On 11/15/82 the Grumman OV-1D Mohawk #68-15948 was undergoing dynamic and static spin testing to determine what effect the SLAR boom had on the aircraft. While conducting static VMC testing at 6,400 feet MSL (4,000 feet AGL) the pilot called the VMC point at 78 KIAS and announced initiation of recovery. The aircraft rolled left slightly past 90 degrees and entered a nose low spin from which it did not recover, impacting the desert floor at a descent rate of 17,500 feet per minute. The civilian flight engineer John D. Ottomeyer attempted an unsuccessful ejection at 500 feet AGL, the test pilot CWO Hugh A. Lammons remained in the aircraft until impact. Both men were killed in the accident.

This photo copied from the crash report shows an overhead view of the crash site. #1 is indicating the SLAR boom, #2 is the flight test engineer's seat, and #3 the test pilot's seat.

Another report photo shows the wreckage from the vicinity of the left wing tip looking to the south. A large portion the aircraft was consumed by the post crash fire.

Driving out in the Mojave Desert. I made a few attempts at finding this crash site on my own, but finally gave up and asked someone for the location. They weren't able to give me the exact spot, but it got me close enough to enable me to find it.

After searching the area for about half an hour, came upon this piece.

After a little more looking, found another piece.

Foot long pieces of tubing.

Fiberglass piece with gray paint.

The pieces I'm finding are scattered far apart, having a hard time locating the crash site.

Piece from one of the windows, this couldn't have been thrown far from the impact area. The site must be close by.

One of the marker flags used during the accident investigation.

The crash site, it took me about twenty minutes to locate it after finding the first piece.

The first thing that got my attention was this large battery.

More tubing. It showed signs of the post crash fire as did a lot of the remaining wreckage.

A part from a clipboard.

Found this lock. Couldn't figure out what could have been onboard that would have needed to be locked up.

Looks like the face plate of a fuel flow gauge.

This piece is marked with IR JAM.

Piece from a fuel tank.

Small impact crater filled with small pieces.

Close up of the small pieces.

Circuit board.

This piece is about two feet long and is one of the larger pieces remaining at the site.

A small motor, it's about three inches in diameter.

A piece from the fuselage.

Looks like some type of flight instrument.

The other side of the same part.

Tag from a power inverter. It's marked with MOTOR-GENERATOR Input 28 Volts, Output 115/200 Volts.

This looks like it might be from an engine nacelle.

A part from one of the engines.

A piece of the airframe structure.

This piece has honeycomb construction, I think it's from one of the control surfaces.

A piece of one of the rudder pedals with the Grumman name.

Not sure what this is.

Closer view.

Part of a control linkage.

Looks like a piece of a circuit breaker panel.

Compressor blade from an engine.

This site had a lot of interesting items remaining, glad that I was finally able to check it out.

While driving home on I-15, saw this truck carrying an airplane.

THE END