G. Pat Macha - Historic Aircraft Wrecks of San Bernardino County

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2013 by G. Pat Macha

All rights reserved

Front cover: Lockheed Model 12 that crashed on Teifort Mountain on December 16, 1961, killing two men on board. Courtesy Bob Koch.

First published 2013

e-book edition 2013

ISBN 978.1.62584.090.5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Macha, Gary Patric.

Historic aircraft wrecks of San Bernardino County / G. Pat Macha.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references.

print edition ISBN 978-1-62619-012-2 (paperback)

1. Aircraft accidents--California--San Bernardino County--History. 2. Airplanes, Military--Accidents--California--San Bernardino County--History. 3. San Bernardino County (Calif.)--History. 4. San Bernardino County (Calif.)--History, Military. I. Title.

TL553.525.C2M22 2013

363.1240979495--dc23

2013035209

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

To those who lost their lives while in military service on behalf of our nation and those who were aerial first responders lost on search-and-rescue, firefighting and law enforcement missions in San Bernardino County, California.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

I first met Pat Macha in the fall of 2007 while researching a certain airplane crash in central California. His name popped up on a Google search when I typed in the words aircraft wreck expert.

Boy, what an understatement!

I found out he lived just up the coast from me, so I cold-called him and told him about my project. He invited me to his home to discuss research. When I entered his garage, the spirit of the place overcame me. It was walled with file cabinets, maps and black binders representing literally thousands of detailed files, including one he happened to have on the topic of my research. Indeed, Machas data is so organized and expansive, flight museums have vied for him to will the data to them in the event of his death. Machawho is sometimes called an aircraft archaeologist due to his uncanny ability to piece together the history of a long-forgotten or rediscovered crash site from just a few seemingly insignificant pieces of wreckagewill tell you hes just a retired high school history teacher who has a lifelong fascination with aviation; but in the seven years hes guided me to various crash sites in California, Ive come to describe him as the Indiana Jones of wreck hunters.

Hes also a dedicated husband, father and grandfather who is emotionally attached to every story youll read in this book. He has traveled to every piece of aircraft aluminum he mentions to deliver to you this historical treasure-trove of information. Pat has masterfully outlined the important role San Bernardino County had in aerospace history by weaving together the historical context of both the civilian and military aviation accidents that have occurred there.

Pats first order of business whenever he visits a military crash site is to place a small American flag in the grounda gesture of respect to those who lost their lives in the service of our country. Ive stood beside Pat while he described to me with amazing detail why a certain plane went down, and almost every time he has done so, his eyes have welled up with tears. He often has photographs of the pilots, crew or passengers, which he logs in order to keep on hand in case a relative of one of the deceased ever wants to visit the location where a loved one lost his or her life. Pat and a tightknit group of fellow wreck hunters provide this service whenever requested. They call themselves Project Remembrance, and having been to a crash site at which Pat guided the son of a pilot who had been killed decades earlier to his fathers final resting place, I can attest it was an emotionally charged moment of peace and closure when Pat guided him to what remained of the cockpit.

Through these compelling human-interest stories, Pat has raised my awareness of the historic importance of veteran and vintage crash sites and the need to respect and preserve them in not only this countys but also our countrys rugged wilderness areas.

Because of Pat, I will never drive down a highway and look at the passing scenerythe mountains or deserts or just a brush-swept hillsidethe same way. These places hold the remains of aviation history, and without people like Pat, wed just keep on driving and never pause to reflect or pay our respects.

Eric Blehm

New York Times bestselling author of Fearless, The Last Season

and The Only Thing Worth Dying For

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book would not have been possible without the help and encouragement of many individuals and organizations. They will be listed in chronological order starting from when I began researching and looking for aircraft wrecks in San Bernardino County.

196373: Fred Beam, Civil Aeronautics Board accident investigator; Inspector Willard Farquhar (RIP), San Bernardino Sheriffs Department; Lennox High School Lancers Bill Finkbeiner (RIP), Dan Rico and Dave Herbert; Jerry and Jeffery Boal, United States Forest Rangers at the Barton Flats and Big Bear Lake Stations; James C. Risner (RIP), Camp Conrad director.

197484: Robert Bob Koch (RIP), retired USAF; Gary Salazar family; Major C.L. Burrell and Wyn Selwin, civil air patrol; Jon K. Lawson, David Chichester and Harry Krig; Captain Paul Stebelton, retired USAF and FAA.

198595: Bob Bhrule, civil air patrol; Rich Allison; Francis S. Yarnell; the X-Hunters Peter Merlin and Tony Moore; Jim Rowan; Joel Bishop; Ben Giebeler (RIP); John Zimmerman; Bob Lank; Robert Gates; and Elgin F. Butch Gates, San Bernardino County sheriffs deputy, who knew the eastern Mojave Desert better than anyone Ive ever met. He was enthralled by the Mojaves history and its beauty, too. He shared stories about old plane wrecks he found, and those he was still looking for. Butch passed away on December 30, 2009, and he is sorely missed by all who knew him.

19962013: Don Jordan; John Walker; Tom Gossett (RIP); Bill Gossett; David Van Norman and John Croaker, San Bernardino sheriffs, coroner division; Captain Alan Dow, civil air patrol; Nick Veronico; Trey Brandt; Chris Killian; Jack Suitcase Simpson; Marc McDonald; Lewis Shorb; noted author Eric Blehm; Todd Loiselle; Jeff Corder; Chris LeFave; Ryan Gilmore; Thomas Maloney; David Mihalik; Dennis Richardson; David Lane; Bruce Guberman; Rick Baldridge; Mike Lyons; Jana Churchwell; Tony Accurso and his daughter, Evelyn; Walt Witherspoon; Fred Moore; Tim Baggerly of the Mohave Historical Society; Dave Trimble; Ingrid P. Wicken; Les Salm; Dan Catalano; Craig Fuller, founder of AAIR and provider of countless accident reports and photos; George Petterson, retired National Transportation Safety Board investigator, master pilot and aviation safety educator, without whose help the TB-25N, Bristol Mountains A-4C and Rim of the World Cessna 172 would never have been photographed or visited. Special thanks go to the American Aviation Historical Society for supplying many of the historic photos and to AAHS director Paul Butler for his help. Thanks also are sent to Jerry Roberts, commissioning editor for The History Press, and Ron Funk, webmaster for www.aircraftwrecks.com, who is responsible for scanning and resizing all images used in this book.