Crash site, 31 May, 2006, looking southward (note the smaller diameter trees where the crash occurred).
On May 31st, 2006, after five years of research, my wife and I finally found the crash site of B-17F 42-30762. Special thanks to Nate Alwine for narrowing down the search area. Special thanks also to a man I know only as Jim. We were visiting the Ontonagon County Historical Museum (other sections of this site document that visit), Jim walks in as a patron to the museum and hears us talking with the staff regarding the crash and asks if we've been to the site. At the time, we had not been there yet, and told him we were on our way there. Jim asks us to wait there for a few minutes and leaves. Twenty minutes later, Jim comes back with topo maps and a detailed description of how to get to the site! It is a good thing we ran into Jim, because when we got to the park, neither GPS could get signal due to the extreme tree cover! Jim, if you read this, please email me. I would like to properly acknowledge your help. Thank you!
Wendy and I at Lake of the Clouds Scenic Overlook. Crash site is some 4 miles behind us, over the mountain in the background.
Osgood, Thor and myself resting after finally getting to the crash site. I believe the temp was 90 degrees with 95% humidity that day. I'm not sure, but it has to have been a record for that time of year!
Crash Site, 1985 The following two pictures were taken at the crash site in 1985. These pieces have not been identified on-site by five separate expeditions since then.
Today the wreck is considered an historic artifact and is protected by the state. It is ILLEGAL to remove anything from a State Park. If you visit this site, DO NOT REMOVE ANYTHING!!!! Take only pictures, leave only footprints
Pictures seen here were either taken by myself or Mike Landis
Special thanks to the Yankee Air Museumfor help with parts identification. If you can identify any part not identified or incorrectly identified (I'm not an aviation mechanic!) feel free to email me.
Crash Site, 2006
(Four pages of thumbnails, each click directs you to the top of this page so you have to scroll all the way back down to see new thumbs - I apologize for this annoyance and am working on the problem!)
In May of 2009, I revisited the crash site. This time with a special visitor....Mr. Leonard Rogers, tailgunner from the plane before it crashed in 1944.
In my haste and excitement of finally finding the crash site in 2006, I forgot to provide scale in my debris photos. I was able to rectify that this time around. Most of the pictures in the following gallery are duplicates of 2006 pictures but with a 7" speed-square in them for scale. However, due to the lack of foliage this time, I was able to locate quite a bit more wreck debris.
I was glad to see this addition to the site since my last visit
