Slate Range BQM-34A Firebee 9/5/08

Don't have any details on this crash site other than it's a Teledyne Ryan BQM-34A Firebee Drone that crashed in the Slate Range east of Trona, California. I found out about this site from To ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:09:59 -0700

Joe Idoni
Don't have any details on this crash site other than it's a Teledyne Ryan BQM-34A Firebee Drone that crashed in the Slate Range east of Trona, California. I found out about this site from To ...

Waiting for the train to pass in the town of Trona. I was on my way to Towne Pass in Death Valley where I'll meet up with a group of friends to hike up to Towne Peak. Decided to check out th ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:10 -0700

Joe Idoni
Waiting for the train to pass in the town of Trona. I was on my way to Towne Pass in Death Valley where I'll meet up with a group of friends to hike up to Towne Peak. Decided to check out th ...

My fisrt view of the Firebee's crash site. I only had basic directions to the site. After driving up for awhile, I thought that I must be in the wrong canyon. Just before I was going to turn ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:12 -0700

Joe Idoni
My fisrt view of the Firebee's crash site. I only had basic directions to the site. After driving up for awhile, I thought that I must be in the wrong canyon. Just before I was going to turn ...

It's a good size crater for a little Firebee.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:13 -0700

Joe Idoni
It's a good size crater for a little Firebee.

Another view of the impact crater. The Firebee must have impacted hard. Looks like most of it is at the site, but it's in a lot of little pieces.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:14 -0700

Joe Idoni
Another view of the impact crater. The Firebee must have impacted hard. Looks like most of it is at the site, but it's in a lot of little pieces.

This shot was taken from just above the impact crater shows how close to the wash the site is located. It's a good thing I didn't have to hike far, the temp is 106 degrees out here.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:15 -0700

Joe Idoni
This shot was taken from just above the impact crater shows how close to the wash the site is located. It's a good thing I didn't have to hike far, the temp is 106 degrees out here.

The first pice of wreckage I came upon.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:16 -0700

Joe Idoni
The first pice of wreckage I came upon.

Looks like a piece of wing skin. A little of the dayglow paint can still be seen on it.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:17 -0700

Joe Idoni
Looks like a piece of wing skin. A little of the dayglow paint can still be seen on it.

One of the wing tips.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:18 -0700

Joe Idoni
One of the wing tips.

Another view of the same piece.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:20 -0700

Joe Idoni
Another view of the same piece.

This piece has the number 124 on it. 124 is the prefix the Ryan BQM-34A Firebee. There is also the word ROCKWELL between the numbers.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:21 -0700

Joe Idoni
This piece has the number 124 on it. 124 is the prefix the Ryan BQM-34A Firebee. There is also the word ROCKWELL between the numbers.

Think this is one of the shackles used to mount the drone to the launch aircraft.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:22 -0700

Joe Idoni
Think this is one of the shackles used to mount the drone to the launch aircraft.

Latch

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:22 -0700

Joe Idoni
Latch

Piece of the fuselage.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:23 -0700

Joe Idoni
Piece of the fuselage.

Part of an electrical connector.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:24 -0700

Joe Idoni
Part of an electrical connector.

Voltage regulator

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:25 -0700

Joe Idoni
Voltage regulator

Two pieces of wing skin. These are about five feet long.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:26 -0700

Joe Idoni
Two pieces of wing skin. These are about five feet long.

Electric motor.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:28 -0700

Joe Idoni
Electric motor.

When I first saw this thought it was a piece of electronic equipment because of the wires coming out of it. But when I pick it up, I could tell it was a piece of lead. Figure it must be ball ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:29 -0700

Joe Idoni
When I first saw this thought it was a piece of electronic equipment because of the wires coming out of it. But when I pick it up, I could tell it was a piece of lead. Figure it must be ball ...

Some of the small pieces scattered around the area.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:31 -0700

Joe Idoni
Some of the small pieces scattered around the area.

This piece had a switch mounted on it. It's the thing with the hex nut. I could push in the button on it.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:32 -0700

Joe Idoni
This piece had a switch mounted on it. It's the thing with the hex nut. I could push in the button on it.

Cover for electical equipment???

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:34 -0700

Joe Idoni
Cover for electical equipment???

Piece of the fiberglass nosecone still attached to a piece of the fuselage.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:35 -0700

Joe Idoni
Piece of the fiberglass nosecone still attached to a piece of the fuselage.

No idea what this is, it's about three inches long.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:40 -0700

Joe Idoni
No idea what this is, it's about three inches long.

Think this was one of the flight control servos.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:41 -0700

Joe Idoni
Think this was one of the flight control servos.

Piece of the recovery parachute.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:42 -0700

Joe Idoni
Piece of the recovery parachute.

Nearby was the bridle line for the parachute.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:43 -0700

Joe Idoni
Nearby was the bridle line for the parachute.

Another part from the recovery system. A piece of the bridle on the left side and on the right, four straps with remains of the parachute lines.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:44 -0700

Joe Idoni
Another part from the recovery system. A piece of the bridle on the left side and on the right, four straps with remains of the parachute lines.

Another view of the same part.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:45 -0700

Joe Idoni
Another view of the same part.

Close up of the chute lines.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:46 -0700

Joe Idoni
Close up of the chute lines.

More pieces of the recovery system.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:47 -0700

Joe Idoni
More pieces of the recovery system.

Piece of smashed electical equipment.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:48 -0700

Joe Idoni
Piece of smashed electical equipment.

More electical equipment.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:49 -0700

Joe Idoni
More electical equipment.

Motor.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:51 -0700

Joe Idoni
Motor.

Piece of the parachute.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:52 -0700

Joe Idoni
Piece of the parachute.

Think this may be one of the ailerons. Found this up on the slope.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:52 -0700

Joe Idoni
Think this may be one of the ailerons. Found this up on the slope.

Finding a lot stuff as I hiked up the slope. Looks like a part from the engine.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:54 -0700

Joe Idoni
Finding a lot stuff as I hiked up the slope. Looks like a part from the engine.

More dayglow paint.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:55 -0700

Joe Idoni
More dayglow paint.

These pieces are over a hundred feet from the impact crater.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:57 -0700

Joe Idoni
These pieces are over a hundred feet from the impact crater.

The remains of another motor. This one is fairly large, about eight inches in diameter.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:37:59 -0700

Joe Idoni
The remains of another motor. This one is fairly large, about eight inches in diameter.

I think that Lear Siegler is an avionics manufacture.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:38:00 -0700

Joe Idoni
I think that Lear Siegler is an avionics manufacture.

Turbine wheel from the engine.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:38:01 -0700

Joe Idoni
Turbine wheel from the engine.

Close up of the blades.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:38:04 -0700

Joe Idoni
Close up of the blades.

Think that this is a piece of the fiberglass section from the top of the fin.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:38:05 -0700

Joe Idoni
Think that this is a piece of the fiberglass section from the top of the fin.

Another piece of wing skin.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:38:07 -0700

Joe Idoni
Another piece of wing skin.

Looking back at the truck from the top of the slope. Found wreckage up at the top. From here I could see a large piece at the base of the slope.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:38:06 -0700

Joe Idoni
Looking back at the truck from the top of the slope. Found wreckage up at the top. From here I could see a large piece at the base of the slope.

The piece I saw from above turned out to be the Firebee's engine.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:38:08 -0700

Joe Idoni
The piece I saw from above turned out to be the Firebee's engine.

The Firebee's Continental J69-T-29A turbojet.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:38:09 -0700

Joe Idoni
The Firebee's Continental J69-T-29A turbojet.

Blades are gone on the front of the engine. Think this was part of the compressor section.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:38:11 -0700

Joe Idoni
Blades are gone on the front of the engine. Think this was part of the compressor section.

Blades inside the engine.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:38:11 -0700

Joe Idoni
Blades inside the engine.

Last look at the impact crater. This view is looking west across the Searles Valley to the Argus Range on the other side.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:38:13 -0700

Joe Idoni
Last look at the impact crater. This view is looking west across the Searles Valley to the Argus Range on the other side.

Driving down on my way to Towne Pass. Going to spend the night there and do a hike to Towne Peak the next day.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:38:14 -0700

Joe Idoni
Driving down on my way to Towne Pass. Going to spend the night there and do a hike to Towne Peak the next day.

While driving to Towne Pass, came upon another crash site on the Trona/Wildrose Road.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:38:14 -0700

Joe Idoni
While driving to Towne Pass, came upon another crash site on the Trona/Wildrose Road.

No one was around. The car wasn't very damaged. Looks look it went in at a slow speed. Figured that it must have happened at night. Someone must have pull over thinking it was a turnout and ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:38:15 -0700

Joe Idoni
No one was around. The car wasn't very damaged. Looks look it went in at a slow speed. Figured that it must have happened at night. Someone must have pull over thinking it was a turnout and ...

Good thing it rolled on this side of the road. If it was on the other side, it would have rolled a long ways down into the Panamint Valley. THE END

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:38:17 -0700

Joe Idoni
Good thing it rolled on this side of the road. If it was on the other side, it would have rolled a long ways down into the Panamint Valley. THE END