Mystery aircraft debris?

[michael barnette]

Can anyone identify what this might be? Thinking it might be related to an aircraft perhaps? This was found in deep water in the Gulf of Mexico, roughly west of the Tampa Bay mouth. It looks like it might be aluminum structure. Supposedly there are other pieces in the vicinity, but the diver only came across this one piece....

[eze240]

Looks almost like part of a engine mount.....perhaps part of a B-47? Didn't one crash in the area?

[CoastieJohn]

Looks almost like part of a engine mount.....perhaps part of a B-47? Didn't one crash in the area?

I kinda thought that too for a bit. Then I thought where's the engine and why is the ring still in good shape? With the evenly spaced holes in the metal it looks like something from an airplane. Picture it standing vertical inside the plane against a bulkhead, could it be a rack for an large O2 bottle?

[Fouga23]

Canopy frame?

[JohnB]

Without knowing where in the Gulf, it could be anything.
Yes, B-47s went down there (IIRC, usually close to McCoy...Orlando for you young ones) but so have everything else from drug runners to F-100, F-102, and F-4 drones...not to mention Navy trainers out of Pensacola.

[shrike]

I don't really get a sense of scale from the pictures, but Ryan Firebee leaps to mind.

[CoastieJohn]

Those look like mostly lion fish swimming around it. You can figure out how big those are to get a scale (slight pun) of the debris.

[davidwomacks]

Lionfish I hate those things,get a spear and take those things out!! They are a horrible invasive spices.

[michael barnette]

Sorry for the late reply - was offshore this weekend. The pictured debris was found off Ft. Myers, Florida, around 60 nmi offshore or so.

[wendovertom]

Stupid Lionfish. . . . the part looks like a canopy to me but then watch it turn out to be something off of a freighter. . .

Tom P.