I found a P51 Mustang

[Nugget Hog]

I lived in alaska for 3 years and did alot of gold prospecting while I was there. One day I was in a very remote area and decided to climb a small mountain that was near me just to get a better layout of the area. When I reached the top I noticed that this was the side of an old volcano and that there was a volcanic lake on the other side. I sat on top resting and saw something in the water. The water was crystal clear but there was wind so I couldn't get a clear view for quite some time. Finally the wind died down long enough for me to make out an aiplane. It was a long ways down, I'm guessing 100+ feet but I could see it was a military plane. I have been to many Sun n Fun shows and also worked at an airport for 2 years so I knew just about all types of planes.
When I returned to town I asked around if anyone had heard of a military plane that crashed in the mountains. Finally one of the old timers told me that there was a P51 that had engine trouble that landed on some ice. The ice melted and the plane sunk. Although I had a dry suite that I used with my gold dredge, I couldn't find a scuba tank anywhere in town. The area I found it in is 1200 miles north of Anchorage. Seward Peninsula area. There are no roads, you have fly in or take a boat in the summer time.
That was 10 years ago but I'm sure it's still there. It was 50 miles from town and probably 10 miles up a creek on my Honda 4x4 and a few miles on foot. Funny thing is that I didn't find a thing with my fisher gold bug that day.
I am back in Florida now still defrosting. My efforts are now focused on South America but I might go back there in a few years just to check things out.
Are there any parts on these planes worth anything? Although underwater, things should be perfectly preserved because of the cold water.
No, I don't have any pictures. Never took a camera prospecting and never even went back.

Captain James

 

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[stoney56]

Restoring P-51's has become a big industry and their value has really gone up. I'd try to go back and salvage it if possible.

http://www.flightchief.com/photogallery/p-51/index.php

 

[Salvager]

Read the book "Hunting Warbirds" and you'll see what people go through to get planes in WAY worse shape than that!!!!

Sounds like a dream find!!!!

Now if only I had money to salvage it and was in the US.......

Have fun mate,
Salvager

P.S. If you ever want an Aussie off-sider to help with that or anything else-you know where I am!

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

That is truly amazing!

 

[DJ_Quinn]

Nugget, if you do ever decide to go back and retrieve it, I'm sure you'd get plenty of volunteers to help with the salvage effort from the members here, myself included. That would be such an adventure and a brilliant experience to pull that old fighter out of the water.

 

[72chev]

What town were you at near the plane?? I would like to find it on a map.

 

[Harry_Morant]

What town were you at near the plane?? I would like to find it on a map.

Your kidding right!

and let me know the grid reference of all your hidden gold too.......

 

[72chev]

I am sorry I posed the question, and apologize to anyone else on Treasurenet that was offended by my question.

Lesson learned.

 

[Harry_Morant]

Don't sweat it -

Its not a case of you offending anyone (it usually takes a hell of a lot more to bother people on this forum) Being a public forum you could guarantee that if he posted the location it wouldn't be there the next time he went looking for it. I'm not suggesting that you had any other motive other than curiosity but not everyone is this big old world is as honest as you and I.

 

[DCMatt]

Hey 72chev,

Do a search of towns on the Seward Peninsula and you'll figure it out. Then look at the satellite images 50 miles to the north (can you get ANY farther north?). Lakes, lakes, lakes, and more lakes... Most guys are careful not to publish enough info for others to locate their finds...

Super cool find, but up there, it would take multi-millions to get it out.

BTW - are you from ChevyTalk?

DCMatt
'48 Fleetmaster Townsedan
'52 Styleline Deluxe Station wagon

 

[72chev]

Thanks, temps in the -20's here this weekend, I'll be inside checking it out. (I'll try to pass it off as something productive to keep from honeydoos and housework.) This is all fairly new to me and I'm having fun.

As far as the 72chev, It's my Custom 10 Deluxe 4x4 that Dad ordered new way back, and my 8yr old daughter and I use for deer hunting. ---It's the only screen name I could think of that I would actually remember to sign in with.

One of my next tasks is to figure out how to put one of those snazzy pics under my name like the rest of you guys (and gals).

 

[Monty]

Google the Confederate Air Force and contact them. They have several very wealthy members and would probably finance the recovery. Let us know, very interesting! monty

 

[texan connection]

Wow I am only reponding cause that is to cool, and by responding I will be notified when there is more post, I am very courious to hear more. It will and should be salvaged, I believe the confederate Air force is the ticket.

 

[arkhunter]

hey great find.......hope to talk with you about it sometime...the salvage may not be as hard as one may first think.....will chat in private some time....john in arkansas

 

[Shortstack]

There's supposed to be a P-38 sitting on the bottom of a lake in Oklahoma. It's said that it was ditched during WW-2. Seems like I read about it in a back issue of the state historical quarterly pub. But, can't be sure cause I've read through A LOT of material on OK history while stationed a Tinker AFB--then I retired. so to speak. Anyway, I live in another state now.

 

[Monty]

I have lived in OK all of my life and nearly all the lakes of any size are manmade. I can't think of a lake that would have been existing of any size before , during or just after WWII that would make it difficult to find a P-38. Any other information? Monty

 

[warsawdaddy]

When did 'Texoma' come about,Monty?

 

[AOSDC]

There's a private collector of planes that I saw on TV. Some millionaire has alot of planes. During a hurricane in FL his museum / hanger building got damaged, dont know if planes were also damaged. I can't remember who the guy was but maybe somebody on here can point you in the right direction. I bet he would pull that plane from the lake.

 

[stoney56]

I believe Denison Dam was completed in 1944.

 

[Monty]

Hmmm, now that is a possibility, that's about the oldest manmade lake I can think of, that being older than the Grand Lake of the Cherokees completed sometime in the 50s. Stoney, was that a Texas or Oklahoma project? I know it was probably actually federal, but one state or the other had to initiate it. Monty.