HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
This aircraft accident site was discovered during 1997 while searching Southern Nevada's Charleston Mountain Range for a Beechcraft AT-11 that crashed during World War 2.
When we found this wreck, we thought we found the AT-11. The next day we hiked to our "AT-11" only to find it was this Piper Tri-Pacer! Nevertheless, still a sad and unfortunate end to this pilot's flight.
This aircraft accident site was discovered during 1997 while searching Southern Nevada's Charleston Mountain Range for a Beechcraft AT-11 that crashed during World War 2.
When we found this wreck, we thought we found the AT-11. The next day we hiked to our "AT-11" only to find it was this Piper Tri-Pacer! Nevertheless, still a sad and unfortunate end to this pilot's flight.
Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer.
Over 8000 Tri-Pacers were produced between 1953 and 1960 when production ended, with over 2000 still registered with the FAA in 2006.
Over 8000 Tri-Pacers were produced between 1953 and 1960 when production ended, with over 2000 still registered with the FAA in 2006.
Myself, Craig Fuller, and Doug Scroggins found the wreck as we searched the rugged western slopes of Mount Charleston in southern Nevada.
I circled the site with my Cessna R172K while Craig and Doug established our position using maps and a GPS receiver.
The wreck did not quite look like an AT-11 from the air. Basically, not enough wreckage for what a crashed AT-11 would leave behind. We decided it was worth a closer look anyway.
The next day we drove out to the area of the site near the town of Pahrump. The trip up to the site took an hour or so of hiking. It became obvious real soon that this was not a World War 2 vintage aircraft.
It was an ugly mangled wreck of a plane and it looked like it came down very steep and very hard. The wreckage was contained in a relatively small area suggesting the pilot lost control
The twisted remains of a pilot seat.
The engine crankshaft.
Foward right cowl fragment with the name "PIPER".
The propeller was just slightly bent considering the damage to the rest of the aircraft.
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