canyonair
Registered: 11/29/06
Posts: 258
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theronmoon
Registered: 01/05/08
Posts: 256
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| #2 |
Awesome pictures, thanks for sharing.
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nojoy
Registered: 01/28/08
Posts: 11
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| #3 |
Is this the site west of Shea road ??? Almost to the swansee turn off ???
If it is I know that school teachers that have taken their classes to the site and that it has been really picked over. I have a friend that has lived in Parker and the surrounding area for over fifty years. I will talk to him and see what he knows.
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canyonair
Registered: 11/29/06
Posts: 258
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| #4 |
I had to pull up my map software on the roads out there, but yes that's the place just off Shea Road and close to the CAP Canal.
I located it when I was flying cargo from Phoenix into Parker during 1988. I was decending to land, I looked down and there was this tail section laying on a hillside. A couple years later drove out there to check it out. Defintely would like to know the story behind the metal.
Too bad its getting picked over by the locals. Its very easy to get to and its only a matter of time before its gone or totally vandalized. Unless of course that's already happened.
Mike
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Research of historical civil and commercial aviation accidents and sites (1920s-1990s). http://www.lostflights.org |
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TreyB
Registered: 01/26/07
Posts: 96
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| #5 |
Mike-
RF-4 Buno# 153098 crashed 22 Oct 75. Here is a brief synopsis-
The aircraft had just finished a photo mission as it approached Parker, AZ at 12,000 feet to pick up the IFR and head back to El Toro. While at 300 knots, "the pilot for unknown reasons decided to perform three consecutive hard turns while maintaining level flight throughout each turn. Failure of the pilot to recognize the low airspeed, high angle of attack situation, coupled with an attempt to place the aircraft in a high angle of bank by a series of reverse turns led to the departure of controlled flight."
The pilot stated to the NFO that the aircraft had departed and as they dropped through 5,000 feet the pilot said to "punch out." The NFO landed 150 feet from the aircraft while the pilot was killed as he impacted the ground before the seat-man separation.
Hope this helps.
Trey
http://www.fadedcontrails.com
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ChrisBaird
Registered: 11/29/06
Posts: 337
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| #6 |
Mike,
I have the report on that one if you need it...
The site does look different now. Picked over and vandalized. The tail cone and elevators are gone. I cant remember if the tailhook was gone too. See attached, photo of the actual plane I got off the net. Matches your photos of the rudder. The wreck is now overpainted a god-awful brown so it will blend in with the mountain
--> Chris Baird
http://www.arizonawrecks.com
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AAIR
Registered: 12/02/06
Posts: 239
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| #7 |
I remember looking for this site after having Mike tell me about it. Mike pointed it out on the map and said it stuck out like a sore thumb and was easily seen from the road. I drove up and down the area numerous times without seeing it (incorrectly cursing Mike!). Finally noticed an old bulldozed road going to nowhere on the hill. Hiked over and found the tail-- it had been painted that brown to match the hill between the time Mike was there and when I looked for it.
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Craig
AAIR, Aviation Archaeological Investigation and Research
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canyonair
Registered: 11/29/06
Posts: 258
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| #8 |
Thanks guys for your help IDing this wreck. I wonder why it was painted brown and who done it. I have heard of marking known wrecks with X's but having them match terrain is new to me. It's also disappointing to hear that its been vandalized too.
I have always wondered what the "RF" and the circle of stars stood for on the vertical stabilizer?
Trey, thank you for the accident summary. That's pretty crazy that a series of turns would send him spiraling out of the sky. He must have done something really abrupt to cause such instability.
Craig, there has been a couple wrecks I found from the air in that same time period when I didn't have a GPS or LORAN to pinpoint it exactly. Its been very frustrating as I am now having to go back and fly over these areas to re-locate the sites. Of course painting bright silver metal dirt brown can't help matters.
Chris, a copy or scan of the report would be great to have on file. When I was at the site I don't remember seeing the tailhook. That was probably the very first item that was removed from the site.
__________________
Research of historical civil and commercial aviation accidents and sites (1920s-1990s). http://www.lostflights.org |
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ChrisBaird
Registered: 11/29/06
Posts: 337
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| #9 |
Mike,
I think "RF" was the tail code for VMFP-3 out of El Toro?? The circle of stars was probably for the Bicentennial paint scheme it had??
See attached photo of how the rudder looked about 2-3 years ago. Brown paint which has faded to an umber color. It has a lot of graffiti etched into it. The usual stuff like "Joanie loves Chachi" or whatever. They obviously dont know that Lt Bach was killed right there.
It's very hard to see from the road now, we spotted it with binoculars only (from Shea Rd). Loads of parts have been carried down to the bulldozed road and are in a big pile, I dont know why. Also, the bulldozed road has been blocked off by steel poles, so you can only get up there on foot or with a quad/motorcycle.
A Parker local pointed us to the site and said the Navy had painted it brown, but I dont know if that is true. I doubt it.
We went to the top of the peak looking for more wreckage and signs of where the one pilot landed or ejected or something like that. There were one or two really big, built-up rock kearns but no crosses or flags or anything in them. And no wreckage up top either.
--> Chris B.
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riverratmike
Registered: 10/27/09
Posts: 3
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| #10 |
I just visited the crash site outside of Parker on Sunday Oct 25th 2009. The F4 is still up there but now has green paint on it and is very very hard to spot from a short distance. I took some photos. Anyone with old photos of this F4 crash please let me know. I'm in desporate need to them. Thanks |
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riverratmike
Registered: 10/27/09
Posts: 3
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canyonair
Registered: 11/29/06
Posts: 258
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| #12 |
I am sure glad I visited and photographed the site when I did. The tail section keeps getting torn apart by vandals and repainted different camo colors. Not much in the way of historical site protection from the BLM. Thanks Mike for providing a current look at this site.
Mike
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Research of historical civil and commercial aviation accidents and sites (1920s-1990s). http://www.lostflights.org |
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riverratmike
Registered: 10/27/09
Posts: 3
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| #13 |
Sure Mike,
I'm planning on doing another ride up to the crash site on Sunday. Let me know if you need a updated particular photo or anything.
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theronmoon
Registered: 01/05/08
Posts: 256
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| #14 |
Thanks to everyone here sharing the pictures. Its extremely interesting to see how this site has evolved (de-evolved), though scary from a preservation standpoint.
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