On 1/14/79, the pilot of the Piper PA-31 Navajo, N6567L attempted a nonstop flight from Kennewick, Washington to San Diego, California. The aircraft had insufficient fuel on board to complete the flight and crashed while attempting an emergency landing at sundown on the unlit dirt runway at the Hart Mine Airport near the California/Nevada border. The pilot and his two passengers survived the accident.

A few more miles on this dirt road and I'll get to the starting point for the hike to the Navajo crash site.

I started the hike from here.

As I approached the area the Piper Navajo went down, I could see some wreckage on the hill up ahead.

Getting closer I could make out two large pieces of wreckage. The Piper crashed in an area with a lot of joshua trees.

Coming up on the first piece of wreckage.

Turned out to be the tail section.

The left horizontal stabilizer was missing.

It was shot full of holes, but could make out "N656" on this side. Seems like anything left out in the desert ends up full of holes.

On the other side the was the rest of the number, the plane is N6567L.

Another view of the tail section.

Rudder was missing from the fin.

Linkage for the elevators.

Close up of the elevator control horn with the Piper name on it.

The mount on the elevator also had Piper on it and an inspection stamp.

Some desert critters have made a home here.

Bottom side of the right stab.

Trim tab on elevator.

This reel with cable wound on it looks like it's a part of the actuator for the trim tab.

Access covers.

This was the only piece of wreckage near the tail, looks like part of some control linkage.

Me with the tail section. Time to check out the other piece I saw from a distance, can't see it from here.

Looking back as I hike up the hill, I could see the Hart Mine Airport. The pilot of this Navajo was attemting to land on one of it's two dirt strips after running low on fuel when it crashed on this hillside.

Zoomed in on the east/west runway.

A wing on top of the hill.

Me with the wing section.

Turned out to be the right wing and a section of the burned out fuselage.

Another view of the wing. Looks like this was the impact area, some melted aluminum and a lot of little pieces scattered around. edit

The remains of the fuselage.

Rusty rear seat rails.

Another view of the fuselage.

The main wing spar could be seen.

The main spar from the back, it's been cut.

Control calbes in the floor.

The engine nacelle.

It has a aluminum frame work with a fiberglass skin.

The rear compartment is for cargo and I think the front held a fuel tank.

This section of flap was the only control surface on the wing. The X use to be dayglow red, but has faded to white.

Another view of the nacelle.

Looking down the leading ledge.

Close up of the damaged wing tip.

Firewall

The engine mount was cut off.

Close up look at part of the cut off engine mount.

Looking under the wing, I could see the main gear was in the down position. The lower part of the gear was gone.

A frame to a speaker. After checking out the wing, I started looking at the small pieces scattered around the area.

Looks like a battery box.

This fairly large piece is a from the fuselage.