lake erie aircraft wrecks.... both u.s. & canadian side.

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Wed Apr 20, 2011 11:44 pm

a little off topic but worthy of this thread....... the rcaf fired 4 rocket powered 3/4 scale avro arrows over lake ontario during the test phase. i've mentioned this before. made of fiberglass & still out their in the ontario abyss. there have been some searches through a canadian aviation history group w/ cooperation of the rcn using side scan radar to no avail. also a little uninhabited u.s. lake erie island that is a bird sanctuary supposedly has a surface to air missile crash from the 60's. i asked for permission to search for it but was denied by the ohio dept of natural resources. supposedly fired from camp perry / port clinton ohio u.s. nat. guard base.

paulmcmillan · **Posted:** Thu Apr 21, 2011 4:35 am

Thanks to Air Britain I can confrim Major Leach was flying Hamilton H-47 in question was c/n 68, NC878H when he crashed at Port Arthur i June 1930 (btw Port Arthur is on Lake Superior, not Lake Erie)

This aircraft had been built in May 1929, received a temporary license on 24 Jun 1929, and had an
identification mark issued 18 Dec 1929. In both cases it would have flown
as 878H. It was dismantled and stored at the factory in Milwaukee from Dec
1929 until June 1930. Rebuilt and licensed 19 Jun 1930 as a floatplane.
The following day (more or less) it was loaned to the Ontario Provincial
Government to help combat servere forest fires. Operated by OPAS it crashed
as noted by Terry Judge. Hamilton considered the aircraft a total loss, but
Hornet engine # 518 was returned to Milwaukee possibly to be rebuilt.

It has be stated that accident happened on June 26th 1930 even in official documentation but based on newspaper reports at the time (including one the day after) i believe ot to be Sunday June 29th 1930

oscardeuce · **Joined:** Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:34 am **Posts:** 1021

tom d. friedman wrote:

oscardeuce wrote:

Was there any mention of a Corsair in Lake Erie near Kelley's Island?

tom, elaborate on that question!! or is it a joke??

My understanding is a Corsair is somewhere off Kelley's. There are supposed to have been side scanning sonar expeditions. The group doing tjis has been a little quiet. Either to protect the site, or the lie.

paulmcmillan · **Posted:** Thu Apr 21, 2011 8:29 am

tom d. friedman wrote:

oscardeuce wrote:

Was there any mention of a Corsair in Lake Erie near Kelley's Island?

My understanding is a Corsair is somewhere off Kelley's. There are supposed to have been side scanning sonar expeditions. The group doing tjis has been a little quiet. Either to protect the site, or the lie.

Date: May 10, 2004
Publication: Fort Morgan Times (CO)

Dean O. DeLong, 81, died in Shreveport, La., following complications from surgery.

DeLong was born 1923 in Fort Morgan to Oliver and Amy Florence DeLong.
He graduated as an engineer from the University of Colorado and remained a member of the alumni association throughout his life.
World War II introduced him to what would become a great, lifelong passion ... flying.

He was a decorated Korean fighter pilot, enthusiastic chorister and longtime developmental engineer with Ford Motor Co.

DeLong won his wings as a Marine pilot and served with distinction leading a successful attack on enemy positions leading a
successful attack on enemy positions in the face of heavy fire.

He went on after the war to serve a total of 16 years in the Reserves including a stint as a flying instructor
and remained a keen amateur flyer well past middle age. At one point he crashlanded an F4U Corsair in Lake Erie

He flew with a Marine flyers group calling themselves the Knights of Olde and kept contact with his Korean flying comrades throughout his life.

He survived by his wife Gerry sons Michael Brant DeLong of Coldwater Mich Kenrie Jones DeLong of Turk Lake Mich and Donald Alan DeLong of Bloomfield Hills

Also.. http://www.marinechat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5089

Also can anyone confirm location for...

Goodyear FG-1D Corsair
Bureau Number: 92008
Date of Accident: August 5th 1950
Pilot Name: 1st Lieutenant Dean O. Delong (USMCR)
Rescue Pilot Aircraft: PBY,Rescue Pilot Name: Mike Erard
Wingman in Corsair Squadron: Whitey Potter
Flight Leader in Corsair Squadron: Whitaker
Corsair Squadron preparing for Korean Conflict

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Thu Apr 21, 2011 8:31 am

1st i've heard of it. considering the shallow water & reefs i'd say it's b.s. please prove me wrong!!

Dave Hadfield · **Joined:** Sun Sep 17, 2006 10:31 pm **Posts:** 1672

The Brigantine was featured in a late 70's article in Wooden Boat magazine. The vessel was rounding one of the Bay Islands in northern Lake Michigan, in the late 1800s, when a squall struck it and laid it over onto its beam-ends. I believe a hatch-cover was off, so she filled and sank very quickly. It settled quite intact onto the bottom in very cold water.

Then a dive-club (from Duluth?) found it, refloated it, and it deteriorated very quickly as it dried out.

That's all I can "dredge up" from memory.

Nowadays we know that if the organization does not have the funds to preserve the wood as the water comes out of it (by replacement with glycol among other methods), it's better to leave it on the bottom.

Dave

CWBuff · **Joined:** Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:14 am **Posts:** 854

paulmcmillan wrote:

Sept 1st 1934

Curtiss Y1P-22 (P-6E) 32-240

32-240 missing over Lake Erie Sep 1, 1934 (not Sept 24 1932 as per Baugher)

Lieut. Clement J. Gaster (Reserve Officer) of the First Army Pursuit group from Selfridge Feild, Michgan was attempting to fly over Lake Erie from Detroit.
Missing since he left Mt. Clemens for Cleveland en-route for Cleveland races

I believe that this is the Hawk in question...

Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection)

Fade to Black...

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:37 am

a nice re-surface of an old post w/ a great pic!! i can't wait for the elaboration!!!

cooper9411 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 14, 2011 2:23 pm

cooper9411 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 19, 2011 2:31 pm

I've been listening to folks from an older generation and a lot of them have stated that they recall a plane going in Lake Erie off of Kelleys Island, some can't recall the type and others say it was one of with the "bent wings". I got a boat and sonar, come on spring. :drink3:

cooper9411 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:58 am

paulmcmillan wrote:

tom d. friedman wrote:

oscardeuce wrote:

Was there any mention of a Corsair in Lake Erie near Kelley's Island?

My understanding is a Corsair is somewhere off Kelley's. There are supposed to have been side scanning sonar expeditions. The group doing tjis has been a little quiet. Either to protect the site, or the lie.

Date: May 10, 2004
Publication: Fort Morgan Times (CO)

Dean O. DeLong, 81, died in Shreveport, La., following complications from surgery.

Hey all, I just got the navy acident report and history card for this Corsair. As soon as I get a few minutes I'll go over them and post an update as to what is contained within them. :drink3:

DeLong was born 1923 in Fort Morgan to Oliver and Amy Florence DeLong.
He graduated as an engineer from the University of Colorado and remained a member of the alumni association throughout his life.
World War II introduced him to what would become a great, lifelong passion ... flying.

He was a decorated Korean fighter pilot, enthusiastic chorister and longtime developmental engineer with Ford Motor Co.

DeLong won his wings as a Marine pilot and served with distinction leading a successful attack on enemy positions leading a
successful attack on enemy positions in the face of heavy fire.

He went on after the war to serve a total of 16 years in the Reserves including a stint as a flying instructor
and remained a keen amateur flyer well past middle age. At one point he crashlanded an F4U Corsair in Lake Erie

He flew with a Marine flyers group calling themselves the Knights of Olde and kept contact with his Korean flying comrades throughout his life.

He survived by his wife Gerry sons Michael Brant DeLong of Coldwater Mich Kenrie Jones DeLong of Turk Lake Mich and Donald Alan DeLong of Bloomfield Hills

Also.. http://www.marinechat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5089

Also can anyone confirm location for...

Goodyear FG-1D Corsair
Bureau Number: 92008
Date of Accident: August 5th 1950
Pilot Name: 1st Lieutenant Dean O. Delong (USMCR)
Rescue Pilot Aircraft: PBY,Rescue Pilot Name: Mike Erard
Wingman in Corsair Squadron: Whitey Potter
Flight Leader in Corsair Squadron: Whitaker
Corsair Squadron preparing for Korean Conflict

cooper9411 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 05, 2012 3:03 pm

CoastieJohn · **Joined:** Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:37 pm **Posts:** 1380

Is it possible more than one Corsair is in Lake Erie?

cooper9411 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:33 pm

CoastieJohn wrote:

Is it possible more than one Corsair is in Lake Erie?

Of course anything is possible. In order to determine if there are any, one would have to spend countless hours pouring over navy accident reports. :drink3:

cooper9411 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:42 pm

oscardeuce wrote:

tom d. friedman wrote:

oscardeuce wrote:

Was there any mention of a Corsair in Lake Erie near Kelley's Island?

tom, elaborate on that question!! or is it a joke??

My understanding is a Corsair is somewhere off Kelley's. There are supposed to have been side scanning sonar expeditions. The group doing tjis has been a little quiet. Either to protect the site, or the lie.

Best of luck to them :drink3:

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lake erie aircraft wrecks.... both u.s. & canadian side.

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