Warbird Information Exchange

March 17, 1956, four F-86 took off at approximately 1pm on a local aerial gunnery mission . . . only two returned.
F-86A Sabre, of 115th FIS CA (Van Nuys) ANG, was lost after a mid-air collision with fellow F-86A, s/n 48-160. The accident occurred on the bombing range a few miles south of Colfred, AZ, during an aerial gunnery training mission (attacks on a towed target) from Yuma AFB. The pilots of both fighters were killed; 1/Lt William Clark Modes (aircraft 49-1221) and Capt. William O’Wesney (aircraft 48-160).

Report excerpt: “Both aircraft exploded at the time of the collision and wreckage was scattered over approximately ten square miles.”

See photos of the crash site here: http://arizonawrecks.com/wreckchasingre ... sabre.html

Another example of failure to engage brain before posting thread titles.

PLEASE think before posting threads with titles like 'crash', midair', etc and not bothering to add 'in 1956' to the title.

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... hp?t=10563

Point taken. You are quite correct. And I am very sorry. I am new to this global cyberspace medium, and am trying to learn the etiquette.

As a long-in-the-tooth pilot myself, I take aircraft mishaps very (VERY!) seriously. I apologize for my careless Subject Content. It was quite unintentional.

I hope you understand that I have absolutely no intent to inspire any sensational or insensitive subject matter to drive hits to my humble website.

I just fly airplanes; and I happen to look around for plane crashes in my spare time with the utmost reverence to all the aircrews that flew them and made the same mistakes that I'm sure we've all made on occasion without realizing we have the same capacity to screw the f#ck up when faced with the same circumstances.

Thank you for reminding me to be careful about how I label my e-mails. That is a so very important thing to come to terms with in this crazy 21st century world.

Please forgive me.

AW

You can 'edit' the title and add the year to it so it doesn't freak people out

Dave

arizona, robb hill took me out to an f-86 crash site by nellis afb 3 years ago. it was quite a hump up hill, near a gypsum excavation site. i was gonna take a flask of booze along, glad i didn't...... i'd still be in traction at the hospital!!! everybody thinks the desert is ass flat, boy, what a mistake that thought is!!!

_________________
tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Tom,

Sounds like you've been out to some good sites with Robb. Way ahead of us. Like I said on another posting, I've been out with him once thru Craig Fuller/AAIR (the guru and true aviation historian in Arizona/Calif/Nevada) -- Robb was carrying his little, mysterious leather satchel... Doesnt he own an aero vintage company? (we were on an AT-6A, P-38L, and C-46D crash sites near Kingman AAF --- thankfully only the T-6 was a single fatal -- we visited all three sites in one day, they were all near KAAF). Nice guy.....I remember he IDed a bailout bell on the Commando, I had no idea what it was and felt stupid (it was obviously a BELL but it didnt register with me since I was thinking of more linear A&P type material).

I have a bunch of New Mexico info (mostly F-104) that I should send him, since I know he moved there (like you said).

You outta come out to Arizona some time....we'd try to point you to some good, historical sites. Give you a "tour" as it were.

Thanks for the positive responses on our postings. That is our M.O. (+++ ---- always positive, and to hell with political correctness) It is much appreciated. We try to be open and helpful with our site because, heck, we're paying $50 a month for a website and it's just great to network with other aviation nuts (not the sanctimonious "failure to engage brain.." types).

Did you write the Wakeman, Ohio piece? Was just curious because I had run across it researching a P-38F Cleveland Ntnl air racer pile-up in Nrthrn Ariz (Ruble's Flying Shamrock). I need help on that, but do have a lot of good info and pix and a lot of notes on it.

See:

http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post ... id=1597899

I had heard some hikers found the P-38 wreckage....and it was supposedly printed in Air Classics...but I dont have any issues from the early 90s when it was supposedly published ('91-'92?). Was that your write-up?

I need help on another recent site we visited (today actually!!)(second visit in about 3 weeks). Might not be up your alley. A mystery crash site about 12 miles NW of Luke AFB, Ariz. We stumbled across an F-100D crashsite while looking for a Chinese AT-6C crash (non-fatal) from WWII (go figure). Part #'s were all 223 (indicating a '54 or '55 production D-Hun). Some 192 parts (F-100A), but we found so many 223 p/n's I am sure it's a D (has the Nam camou paint too).

Among the Arizona crowd, we cant ID this crash. Nothing fits for the location it is at. We found two old smoke grenades backside of the impact, and found no evidence of canopy glass, canopy rail, etc ---- so we think the pilot survived thankfully. No turbine blades either (which is unusual on a jet crash), so it was probably a compressor stall or flame-out. It didnt burn. No melted aluminum.

I have a good photo of a mod plate from the F-100D site off an I-beam stringer or former (photos were taken today!), was hoping for some desperate help on identifying the construction # or serial. I cant make sense of it.

Also found the 20mm cannon, and about 15-20% of the Super Sabre wreck is scattered on site (rough, desert terrain at the foot of the White Tank Mtns near Luke AFB).

So.....email me on the side if you wanna..... arizonawrecks@cox.net.

I need help on the Bendix 1947 P-38F ("Flying Shamrock") and the Hun-D we just found!!

Cheers,
Chris Baird
www.arizonawrecks.com