On 10/26/50, the USAF Douglas C-47D #43-49030 was a on a IFR flight from Hill Field AFB, Ogden, Utah to McClellan AFB, Sacramento, California. The aircraft failed to arrive at the destination and a search was started the following day. A total of approximately 475 sorties with 1500 hours flying time were expended by the Air Force and the Civil Air Patrol in search of the missing aircraft with no results. On 5/31/51 the missing C-47D was finally located seven months after it disappeared. The wreckage of the aircraft was spotted up on a ridge by men searching a nearby lake for the bodies of two fishermen that had drowned four days earlier. Examination of the wreckage failed to indicate any evidence of material failure, malfunction of the engines or flight controls. It appears that the pilot overestimated the ground speed due to the unusually strong headwinds and thinking that he had already cleared the mountain range started the descent to McClellan AFB. Unfortunately they were still well into the Sierra Nevada mountains and the plane impacted a cliff face destroying the aircraft and killing the four men aboard.

Killed in the accident were,

Pilot: M Sgt. Thomas W. Rafferty
Co-pilot: 1st Lt. Richard N. Luse
Engineer: T Sgt. William A. Larsen
Passenger: Pfc. Dan L. Young

Passing by Lake Tahoe after driving for eight and a half hours. It's been awhile since I've done this long of a drive.

After a couple of wrong turns, I'm getting close to where I will camp for the night.

On the hike the next morning. It was nice to be hiking in a area that didn't have brush.

My first view of the spot the C-47D impacted the cliff face. There is a group of wreckage hanging from wire and control cables in the center of the photo.

Closer view of the wreckage hanging on the cliff.

Looking up at the hanging pieces.

The C-47D was carrying a cargo of communication cable and that is what it looks like this sting of wreckage is hanging from.

Zoomed in on the bottom end, I could make out one of the aircraft's control columns.

Just below the hanging wreckage was this group of tubing. Looks like it fell off from above. Looking around, I could only seeing a few small pieces of wreckage in the area. Looks like this site was going to turn out to be a micro site.

Close up of the fittings.

About fifty feet below the impact spot there was this small cave.

Inside the cave there was a memorial and a few pieces from the plane.

The memorial was for the co-pilot. It has him as a Captain, but the crash report stated that Richard Luse was a 1st Lieutenant. Found out later that he was posthumous promoted to Captain.

Looking out from inside the cave.

Looking around, I was only finding small pieces of wreckage and remains of the cable the plane was carrying as cargo.

Looking down the steep slope I could seeing more small pieces. Decided to head down and see if I could find anything interesting.

Some of the cable the plane was carrying as cargo.

Some type of electrical equipment.

This lever was about eight inches long and had a safety pin locking it. No idea what it’s used for.

Figure that this part might be from the landing gear, it's about two feet long.

Finally found a large piece, it’s about six feet long.

Turning it over, I could see that it was from the top of the fuselage. The fairing is the front part of vertical stabilizer (fin). I may be wrong, but it looks like this piece was chopped off the fuselage.

Not sure what this is from. It's about two feet long.

Looking down, I could see a large piece of aluminum. Maybe this site is going to turn out to be a good one after all.

There are a few pieces from the wings in this area. Decided to take a snack break here.

Me with one of the wing sections.

Most of this wing section is buried.

Wing rib on the left and one of the spars on the right.

Looks like mounts for a fuel tank on the spar.

Lot of fittings.

This piece has the connection where the outer wing panel attaches to the center section.

Close up of the wing joint.

Same piece in the foreground with two more pieces.

This piece has a section of the wing walk on it.

Think this might be one of the wing tips, but I didn't take the time to get a good look at it.

More large pieces as I head further down the slope.

This piece of the fuseage has more of the fin on it.

Another view of the same piece. This piece also looks like it's been chopped off.

The same piece of fuselage had a wiring harness on it.

Looking back up the slope at the wing and fuselage pieces.

Electrical equipment

Part of the landing gear. The part attached is the same as the one I found near the top of the slope.

Another section of wing with the joint for the outer wing section.

Another view of the same piece.

Down below is a large pile of wreckage.

The first thing I noticed was this piece bent around a tree.

Another view of the same piece.