Old F4U Crash South Of Elizabeth City, NC - January 27, 1949

[CoastieJohn]

I've been sitting on this for a few years. This Corsair went down in a swamp on January 27th, 1949. CAPT W.F. Jacobs was the mishap pilot. A couple of years back I located the original newspaper article on this. It didn't give much info other than about where it went down. Does anyone know what happened and if the plane was recovered?

Last edited by CoastieJohn on Thu Nov 24, 2011 8:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Jesse C.]

Might want to edit the heading to read "Old" crash.

[CoastieJohn]

Might want to edit the heading to read "Old" crash.

Good call.....thanks.

[paulmcmillan]

http://www.uscg.mil/history/webaircraft ... ki_HRP.pdf

[cooper9411]

Don't seem to recall ever hearing about any Corsair being recovered in that area. Heard about the ones around Florida and Connecticut that have been salvaged over the years. This is not to say that someone hasn't recovered this particular one at some point. The best thing to do is get a couple friends together and take a few days and go searching. Or go to Earth Google and start going over the area with eyeglasses and a magnifying glass.

[CoastieJohn]

http://www.uscg.mil/history/webaircraft/Piasecki_HRP.pdf

That newspaper text sounds like the article I located.

[Russ Blow]

It probably crashed in what is now R 5314 near the Alligator River. 40 miles south puts it right in that area. I have a 1946 area sectional and that area was still listed as a caution area even back then. It is part of the Dare bombing range so I would think it was some type of training area then as well.

The area is also known as the Phelps MOA

I have never heard any stories around here of a F4U there but would not be surprised since the area is military and the swamp is hard to recover things from. I know a F 14 went in near Sandbridge in Va Beach and I don't believe it was ever recovered.

[CoastieJohn]

It probably crashed in what is now R 5314 near the Alligator River. 40 miles south puts it right in that area. I have a 1946 area sectional and that area was still listed as a caution area even back then. It is part of the Dare bombing range so I would think it was some type of training area then as well.

The area is also known as the Phelps MOA

I have never heard any stories around here of a F4U there but would not be surprised since the area is military and the swamp is hard to recover things from. I know a F 14 went in near Sandbridge in Va Beach and I don't believe it was ever recovered.

I only knew about it because of LT Fletcher Brown (USCG) was the pilot who did the rescue and he had a role in our ongoing Greenland Duck Hunt. I was able to get alot of his material. This letter from the USMC was in it. If you go to the ECity Library, you'll find the original newspaper article. That's where I got it. I know a well known aircraft salvager has the accident report. He and I were speaking about it.

[CrashResQue]

that area is all thick swamp. Im sure it may have sunken in by now

[paulmcmillan]

Craig Fuller of AAIR provided this info on another website

DATE: 490127
TYPE: F4U-4
SERIAL: 96876
SQD: VMF-122
UNIT: MAG-14
BASE: MCAS Cherry Point
ACTION: FLEF
D: A
PILOT: Jacobs, Walter F.
COUNTRY: USA
State: NC
LOC: Phelps Lake, 5mi. S
REMARKS:Cross Country Flight

Paul

[CoastieJohn]

Craig Fuller of AAIR provided this info on another website

DATE: 490127
TYPE: F4U-4
SERIAL: 96876
SQD: VMF-122
UNIT: MAG-14
BASE: MCAS Cherry Point
ACTION: FLEF
D: A
PILOT: Jacobs, Walter F.
COUNTRY: USA
State: NC
LOC: Phelps Lake, 5mi. S
REMARKS:Cross Country Flight

Paul

Thanks....I've heard of that lake. I lived in Elizabeth City for a short period while attending an aviation school. That should set off some folks chasing that one down....if they haven't already.

Edit added: Google Earth shows the area 5 miles south of Phelps Lake as looking dry with backroads going thru there. That might be a fun one to chase down. Could ask some local old timers where it was at.