El Centro F8U-2 Crusader 1/30/09

Don't have much info on this aircraft other than it's the F8U-2 BuNo 146977 that crashed on 7/30/63 west of the Superstition Hills. The pilot, Lt. Cdr. D. L. Whitman flying with the VF-124 w ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:00 -0800

Joe Idoni
Don't have much info on this aircraft other than it's the F8U-2 BuNo 146977 that crashed on 7/30/63 west of the Superstition Hills. The pilot, Lt. Cdr. D. L. Whitman flying with the VF-124 w ...

After trying to reach the site from the west for almost two hours, I gave up and tried to get to it from the east. Here I'm driving down a wash, ahead is a burned out vehicle. When I tried g ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:01 -0800

Joe Idoni
After trying to reach the site from the west for almost two hours, I gave up and tried to get to it from the east. Here I'm driving down a wash, ahead is a burned out vehicle. When I tried g ...

After driving down the wash for awhile, I spotted what looked like a car door in a bush.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:02 -0800

Joe Idoni
After driving down the wash for awhile, I spotted what looked like a car door in a bush.

Turned out to be a piece of aircaft wreckage.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:02 -0800

Joe Idoni
Turned out to be a piece of aircaft wreckage.

Drove up out of the wash and followed the tire tracks to the engine.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:03 -0800

Joe Idoni
Drove up out of the wash and followed the tire tracks to the engine.

Me with the Pratt & Whitney J57-P-16 engine.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:04 -0800

Joe Idoni
Me with the Pratt & Whitney J57-P-16 engine.

View from the other side.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:05 -0800

Joe Idoni
View from the other side.

Tail end view.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:06 -0800

Joe Idoni
Tail end view.

Closer view of some of the turbine blades.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:07 -0800

Joe Idoni
Closer view of some of the turbine blades.

The engine is in really good shape for coming from a plane that crashed??? First thought that maybe the pilot bellied it in the desert, but from what little I found on the accident, it said ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:07 -0800

Joe Idoni
The engine is in really good shape for coming from a plane that crashed??? First thought that maybe the pilot bellied it in the desert, but from what little I found on the accident, it said ...

Looks like anything that could be removed has been.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:08 -0800

Joe Idoni
Looks like anything that could be removed has been.

Not much remains here other than a few small pieces of wreckage.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:09 -0800

Joe Idoni
Not much remains here other than a few small pieces of wreckage.

Close up of the compressor side.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:10 -0800

Joe Idoni
Close up of the compressor side.

After checking out the engine, I drove around to see if I could find the crash site and came upon the tail end of the fuselage.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:11 -0800

Joe Idoni
After checking out the engine, I drove around to see if I could find the crash site and came upon the tail end of the fuselage.

It's a Navy plane.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:12 -0800

Joe Idoni
It's a Navy plane.

View of the other side.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:13 -0800

Joe Idoni
View of the other side.

Close up of some of the structure.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:14 -0800

Joe Idoni
Close up of some of the structure.

Looks like it was cut up with a torch.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:15 -0800

Joe Idoni
Looks like it was cut up with a torch.

Looking out the tail end from inside.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:16 -0800

Joe Idoni
Looking out the tail end from inside.

Pressure lines.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:16 -0800

Joe Idoni
Pressure lines.

Coaxial connectors on top.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:17 -0800

Joe Idoni
Coaxial connectors on top.

After looking and taking photos for about ten minutes, I noticed that the aircaft's serial number was on it.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:18 -0800

Joe Idoni
After looking and taking photos for about ten minutes, I noticed that the aircaft's serial number was on it.

There was the model number F8-C and serial number 146977. When I got home looked up the number and found out that the wreckage is from the F8U-2 that crashed out here on 7/30/63.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:19 -0800

Joe Idoni
There was the model number F8-C and serial number 146977. When I got home looked up the number and found out that the wreckage is from the F8U-2 that crashed out here on 7/30/63.

Me with the section of fuselage.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:20 -0800

Joe Idoni
Me with the section of fuselage.

While I was checking out the fuselage section, I could see a group of four planes flying in formation out in the distance.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:21 -0800

Joe Idoni
While I was checking out the fuselage section, I could see a group of four planes flying in formation out in the distance.

Every once and awhile, they would put out smoke. They were to far away to hear or see what type of aircraft they were, but could tell they were jets by the speed they were moving.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:21 -0800

Joe Idoni
Every once and awhile, they would put out smoke. They were to far away to hear or see what type of aircraft they were, but could tell they were jets by the speed they were moving.

As I was driving out, they were flying in a large left hand circle. I could tell that they would be flying over really close, so I got out of the truck to watch them fly by.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:22 -0800

Joe Idoni
As I was driving out, they were flying in a large left hand circle. I could tell that they would be flying over really close, so I got out of the truck to watch them fly by.

It turn out to be some of the Blue Angels F-18s. When I got home I checked and found out that they spend January through March training pilots and new team members at Naval Air Facility El C ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 22:25:20 -0800

Joe Idoni
It turn out to be some of the Blue Angels F-18s. When I got home I checked and found out that they spend January through March training pilots and new team members at Naval Air Facility El C ...

Back in the wash making my way to the highway. Tomorrow morning plan on meeting a friend near Ocotililo for a hike. It's getting late and I been driving since 5:30am, going to find a place t ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:32:24 -0800

Joe Idoni
Back in the wash making my way to the highway. Tomorrow morning plan on meeting a friend near Ocotililo for a hike. It's getting late and I been driving since 5:30am, going to find a place t ...