A-35B 42-94383 crash NE of Vail Arizona on March 8, 1944
Copyright © Chris McDoniel
Crash near Colossal Cave in the foothills of the Rincon Mountains.
Flight Officer Kenneth V. Sartwell took off from El Paso, Texas, in a Vultee A-35B, on a ferry Flight to Phoenix, Arizona on March 8, 1944. At approximately 1245 MST while Flying at 12,000 feet, Flight Officer Sartwell was about 10 minutes past Cochise when he reported engine problems which worsened until he bailed out. The aircraft was destroyed on ground impact east of Tucson. Startwell successfully bailed out.
Small scattered debris remains at the crash site today. During WWII, the Army Air Forces (AAF) would dispose of debris in a variety of ways. In the case of the A-35, debris was put into limestone voids and then covered up.
Scattered debris among the saguaros.
Buried debris among limestone voids.
Inspecting debris hidden in several limestone voids. I put everything back so the next person could share the same experience.
Hard to see, but this part number prefix starts with an "88" which means it's from a Vultee A-35.
Portion of the wing. (P-38.com was my old website.)
Really interesting to see debris “disposed of” in these limestone voids.