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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:05:48 PM EDT
Well, it's a 30-40yr old plane crash, but cool and interesting none the less. I went hiking back in the Laurel Fork South Wilderness, here in the Monongahela National Forest of WV. I live about 3 mountain ranges to the east of here, and I had never heard of a plane going down here in this area (although it did crash years before I was born) I found the location while browsing on google earth, and sure enough the location was spot on. It was about 150yds up a holler off the trial I was hiking in a dry creek......
And upon closer inspection, I figured out it was a US Air Force plane........looks like a faded AF on the last pic of the wing... 
I have no clue about what kinda plane this is, if the pilot survived (although the old cross on the tail section makes me wonder....) or even when this thing went down. I guess It's no secret where it's at, considering all the names, initial, and dates all over the wing and tail section. From the dates I read on the wing, I'm guessing the 1960's as the earliest date i saw I think was 64'. I really hope the pilot got out, ejected or something, because there is no way in the tree cover, and steepness of the terrain this is in, you could not survive the crash. There were no evidence in the trees of how or what direction it come down in (I guess though 30-40yrs tress grow back...) but all the parts were within a 50yd area. My guess is it is some kind prop driven plane, as the wings are not swept, and obviously the Military removed what ever was vital (Cockpit, Engines,Electronics) and I guess the small pieces were carried off by 30-40yrs of hikers and hunters.... The tail section kinda throws me for a loop, as I don't know of many that have the little vertical stabilizers on the end.... I investigated more thinking the tail was upside down, but I found the word "LIFT" on the fuselage and it was right side up, see in the pic. 
ARFCOM, if any of you experts out there, can get me some more info on what kinda plane this is, or if you have hiked this, or know anything about the crash, IM me, or post in the thread, I want to know what happened to this thing all those years ago.... Here's some more of the crash..... 
Oh yeah, and I added my initials to the wing too 
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:07:00 PM EDT
[#1]
They'll be with you shortly.
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:07:27 PM EDT
[#2]
Interesting.
I wonder if the Air Force knows it is there?
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:07:27 PM EDT
[#3]
Very cool.
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:08:15 PM EDT
[#4]
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:08:51 PM EDT
[#5]
Quoted:
Interesting. I wonder if the Air Force knows it is there? after 30-40yrs of hikers and hunters, I'd hope so..... Plus it's about a 1.5mi down over a steep mountain from a FS road...... |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:09:09 PM EDT
[#6]
It should have a number on it, repeated on several places.
What is it? |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:09:34 PM EDT
[#7]
Wow, that's cool as hell. I mean, not cool that a plane crashed but that you can hike to the wreckage.
Did you find some bags of reefer in the hull? If so, share them with your sexy hiking partner who's a romance author. |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:09:51 PM EDT
[#8]
 . |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:10:26 PM EDT
[#9]
Quoted:
It should have a number on it, repeated on several places. What is it? As in like a flight number?? I have no clue. Stuff was scattered and tore all to hell. I did read what looked like was small hand writing on the tail section..... |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:11:20 PM EDT
[#10]
Looks like some sort of target drone?
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:11:31 PM EDT
[#11]
Quoted:
Wow, that's cool as hell. I mean, not cool that a plane crashed but that you can hike to the wreckage. Did you find some bags of reefer in the hull? If so, share them with your sexy hiking partner who's a romance author. Ummm, no reefer, and I went by myself.... 
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:11:33 PM EDT
[#12]
It was about 150yds up a holler off the trial I was hiking in a dry creek...... 
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:12:15 PM EDT
[#13]
Quoted: Quoted: It should have a number on it, repeated on several places. What is it? As in like a flight number?? I have no clue. Stuff was scattered and tore all to hell. I did read what looked like was small hand writing on the tail section..... Either a frame number or an N number of some type. |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:12:22 PM EDT
[#14]
So did you grab a souvenir to add to this thread?
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:12:30 PM EDT
[#15]
Quoted:
Looks like some sort of target drone? If so, why would it be in the middle of the national forest?? |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:12:32 PM EDT
[#16]
B25?
It looks like the tail feathers have the stabilizers at the ends instead of one in the middle. |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:12:35 PM EDT
[#17]
B25?
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:13:32 PM EDT
[#18]
Makes me think of the B-24 that crashed in 1943 on Sharp Top Mountain near Bedford, VA. A lot of the wreckage is still there if you know where to look.
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:13:33 PM EDT
[#19]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
It should have a number on it, repeated on several places. What is it? As in like a flight number?? I have no clue. Stuff was scattered and tore all to hell. I did read what looked like was small hand writing on the tail section..... Either a frame number or an N number of some type. I didn't write anything down, if I make another trip to it next year or so, I'll look it over closer... |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:13:40 PM EDT
[#20]
If you can find the tail number, you can probably look it up and get the details.
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:13:57 PM EDT
[#21]
Quoted:
It was about 150yds up a holler off the trial I was hiking in a dry creek...... Lemmie guess you live up north some where? |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:14:22 PM EDT
[#22]
awesome JNK! That's really cool!
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:14:36 PM EDT
[#23]
Quoted: It should have a number on it, repeated on several places. What is it? 4 8 15 16 23 42 |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:15:01 PM EDT
[#24]
Looks like an Aircoupe/Ercoupe.
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:15:03 PM EDT
[#25]
Quoted:
Makes me think of the B-24 that crashed in 1943 on Sharp Top Mountain near Bedford, VA. A lot of the wreckage is still there if you know where to look. I thought this too, but the tail is too small for that, didn't they have a tail gun on them??? Plus, no where near enough wreckage, wings too small don't add up.... |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:15:24 PM EDT
[#26]
Quoted:
It was about 150yds up a holler off the trial I was hiking in a dry creek...... West Virginia.............................need he say anymore?
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:15:59 PM EDT
[#27]
Quoted: It was about 150yds up a holler off the trial I was hiking in a dry creek...... What, you from New York or something? |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:16:00 PM EDT
[#28]
Quoted:
Quoted:
It was about 150yds up a holler off the trial I was hiking in a dry creek...... Lemmie guess you live up north some where? Damn it, I live in WV give me a break on english
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:16:12 PM EDT
[#29]
Quoted:
Quoted:
It was about 150yds up a holler off the trial I was hiking in a dry creek...... Lemmie guess you live up north some where? Out West somewhere. |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:17:12 PM EDT
[#30]
Quoted:
Looks like an Aircoupe/Ercoupe. According to wikipedia (yeah, I know) only 3 were ever used by the military |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:17:25 PM EDT
[#31]
That's pretty cool
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:18:37 PM EDT
[#32]
Drone
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:18:59 PM EDT
[#33]
Quoted:
Looks like an Aircoupe/Ercoupe. That looks like a winner!!!!!! The tail matches up, the wings seem to look right, and the laeding edges of the wings did have some sort of rubber on them like in the pic I found here..... 
Did the Air Force have any of these?????? |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:19:05 PM EDT
[#34]
Those are some amazing pics! Its crazy to walk up on something like that in the woods. Its like taking a trip back in time
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:20:13 PM EDT
[#35]
That's awesome. Most we ever find is an old shack or old car when we are hiking down in Kentucky. That is a sweet find!
Thanks for sharing! |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:20:14 PM EDT
[#36]
from the shape of that tail...maybe a Ventura
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Ventura |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:20:59 PM EDT
[#37]
A C-47 carrying documents went down on the mountain I used to hunt on about 60 miles west of DC in WW-2. I was told the military blocked off the roads into the area and brought out the bodies and the document boxes as well as some of the aircraft parts like both engines. They just left the rest of it. As of 10 years ago you could still go up there and sit in the cockpit seats.
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:21:19 PM EDT
[#38]
Quoted: B25? It looks like the tail feathers have the stabilizers at the ends instead of one in the middle. Beech small craft have those tails too...and several were used for observation planes over the years.  That'd be my guess, some sort of small observation craft. |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:22:09 PM EDT
[#39]
Quoted:
B25? It looks like the tail feathers have the stabilizers at the ends instead of one in the middle. I was going to say an OV-1 Mohawk |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:22:24 PM EDT
[#40]
Quoted: Quoted: Looks like some sort of target drone? If so, why would it be in the middle of the national forest?? If i remember correctly Dolly Sods was used as a target range but I think that was for artillery but I am sure this might be some sort of spillover from that. I am not sure at what point in history that was done but you will see signs warning of unexploded ordinance and in the official trail guide there are some warnings. By the way I love the country down there of all the different places to backpack in the area that my wife and I tried we always ended up going back there. For us the big draws were always Dolly Sods and Otter Creek. |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:22:24 PM EDT
[#41]
Don't think it's a B-24 or B-25. They had tail gunners.
OV-1? The way the elevators are tipped up makes me think Mohawk. |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:23:44 PM EDT
[#42]
Quoted: Quoted: Looks like an Aircoupe/Ercoupe. That looks like a winner!!!!!! The tail matches up, the wings seem to look right, and the laeding edges of the wings did have some sort of rubber on them like in the pic I found here..... http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/COREL_360039.png/800px-COREL_360039.png Did the Air Force have any of these?????? Where's N_T now that we Really need him   |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:24:07 PM EDT
[#43]
Quoted:
B25? It looks like the tail feathers have the stabilizers at the ends instead of one in the middle. Too small. B-25s had tail gunners or observation "blisters" at the tail as well. |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:25:41 PM EDT
[#44]
You might email this guy I was kind of surprised it wasn't in his database. http://www.check-six.com/
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:25:46 PM EDT
[#45]
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:26:42 PM EDT
[#46]
Quoted:
Don't think it's a B-24 or B-25. They had tail gunners. OV-1? The way the elevators are tipped up makes me think Mohawk. Tail not right, this plane had no vertical stabilizer.... I'm with swingset, I'm thinking a small light observation plane... |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:26:42 PM EDT
[#47]
Quoted:
Quoted:
B25? It looks like the tail feathers have the stabilizers at the ends instead of one in the middle. Too small. B-25s had tail gunners or observation "blisters" at the tail as well. Yeah, I went back and looked, def. not a B25. |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:27:10 PM EDT
[#48]
It could have been a WV Air Guard plane...you might want to contact them and ask about it.
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:27:48 PM EDT
[#49]
That's pretty cool. There's a lot of money there in scrap. Bring your sawzall with you next time and start packing it out |
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Posted: 9/19/2010 3:28:10 PM EDT
[#50]
I was thinking it was a Hudson perhaps.
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