San Diego F3H-2N Demon 5/10/09

On 5/16/61, a USN McDonnell F3H-2N Demon BuNo 136973 crashed while on approach to the Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego, California. Killed in the accident was the 23 year old pilot Lt. ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:17:06 -0700

Joe Idoni
On 5/16/61, a USN McDonnell F3H-2N Demon BuNo 136973 crashed while on approach to the Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego, California. Killed in the accident was the 23 year old pilot Lt. ...

At the start of the hike, the area was covered in a light fog, it was nice to have the cooler weather, but it would be difficult locating the site with the limited visibility.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:14 -0700

Joe Idoni
At the start of the hike, the area was covered in a light fog, it was nice to have the cooler weather, but it would be difficult locating the site with the limited visibility.

After searching for nearly two hours, the weather cleared up and I was able to spot the engine on a slope about 100 yards away. I was really glad to find it. The weather was starting to get ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:18 -0700

Joe Idoni
After searching for nearly two hours, the weather cleared up and I was able to spot the engine on a slope about 100 yards away. I was really glad to find it. The weather was starting to get ...

At the base of the slope I could see some more wreckage. At this point I have no idea of the model of the aircraft at this site, only that it's a jet.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:19 -0700

Joe Idoni
At the base of the slope I could see some more wreckage. At this point I have no idea of the model of the aircraft at this site, only that it's a jet.

First piece of wreckage I came upon as I headed for the engine.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:21 -0700

Joe Idoni
First piece of wreckage I came upon as I headed for the engine.

Other side of the same piece.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:23 -0700

Joe Idoni
Other side of the same piece.

Next I found this little motor.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:24 -0700

Joe Idoni
Next I found this little motor.

The wreckage I spotted at the bottom of the slope turned out to be the afterburner section of the engine. Looks like this is the crash site of fighter.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:25 -0700

Joe Idoni
The wreckage I spotted at the bottom of the slope turned out to be the afterburner section of the engine. Looks like this is the crash site of fighter.

Another view of the smashed afterburner section.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:27 -0700

Joe Idoni
Another view of the smashed afterburner section.

Sheet metal from the engine.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:29 -0700

Joe Idoni
Sheet metal from the engine.

Front section of the afterburner.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:31 -0700

Joe Idoni
Front section of the afterburner.

Could see the afterbuner fuel injectors on the front end.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:37 -0700

Joe Idoni
Could see the afterbuner fuel injectors on the front end.

Close up of the plumbing.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:38 -0700

Joe Idoni
Close up of the plumbing.

Rear section with the nozzle.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:40 -0700

Joe Idoni
Rear section with the nozzle.

Close up of the nozzle.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:43 -0700

Joe Idoni
Close up of the nozzle.

Another view of the nozzle.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:41 -0700

Joe Idoni
Another view of the nozzle.

Some turbine blades were nearby.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:44 -0700

Joe Idoni
Some turbine blades were nearby.

Close up of the blades.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:46 -0700

Joe Idoni
Close up of the blades.

Looks like a piece of armor plate.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:47 -0700

Joe Idoni
Looks like a piece of armor plate.

A large 90 degree AN fitting.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:49 -0700

Joe Idoni
A large 90 degree AN fitting.

Found this blade while hiking up to the engine on the slope.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:51 -0700

Joe Idoni
Found this blade while hiking up to the engine on the slope.

More wreckage.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:52 -0700

Joe Idoni
More wreckage.

Same piece, think that it might be from the fuel cell.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:27:25 -0700

Joe Idoni
Same piece, think that it might be from the fuel cell.

More blades.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:55 -0700

Joe Idoni
More blades.

Almost to the main section of the engine.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:57 -0700

Joe Idoni
Almost to the main section of the engine.

The main section of the engine.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:27:59 -0700

Joe Idoni
The main section of the engine.

Front section.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:00 -0700

Joe Idoni
Front section.

Rear section.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:03 -0700

Joe Idoni
Rear section.

Close up of some of the compressor blades.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:07 -0700

Joe Idoni
Close up of some of the compressor blades.

Insulated tubing. First thing I thought was it was asbestos.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:08 -0700

Joe Idoni
Insulated tubing. First thing I thought was it was asbestos.

Large flex hose.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:10 -0700

Joe Idoni
Large flex hose.

Rear view showing a turbine disc.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:11 -0700

Joe Idoni
Rear view showing a turbine disc.

Close up of the turbine blades.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:15 -0700

Joe Idoni
Close up of the turbine blades.

Looks like the engine components were removed. No sign of them being torn off in the crash.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:16 -0700

Joe Idoni
Looks like the engine components were removed. No sign of them being torn off in the crash.

More missing engine components.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:17 -0700

Joe Idoni
More missing engine components.

No idea what this is, but it looks like it's from the engine. So far I haven't seen anything that looks like the impact area. There is only a few small pieces in the area. From up on the slo ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:19 -0700

Joe Idoni
No idea what this is, but it looks like it's from the engine. So far I haven't seen anything that looks like the impact area. There is only a few small pieces in the area. From up on the slo ...

After seaching the area, I started finding small scattered pieces on the flat area at the bottom of the slope.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:23 -0700

Joe Idoni
After seaching the area, I started finding small scattered pieces on the flat area at the bottom of the slope.

This piece had a small transformer on it.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:26 -0700

Joe Idoni
This piece had a small transformer on it.

Part of a clamp.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:27 -0700

Joe Idoni
Part of a clamp.

No idea what this was.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:28 -0700

Joe Idoni
No idea what this was.

Close up of the same part showing a lot of electrical contacts.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:29 -0700

Joe Idoni
Close up of the same part showing a lot of electrical contacts.

BNC connector.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:31 -0700

Joe Idoni
BNC connector.

Another engine blade. This one has numbers on it.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:32 -0700

Joe Idoni
Another engine blade. This one has numbers on it.

I found the debris field, but the small bushes in the area made it hard to see more than a small section of ground at a time.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:37 -0700

Joe Idoni
I found the debris field, but the small bushes in the area made it hard to see more than a small section of ground at a time.

A piece of electrical equipment.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:39 -0700

Joe Idoni
A piece of electrical equipment.

Same part turned over to show vacuum tubes and other components.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:40 -0700

Joe Idoni
Same part turned over to show vacuum tubes and other components.

The tag indemnified it as a "Interlock Amplifier Asse".

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:41 -0700

Joe Idoni
The tag indemnified it as a "Interlock Amplifier Asse".

Hose fitting with hose clamps and the remains of hoses on it.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:43 -0700

Joe Idoni
Hose fitting with hose clamps and the remains of hoses on it.

Another piece of armor plate.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:45 -0700

Joe Idoni
Another piece of armor plate.

Large fitting from a flex hose.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:48 -0700

Joe Idoni
Large fitting from a flex hose.

Section of hinge.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:49 -0700

Joe Idoni
Section of hinge.

Paint bucket. Figure that it must have been the yellow paint the wreckage was marked with before it was removed.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:28:54 -0700

Joe Idoni
Paint bucket. Figure that it must have been the yellow paint the wreckage was marked with before it was removed.

Maybe sheet metal from the motor.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:01 -0700

Joe Idoni
Maybe sheet metal from the motor.

These pieces got my attention. This is how I found them, the large one is about a foot in diameter.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:03 -0700

Joe Idoni
These pieces got my attention. This is how I found them, the large one is about a foot in diameter.

Turning the one over, there was a control cable pulley on it. Figure that it may be a cable tensioner, just guessing.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:05 -0700

Joe Idoni
Turning the one over, there was a control cable pulley on it. Figure that it may be a cable tensioner, just guessing.

This is the only piece I found from the landing gear. It's a piece of a chrome plated leg. Must have been a hard impact to brake it in pieces.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:06 -0700

Joe Idoni
This is the only piece I found from the landing gear. It's a piece of a chrome plated leg. Must have been a hard impact to brake it in pieces.

Piece of fiberglass.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:08 -0700

Joe Idoni
Piece of fiberglass.

No idea what this is. The whole time I been looking at the parts, I been trying to find a part number so I could figure out what model aircraft this was. Never did find one.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:12 -0700

Joe Idoni
No idea what this is. The whole time I been looking at the parts, I been trying to find a part number so I could figure out what model aircraft this was. Never did find one.

Was findind a lot of pieces, but never did find an impact crater.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:15 -0700

Joe Idoni
Was findind a lot of pieces, but never did find an impact crater.

Cable and a lot of small pieces.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:17 -0700

Joe Idoni
Cable and a lot of small pieces.

A badly damaged piece of electrical equipment.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:36 -0700

Joe Idoni
A badly damaged piece of electrical equipment.

Tag said that it was "US NAVY BU. OF ORD. CONTROL BOX". Looks like this was a Navy plane.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:37 -0700

Joe Idoni
Tag said that it was "US NAVY BU. OF ORD. CONTROL BOX". Looks like this was a Navy plane.

Looks like a part from the engine.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:19 -0700

Joe Idoni
Looks like a part from the engine.

Electrical connector

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:20 -0700

Joe Idoni
Electrical connector

Piece from the canopy.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:26 -0700

Joe Idoni
Piece from the canopy.

Fiberglass in the bushes.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:26 -0700

Joe Idoni
Fiberglass in the bushes.

When I found this tag, I was hoping that it would ID the aircraft. Turned out to be a tag from an AC generator.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:28 -0700

Joe Idoni
When I found this tag, I was hoping that it would ID the aircraft. Turned out to be a tag from an AC generator.

Interesting looking piece. The two holes on it may be for a duplex headshet connector, perhaps located in the wheel well to allow for ground crew to commutate with the piolt.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:29 -0700

Joe Idoni
Interesting looking piece. The two holes on it may be for a duplex headshet connector, perhaps located in the wheel well to allow for ground crew to commutate with the piolt.

This piece was made out of fiberglass. Think that it might be the top of the rudder.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:30 -0700

Joe Idoni
This piece was made out of fiberglass. Think that it might be the top of the rudder.

Top view of the same piece showing the airfoil shape.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:32 -0700

Joe Idoni
Top view of the same piece showing the airfoil shape.

This pressure container was about 18 inches diameter and had a pillow shape.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:33 -0700

Joe Idoni
This pressure container was about 18 inches diameter and had a pillow shape.

Another piece from the canopy, this one showed signs of a fire.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:35 -0700

Joe Idoni
Another piece from the canopy, this one showed signs of a fire.

This piece was buried with only a small section showing.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:38 -0700

Joe Idoni
This piece was buried with only a small section showing.

It had a number. The "MBEU 7801" is a part number for a Martin Baker ejection seat . MBEU stands for Martin Baker Ejection Unit. The F3H-2 was equipped with a Martin Mk 4.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:39 -0700

Joe Idoni
It had a number. The "MBEU 7801" is a part number for a Martin Baker ejection seat . MBEU stands for Martin Baker Ejection Unit. The F3H-2 was equipped with a Martin Mk 4.

Sometimes I get really lucky. I spent about two hours checking out the site. As I started hiking out, I saw this piece under a bush.

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:40 -0700

Joe Idoni
Sometimes I get really lucky. I spent about two hours checking out the site. As I started hiking out, I saw this piece under a bush.

Pulling it out, I could tell it was a piece of an instrument panel. When I got home, I was able to match up the photo with a drawing I had of a F3H Demon panel. Thinking that it was a Demon ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:42 -0700

Joe Idoni
Pulling it out, I could tell it was a piece of an instrument panel. When I got home, I was able to match up the photo with a drawing I had of a F3H Demon panel. Thinking that it was a Demon ...

Driving home on I-15. Thinking back I wish I spent more time at this site. Never did find the impact crater and I'm sure there was a lot of stuff that I missed. Next time I'm in that area I ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Joe Idoni) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:29:43 -0700

Joe Idoni
Driving home on I-15. Thinking back I wish I spent more time at this site. Never did find the impact crater and I'm sure there was a lot of stuff that I missed. Next time I'm in that area I ...