canyon AT-6C 8/23/08

On 7/2/47, the AT-6C #42-48918 of the California National Guard while on a flight from Long Beach Army airfield crashed in the rugged Grand Canyon, west of Mount Lowe, north of Pasadena, Ca ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:29 -0700

Joe Idoni
On 7/2/47, the AT-6C #42-48918 of the California National Guard while on a flight from Long Beach Army airfield crashed in the rugged Grand Canyon, west of Mount Lowe, north of Pasadena, Ca ...

My hike to the crash site started here on Chaney Trail. Last month I tried to locate the crash site, but was only able to find a couple pieces of wreckage.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:29 -0700

Joe Idoni
My hike to the crash site started here on Chaney Trail. Last month I tried to locate the crash site, but was only able to find a couple pieces of wreckage.

Following the trail that leads down into Millard Canyon.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:30 -0700

Joe Idoni
Following the trail that leads down into Millard Canyon.

Hiking up Millard Canyon. I could have followed the Mount Lowe Road up and then droped down into the Grand Canyon, but it's really hot today and decided to follow the cooler canyon to the si ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:31 -0700

Joe Idoni
Hiking up Millard Canyon. I could have followed the Mount Lowe Road up and then droped down into the Grand Canyon, but it's really hot today and decided to follow the cooler canyon to the si ...

Millard Canyon has a lot of remains of old water pipe and pieces from the old mining operations that started over a hundred years ago.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:32 -0700

Joe Idoni
Millard Canyon has a lot of remains of old water pipe and pieces from the old mining operations that started over a hundred years ago.

This piece of tin roofing made me stop and check it out. From a disance it looked like an airplane piece.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:33 -0700

Joe Idoni
This piece of tin roofing made me stop and check it out. From a disance it looked like an airplane piece.

This flat head engine is in the stream bed below the Dawn Mine.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:35 -0700

Joe Idoni
This flat head engine is in the stream bed below the Dawn Mine.

Water pump outside the Dawn Mine. This mine was started in 1895 and was worked on and off till the early 1950s. Like most mines in the San Gabriels, it produced more sweat than gold.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:36 -0700

Joe Idoni
Water pump outside the Dawn Mine. This mine was started in 1895 and was worked on and off till the early 1950s. Like most mines in the San Gabriels, it produced more sweat than gold.

Just a short way past the Dawn Mine, I saw something that caught my eye. I been seeing a lot of things that looked like aluminum but decided to check it out. Soon as I got close, I could tel ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:37 -0700

Joe Idoni
Just a short way past the Dawn Mine, I saw something that caught my eye. I been seeing a lot of things that looked like aluminum but decided to check it out. Soon as I got close, I could tel ...

Taking a close look at the piece, I found a part number with the 58 prefix. The 58 indicates that it came from a North American BT-14. This piece is about a mile from where I finally found t ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:37 -0700

Joe Idoni
Taking a close look at the piece, I found a part number with the 58 prefix. The 58 indicates that it came from a North American BT-14. This piece is about a mile from where I finally found t ...

About 3/4 of a mile from the first piece, I came upon a piece of wreckage stuck in some trees just above the streambed.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:38 -0700

Joe Idoni
About 3/4 of a mile from the first piece, I came upon a piece of wreckage stuck in some trees just above the streambed.

Closer look at the piece. Looks like it was put there so it wouldn't get washed away.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:40 -0700

Joe Idoni
Closer look at the piece. Looks like it was put there so it wouldn't get washed away.

The other side. Think that it's part of one of the stabs, but not sure.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:41 -0700

Joe Idoni
The other side. Think that it's part of one of the stabs, but not sure.

Another view.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:41 -0700

Joe Idoni
Another view.

Have no idea what this is.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:42 -0700

Joe Idoni
Have no idea what this is.

One last look. This is as far as I hiked the first time. I spent a couple of hours searching this area thinking that the crash site must be close by before giving up.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:44 -0700

Joe Idoni
One last look. This is as far as I hiked the first time. I spent a couple of hours searching this area thinking that the crash site must be close by before giving up.

An hour later I'm still searching for the crash site. I picked a bad day to do this hike. It's really hot and humid and there's these tiny black flys that been harassing me most of the day. ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:45 -0700

Joe Idoni
An hour later I'm still searching for the crash site. I picked a bad day to do this hike. It's really hot and humid and there's these tiny black flys that been harassing me most of the day. ...

Got lucky. When I dropped down to the canyon I found another piece. The crash site must be in this canyon.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:47 -0700

Joe Idoni
Got lucky. When I dropped down to the canyon I found another piece. The crash site must be in this canyon.

Another view of the same piece. Looks like it might be a part of the engine.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:48 -0700

Joe Idoni
Another view of the same piece. Looks like it might be a part of the engine.

A short way up the canyon found another piece. Feeling a lot better now.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:48 -0700

Joe Idoni
A short way up the canyon found another piece. Feeling a lot better now.

Same piece turned over. Looks like it's from the wing.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:49 -0700

Joe Idoni
Same piece turned over. Looks like it's from the wing.

Further up the canyon found what looks like the crash site.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:50 -0700

Joe Idoni
Further up the canyon found what looks like the crash site.

I've seen photos of the wing at this site and I think this is what's left of it. The photos showed it being in good shape with the U.S. insignia clearly visible. I looked around hoping that ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:51 -0700

Joe Idoni
I've seen photos of the wing at this site and I think this is what's left of it. The photos showed it being in good shape with the U.S. insignia clearly visible. I looked around hoping that ...

Closer look.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:52 -0700

Joe Idoni
Closer look.

I looked at this for awile and wasn't sure it's a wing. Most of it is buried and it is really torn up. Kept thinking it was part of the fuselage skin, but in the end figured that it must be ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:53 -0700

Joe Idoni
I looked at this for awile and wasn't sure it's a wing. Most of it is buried and it is really torn up. Kept thinking it was part of the fuselage skin, but in the end figured that it must be ...

When I got home, mactched up these covers with the photos of the underside of AT-6 wings.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:54 -0700

Joe Idoni
When I got home, mactched up these covers with the photos of the underside of AT-6 wings.

This section looks like it's a wing.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:43 -0700

Joe Idoni
This section looks like it's a wing.

Looking underneath. Someone put a stick to hold it up.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:55 -0700

Joe Idoni
Looking underneath. Someone put a stick to hold it up.

Just upstream of the wing is what remains of the fuselage frame.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:57 -0700

Joe Idoni
Just upstream of the wing is what remains of the fuselage frame.

Not much of the frame remains.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:29:58 -0700

Joe Idoni
Not much of the frame remains.

What little remains, is mostly buried. A streambed isn't a good place for a crash site.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:30:02 -0700

Joe Idoni
What little remains, is mostly buried. A streambed isn't a good place for a crash site.

The firewall is still attached.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:30:04 -0700

Joe Idoni
The firewall is still attached.

The roll bar.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:30:06 -0700

Joe Idoni
The roll bar.

There was a few is these attached to the frame.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:30:06 -0700

Joe Idoni
There was a few is these attached to the frame.

Joint on the frame where seven tubes come together.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:30:08 -0700

Joe Idoni
Joint on the frame where seven tubes come together.

Closeup of the joint showing the reinforcing plate.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:30:09 -0700

Joe Idoni
Closeup of the joint showing the reinforcing plate.

This piece was attached on the end of one of the tubes.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:30:10 -0700

Joe Idoni
This piece was attached on the end of one of the tubes.

Last look at the site. I was a little disappointed that the wing was in such bad shape, but still happy to find the site. Now it's time for me and my black fly escort to hike out.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:30:10 -0700

Joe Idoni
Last look at the site. I was a little disappointed that the wing was in such bad shape, but still happy to find the site. Now it's time for me and my black fly escort to hike out.

Google Earth image showing the tree filled Grand Canyon which holds the crash site of the AT-6C. THE END

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:30:11 -0700

Joe Idoni
Google Earth image showing the tree filled Grand Canyon which holds the crash site of the AT-6C. THE END