Aircraft Crash Sites ? .... California ?

moparguy · Jul 21, 2017

Hello All !

I live in California and there are ( Unfortunately ) many Aircraft accident / Crash

sites. Including private , military & commercial aircraft. A couple I have always

been fascinated with are commercial plane crashes in residential areas. I most

certainly do not want to ever bring back unpleasant memories to anyone. I

would like to determine a way to approach a resident to metal detect their

property mainly in hopes of finding some small piece of an aircraft. Am I just

crazy ? or has anyone else perhaps ? Thought of taking on a detecting project

such as this. Let me know if I'm 'Insane' or just 'macabre' ? Thanks All ! Kevin :?:

AirmetTango · Jul 21, 2017

Definitely a little on the macabre side to me, but I'm probably a bit biased...I'm a corporate pilot for my day job. I've lost too many friends and colleagues to crashes over the years to enjoy that type of hunt

tnsharpshooter · Jul 21, 2017

I have hunted aircraft crash site.
Plane went down in 1932.
Small commuter plane.

I found even found pieces of the lights (plastic red and green) through incidental digging of the ferrous and nonferrous.

I need to go back this winter and hunt some more.

Do plan on tuning some of the finds over to the county's history sodiety for placement in museum.
They don't have a thing currently except newspaper article about the crash.

Cheers

Tom_in_CA · Jul 21, 2017

I hunted the location of a WWII trainer plane that had crashed near Watsonville, CA during WWII. The location is now only furroughed ag. land. Some military historian had contacted a friend and I to come hunt there, as he was writing some sort of article or research about it.

The official record of the crash had said the wreckage, body, etc... had all been cleaned up, removed, etc.... But the fellow wanted to see how true that was. We found lots of airplane metal, and .... even some rivots of flight jacket, and the metal parts of shoe (like the eyelette lace loop parts with shoe leather still intact, etc...).

I found it very boring. I suppose for someone super interested in aviation (like our host was), that.... perhaps to them they'd get a rise out of random scrap metal ?

Diggum · Jul 21, 2017

If that's what whirls your propeller, I say go for it. But I certainly would not lead with the macabre. Just ask for permission as you might for any other permission. The bits of plane will be bonus that only you will recognize and cherish.

There's a big prop plane crash from fifty years ago up in the hills where I live. Always wanted to go and get one of the giant props still up there. Maybe one day... When I'm single. I can only imagine what the wife would say if I came home with one! :laughing:

TundraPlugger · Jul 22, 2017

I definitely wouldn't detect at a crash site..... It would be too much like detecting in a cemetery. Some places are just off limits to me. I once came across a fragment of a human skull while out hunting artifacts, I immediately left and never came back.

markinswpa · Jul 23, 2017

TundraPlugger said:
I definitely wouldn't detect at a crash site..... It would be too much like detecting in a cemetery. Some places are just off limits to me. I once came across a fragment of a human skull while out hunting artifacts, I immediately left and never came back.

I am with you the ground is sacred and should be left undisturbed

mascard1 · Jul 23, 2017

I think you should drag that prop down!!!

Diggum said:
If that's what whirls your propeller, I say go for it. But I certainly would not lead with the macabre. Just ask for permission as you might for any other permission. The bits of plane will be bonus that only you will recognize and cherish.

There's a big prop plane crash from fifty years ago up in the hills where I live. Always wanted to go and get one of the giant props still up there. Maybe one day... When I'm single. I can only imagine what the wife would say if I came home with one!

Waveoff · Jul 23, 2017

I could go either way with this sort of hunt since I, too, am also a pilot and anything aviation related interests me. I definitely would not hunt a site where there were known fatalities though. To me, that would be a bit morbid. However, if it was the site of an interesting aircraft I might be inclined to see what might be there. Have you ever checked out The X-Hunters website? It's pretty interesting to see what they find out in the field at various crash sites.

Mud-puppy · Jul 23, 2017

I get the idea....Humans die on this Planet all the time, and we find the evidence...The battlefield hunting guys dont have a problem..

So, along these lines and in theory, .....Howabout hunting vehicle accident rollover sites even? In a rollover, theres all sorts of clad that went flying at the very least? :?:

Theres a lot more easily found vehicle rollover sites to hunt than airplane...Heck, theres crosses posted all over the place along any given route of travel...easy access too...

Hell, my very own kid wrecked my rig just a few years ago, ran it right under a Semi in a blizzard and off into the ditch...I went out there and found my tools...He actually lived through it...ducked over at the very last second...but damn, it robbed ME of a worthy detecting rig!!

GKL · Jul 23, 2017

Diggum said:
There's a big prop plane crash from fifty years ago up in the hills where I live. Always wanted to go and get one of the giant props still up there. Maybe one day... When I'm single. I can only imagine what the wife would say if I came home with one!

Maybe something like this ? :laughing:

davidharmier60 · Jul 23, 2017

Friends parents have an old wooden prop with a clock in the middle in their family room.
Always thought that was cool.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

SlingingCoils · Jul 24, 2017

I wont detect a crash site of someone was killed, but if everyone walked away then I would say go for it.

Aircraft Crash Sites ? .... California ?

moparguy

Full Member

AirmetTango

tnsharpshooter

Supporter

Tom_in_CA

Elite Member

Diggum

Elite Member

TundraPlugger

Elite Member

markinswpa

mascard1

Elite Member

Waveoff

Elite Member

Mud-puppy

Attachments

GKL

davidharmier60

New Member

SlingingCoils

Junior Member

Similar threads