I found a P51 Mustang

Nugget Hog · Jan 24, 2007

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

rcawdor57 · Jul 20, 2007

Wow! I read through the entire thread and am amazed at what lies nearby. I lived in Plant City until February of this year and drove on I-4 and Hwy. 92 thousands of times to and from work in Tampa. Just thinking of all the times I passed by the B26 site and never knew it was there. Back in the late 90's I lived in Silverdale, Washington and hiked and camped in the Olympic Mountains on the Olympic Peninsula every weekend. Well, up in the Olympic Mountains there is a crashed bomber (can't remember exactly what model) site that is on a hiking trail. The information about the crash is very public and is printed in hiking books about the Pacific Northwest. If I remember correctly most of the men survived the crash which was back in the 50's. Not much is left there but the main fuselage is there and the engines were there the last time I saw it in 1999. Also one of the landing gear is still there with the wheel still attached. Interestingly enough the site it crashed on is an old mining camp from around 1910 or so and the remains of that shanty town are within yards of the crashed bomber. The trail that leads to the crash site and the shanty town is a side trail from the main trail and if you look closely as you hike you will see several tunnels carved into solid rock as they searched for

Copper

or other metals around 1910 or so. Continuing on down the main trail there is an old mine shaft about fifty feet up on the side of a mountain with a huge pile of tailings. Climbing up to the horizontal shaft is not difficult and once there you will find crystal clear, ice cold water flowing from inside the shaft. There is an old mine car track that runs into the shaft and thumb sized, furry bats abound around the entrance to the shaft. Wear water proof boots that go up to your knees and take a few flashlights with you if you decide to enter. The shaft goes back a long way (can't remember but I think it is 2600 feet??) and then makes a T turn to the left and right. You can hear the roar of water flowing from a fissure or rupture in the shaft way back and it gets scary. Unfortunately all of this is in the National Forest or National Park so I guess it is off limits to metal detectors but it is still a very worthwhile hike. The parking area for the trailhead is about two or so miles from the crashed bomber and is relatively a flat hike all the way. On another note there are many places in the Olympic Mountains of historical significance. There is an old hotel site in the mountains that is only accessible by foot which would be an excellent place to hunt for coins, jewelry, etc. The hotel burned down in the 40's or 50's? John Wayne and other actors of the time frequented the hotel. Heck, there is even a marina in the Olympic Mountains named "John Wayne Marina". Again my memory is not very precise but I have been there too and not one soul was there but me since it is quite a walk to get there. I do know it is in the hiking books but most people don't go there due to the hardiness required of the individual. I found an unopened bottle of Perrier water in the winter by a hot spring in the snow which dated back to when the water was imported in the original Perrier bottles. I am guessing it was from the 60's but I am not sure. I gave it to a friend who cleaned it up and put it on a window shelf next to her flowers. Anyway, sorry for the long post but you guys and gal(s) brought back some good memories!

RCawdor

olegator · Sep 27, 2007

rcawdor57 said:
Wow! I read through the entire thread and am amazed at what lies nearby. I lived in Plant City until February of this year and drove on I-4 and Hwy. 92 thousands of times to and from work in Tampa. Just thinking of all the times I passed by the B26 site and never knew it was there. Back in the late 90's I lived in Silverdale, Washington and hiked and camped in the Olympic Mountains on the Olympic Peninsula every weekend. Well, up in the Olympic Mountains there is a crashed bomber (can't remember exactly what model) site that is on a hiking trail. The information about the crash is very public and is printed in hiking books about the Pacific Northwest. If I remember correctly most of the men survived the crash which was back in the 50's. Not much is left there but the main fuselage is there and the engines were there the last time I saw it in 1999. Also one of the landing gear is still there with the wheel still attached. Interestingly enough the site it crashed on is an old mining camp from around 1910 or so and the remains of that shanty town are within yards of the crashed bomber. The trail that leads to the crash site and the shanty town is a side trail from the main trail and if you look closely as you hike you will see several tunnels carved into solid rock as they searched for Copper or other metals around 1910 or so. Continuing on down the main trail there is an old mine shaft about fifty feet up on the side of a mountain with a huge pile of tailings. Climbing up to the horizontal shaft is not difficult and once there you will find crystal clear, ice cold water flowing from inside the shaft. There is an old mine car track that runs into the shaft and thumb sized, furry bats abound around the entrance to the shaft. Wear water proof boots that go up to your knees and take a few flashlights with you if you decide to enter. The shaft goes back a long way (can't remember but I think it is 2600 feet??) and then makes a T turn to the left and right. You can hear the roar of water flowing from a fissure or rupture in the shaft way back and it gets scary. Unfortunately all of this is in the National Forest or National Park so I guess it is off limits to metal detectors but it is still a very worthwhile hike. The parking area for the trailhead is about two or so miles from the crashed bomber and is relatively a flat hike all the way. On another note there are many places in the Olympic Mountains of historical significance. There is an old hotel site in the mountains that is only accessible by foot which would be an excellent place to hunt for coins, jewelry, etc. The hotel burned down in the 40's or 50's? John Wayne and other actors of the time frequented the hotel. Heck, there is even a marina in the Olympic Mountains named "John Wayne Marina". Again my memory is not very precise but I have been there too and not one soul was there but me since it is quite a walk to get there. I do know it is in the hiking books but most people don't go there due to the hardiness required of the individual. I found an unopened bottle of Perrier water in the winter by a hot spring in the snow which dated back to when the water was imported in the original Perrier bottles. I am guessing it was from the 60's but I am not sure. I gave it to a friend who cleaned it up and put it on a window shelf next to her flowers. Anyway, sorry for the long post but you guys and gal(s) brought back some good memories!

RCawdor

Postalrevnant · Sep 28, 2007

Great find congratulations.

A fairly rich family from my hometown recovered an old aircraft from deep in the ice about 8-10 years ago. They got it running and it was a big deal around here. It made the history channel and several papers for a long while. I understand however that the undertaking took a great deal of money and time. But in the end the guy who did it recieved the fame he was looking for, so I guess it was well worth it to him. Just within this last year the plane was donated to a museum. It was a local display and they set up a small museum here dedicated to it. But with this being a small town with no other sites of real interest other than the Cumberland Gap National Park they did not get the visitors they thought they would, so they ended up giving up the aircraft since I think they figured out they would never made the money back they spent recovering it and it was still costing a bit of money in electricity etc..

That is all I can pass on to you about the experience from the guy here who recovered one. I don't know if that will have any effect on your decision, but hope it gives you something to investigate.

The aircraft recovered was here in Middlesboro, Kentucky for awhile until they just donated it. Perhaps you can find out information about it on the internet. I think the guys name who got it was Shoffner.

Good luck and great find,

Postalrevnant

Nugget Hog · Oct 17, 2007

That B-26 in Plant City is probably around 30 miles from my house. Don't you think that you could still be able to smell fuel if you got close enough to it? Maybe I'll poke around the area someday.
I'm heading to Ecuador next week to do some gold mining and to find what I think is an old Incan city. This is in a very remote part of Ecuador that no one really goes into. Right in the middle of active volcanoes and earthquakes. Just the way I like it. lol
I may go to Alaska next summer for some gold mining and check on the plane. Not sure yet. Depends on how this trip goes.

James

West Jersey Detecting · Oct 18, 2007

I am in a suburb of Philly, not far from the famous NJ Pine Barrens (home of the legendary Jersey Devil). I love heading out to the remote parts.

A few of the more famous places are known for the crash of aircraft. One is the site of Emilio Carranza, a Mexican mercenary who crashed on a flight from NY to Mexico in the 1920's. There is a monument at the site, and every year on the anniversary of the crash, officials from Mexico come to this remote section of NJ for a memorial service.

the other, lesser known site is a military jet that went down in the early 1960's. There is still wreckage from the crash strewn about, including the landing gear pictured.

There are plenty of crash sites out there, and if my memory serves me correctly, one of the best metal detecting stories I have ever read is from a crash site and is featured somewhere on the TNet forum.

aaron7 · Oct 26, 2007

Strange... doesn't the FAA usually clear out all debris? Finding a large part of an aircraft in the woods is weird!

sphillips · Jan 13, 2008

The FAA doesnt get involved with military aircraft wrecks.

TXDIRTFISHER · Jan 14, 2008

You can buy a P51 for a cool million or so. It would take that or more to recover that aircraft.

gotreasurehunting · Jan 14, 2008

That's amazing. I never even dreamed of finding something like that. Must have been quite the shock.

WilliamBoyd · Jan 16, 2008

I used to do a lot of backpacking and climbing in the California Sierra Nevada and would
occasionally come across parts of an airplane.

A Sierra Club leader who lived in the area told me that there were over 900 airplane
wrecks in the Sierra alone, and that was in 1980.

I have done a little hiking in the Las Vegas Nevada area and have seen two plane wrecks,
one nearly on top of Mt. Charleston and one nearby (not the Carole Lombard crash).

imafishingnutt · Jan 19, 2008

Thought this might help some of the younger generation know what your talking about besides a plane

The North American P-51 Mustang is a legendary plane, as much as the Spitfire or the Bf-109. No other combat aircraft of the war could go as far and fly as high as the Mustang. No wonder it was used to escort bombers over Germany and clear the skies of Luftwaffe airplanes.

Germany was far, too far for the Allied interceptors that had to go back too early, leaving the bombers to the Luftwaffe aircrafts. In 1944, the introduction
of the P-51 was a huge relief for the crews of Allied bombers. Very fast, with excellent handling and armament, the Mustang outclassed most German and Japanese airplanes, except the Focke-Wulf Fw-190D as a fighter interceptor (with its jet engines, the Messerschmidt 262 was a technical marvel ahead of its time, but still needed to be tested – many of them were shot down by P-51 Mustang pilots).
With the B-29 and the F4U Corsair, the P-51 is certainly one of the greatest United States' technical achievements of the Second World War and one of the best piston engine figther aircraft ever designed. It will be remembered as the airplane that allowed the Allied Forces to penetrate deep into Germany skies without being overwhelmed by enemy fighter aircrafts.

Type:
Fighter

Powerplant:
Rolls Royce (Packard) Merlin V-1650

Max speed:
437 mph (703 km/hr)

Ceiling:
41900 ft (12770 m)

Range:
1000 miles (1610 km)

Weight (empty):
7000 lbs (3175 kg)

Max. T/O:
12100 lbs (5487 kg)

Wingspan:
37' (11.30 m)

Length:
32' 3" (9.80 m)

Height:
13' 8" (4.17 m)

Armament:
Six .50-cal. machine guns

Ken from Atlanta · Feb 4, 2008

rcawdor57 said:
Wow! I read through the entire thread and am amazed at what lies nearby. I lived in Plant City until February of this year and drove on I-4 and Hwy. 92 thousands of times to and from work in Tampa. Just thinking of all the times I passed by the B26 site and never knew it was there. Back in the late 90's I lived in Silverdale, Washington and hiked and camped in the Olympic Mountains on the Olympic Peninsula every weekend. Well, up in the Olympic Mountains there is a crashed bomber (can't remember exactly what model) site that is on a hiking trail. The information about the crash is very public and is printed in hiking books about the Pacific Northwest. If I remember correctly most of the men survived the crash which was back in the 50's. Not much is left there but the main fuselage is there and the engines were there the last time I saw it in 1999. Also one of the landing gear is still there with the wheel still attached. Interestingly enough the site it crashed on is an old mining camp from around 1910 or so and the remains of that shanty town are within yards of the crashed bomber. The trail that leads to the crash site and the shanty town is a side trail from the main trail and if you look closely as you hike you will see several tunnels carved into solid rock as they searched for Copper or other metals around 1910 or so. Continuing on down the main trail there is an old mine shaft about fifty feet up on the side of a mountain with a huge pile of tailings. Climbing up to the horizontal shaft is not difficult and once there you will find crystal clear, ice cold water flowing from inside the shaft. There is an old mine car track that runs into the shaft and thumb sized, furry bats abound around the entrance to the shaft. Wear water proof boots that go up to your knees and take a few flashlights with you if you decide to enter. The shaft goes back a long way (can't remember but I think it is 2600 feet??) and then makes a T turn to the left and right. You can hear the roar of water flowing from a fissure or rupture in the shaft way back and it gets scary. Unfortunately all of this is in the National Forest or National Park so I guess it is off limits to metal detectors but it is still a very worthwhile hike. The parking area for the trailhead is about two or so miles from the crashed bomber and is relatively a flat hike all the way. On another note there are many places in the Olympic Mountains of historical significance. There is an old hotel site in the mountains that is only accessible by foot which would be an excellent place to hunt for coins, jewelry, etc. The hotel burned down in the 40's or 50's? John Wayne and other actors of the time frequented the hotel. Heck, there is even a marina in the Olympic Mountains named "John Wayne Marina". Again my memory is not very precise but I have been there too and not one soul was there but me since it is quite a walk to get there. I do know it is in the hiking books but most people don't go there due to the hardiness required of the individual. I found an unopened bottle of Perrier water in the winter by a hot spring in the snow which dated back to when the water was imported in the original Perrier bottles. I am guessing it was from the 60's but I am not sure. I gave it to a friend who cleaned it up and put it on a window shelf next to her flowers. Anyway, sorry for the long post but you guys and gal(s) brought back some good memories!

RCawdor

You wouldn't happen to be talking about the B-17 in the Tull Canyon area would you? I would love to get out there and have a look at it, although I hear it's been pillaged pretty well over the years I've seen some really interesting photos of the wreck on this page: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM2QXW

bell47 · Feb 15, 2008

Hey, I'll voluneer for this one! I'm a diver(rescue diver certified with nitrox, and commercial scallop diver in Maine), airplane mechanic/inspector(A&P/IA), and pilot(ATP). Maybe, I could be of some assitance getting it up and out. I dive every week in water less than 40 degree's. Tell me when and where, I'll be there. For no cost to anyone. I would just like to be a part of something like this. Hopefully your divers have some airplane knowledge so they don't tear it up getting it up and out. PM me if you need a hand. Bell47

billn1956 · Nov 6, 2010

Yea,the Goverment would love for you to do it to! Once you got it up and out of there you would be told thank you, as they led you off to jail.Get the goverment to give it to you first,,Wont happen.Read up on some of the birds that have been found and see what happened to the ones that didnt do it right.