On 4/9/53 a flight of five aircraft with the 3594th Flying Training Squadron out of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada were on a training flight. The training that day was to consist of fighter vs fighter gunnery technique with the flight breaking up into a two aircraft element flown separately from the lead flight of three aircraft. 2Lt Donald E. Denison piloting the F-86E Sabre #51-12983 in the two aircraft element made a diving attack run from 35,000 feet on one of the other aircraft which was at approximately 28,000 feet, then pulled up into a high speed barrel roll, completing the maneuver above the attacked aircraft. His aircraft then went into a high speed stall and snapped rolled to the left. The maneuver ended with his Sabre in a vertical spin. After no response of spin recovery was made and the aircraft descending past 10,000 feet MSL, he elected to eject. The pilot was able to escaped with minor injuries before his fighter was destroyed when it exploded on impact with the ground.

On the hike to the F-86E Sabre crash site. Now that weather has cool down, I can start doing some desert hikes.

I came upon this armor plate while on the way to the crash site. The site is still about a quarter mile from here.

View of the other side.

The part number and the North American Aviation inspection stamp on one of the aluminum brackets indemnify that this is from a F-86 Sabre. The armor plate is from behind the ejection seat.

My first view of the crash site. Most of the wreckage was located in a small ravine.

Zoomed in on the wreckage. The first thing that caught my eye was the horizontal stabilizer. Decided to start from the bottom of the ravine and work my way up.

This piece from the engine was at the bottom of the debris field.

This section had the turbine stator assembly.

Close up of the stators.

On the other side, the openings where the eight combustion chambers would have been attached can be seen.

This piece from the wing leading edge has an opening with two rollers for the leading edge slat track.

The other side shows the channel for the slat track.

A piece with tubing and fittings.

A group of small pieces.

The remains of the speed brake from the left side.

Some electrical equipment.

Another piece of electrical equipment.

Access panel for the radio and fuel level control valve.

The horizontal stabilizer, above it is a piece from the fuselage.

Another view of the stabilizer. The pieces in front of it are from the wing and fuselage.

The left side was in fairly good condition.

Closer view of the left stab and elevator.

One of the elevator hinges.

The right side.

Fuselage tail cone.

Underneath was the mangled remains of the tail end of the fuselage.

Fuel dump vent.

Bottom side of the left stab.

Front view.

Closer view of the front shows some of the structure.

The actuator for the horizontal stab. I can't figure out why there are elevators when the F-86E has a full flying stab. Must be some reason the elevators are there.

These are pieces from the wing. An actuator can be seen attached to one of them.

A piece of wing leading edge with a slat track.

Closer view of the slat track.

Just above the horizontal stabilizer was this crushed eight foot long section from the fuselage.

Closer view. This piece is from just in front of the tail.

This section of the fuselage had a control linkage.

Inside were a group of control cable pulleys.

Same fuselage piece from the other side.

Climbed up the side of the ravine to get a photo of this group of wreckage.

There is a lot more wreckage farther up the ravine.

These two accumulators are about four inches in diameter.

Some type of linkage.

Two access covers on this piece.

A large access panel from the fuselage. It's about three feet long.

Other side of the same piece.

Six inch diameter armature with it's field coil.