A suggestion to those who make this tough trek; a slightly easier descent to the wreck site from the Bush Mt. Trail can be made along the southeast side of the northeast trending ridge and then crossing over the ridge near the bottom. The passage on this side is through low growing scrub oak, the other side is dense pinion pine and fir that will rip you up.
The problem was likely a faulty altimeter as their last reported position was Salt Flats at 11,000 feet. The crash site is at about 8,100 feet alt. the obvious flight direction of the crash was south. They may have turned south to get back to Biggs thinking they were 3,000 feet above the highest promontory thereabouts, Guadalupe Peak. They were over the Basin, GUMO at a much lower altitude.
Do you guys have a GPS location I can use to find this? I want to make a plaque and take it up there, I live in Carlsbad. Are there any remains on the location or did the Army manage to get them all? I don't want to disturb anything.
The largest piece of wreckage already has a maker/plaque, and 5 small commemorative American flags are at the site of that largest piece. As far as "remains" The military made at least 3 treks up the mountain to remove live munitions and human remains. None of that remains, unless it is way outside the main debris field.
+Jace Bennett the crash site coordinates are `31.927911 N 104.858509 W (31 Deg 55' 40.5" N 104 Deg 51' 30.6" W) Go along the Bush Mt. Trail until your longitude matches and head north 1/4 mile horizontal displacement. If you are navigating by compass, when you reach Pine Top where the trails fork to Bush Mt. and The Basin, take a reading to Guadalupe Mt. ( you can see the aluminum obelisk atop the mt. at this point ). It should read about 203 degrees. At any rate record the reading. Follow the Bush Mt. Trail until your reading to Guad. Peak is 171 degrees ( 32 degrees less than the reading from Pine Top). You are 1/4 mile (horizontal displacement) due south of the site. See my suggestion above regarding beast route to site.
My Uncle Lawrence Rabbitt was one of the crewmen, my cousin sent me this video
A suggestion to those who make this tough trek; a slightly easier descent to the wreck site from the Bush Mt. Trail can be made along the southeast side of the northeast trending ridge and then crossing over the ridge near the bottom. The passage on this side is through low growing scrub oak, the other side is dense pinion pine and fir that will rip you up.
The problem was likely a faulty altimeter as their last reported position was Salt Flats at 11,000 feet. The crash site is at about 8,100 feet alt. the obvious flight direction of the crash was south. They may have turned south to get back to Biggs thinking they were 3,000 feet above the highest promontory thereabouts, Guadalupe Peak. They were over the Basin, GUMO at a much lower altitude.
I'm going to see this next weekend!
Do you guys have a GPS location I can use to find this? I want to make a plaque and take it up there, I live in Carlsbad.
Are there any remains on the location or did the Army manage to get them all? I don't want to disturb anything.
The largest piece of wreckage already has a maker/plaque, and 5 small commemorative American flags are at the site of that largest piece. As far as "remains" The military made at least 3 treks up the mountain to remove live munitions and human remains. None of that remains, unless it is way outside the main debris field.
Is there any land marks on the bush MTN trail? Pile of rocks or something
+Jace Bennett
the crash site coordinates are `31.927911 N 104.858509 W (31 Deg 55' 40.5" N 104 Deg 51' 30.6" W) Go along the Bush Mt. Trail until your longitude matches and head north 1/4 mile horizontal displacement. If you are navigating by compass, when you reach Pine Top where the trails fork to Bush Mt. and The Basin, take a reading to Guadalupe Mt. ( you can see the aluminum obelisk atop the mt. at this point ). It should read about 203 degrees. At any rate record the reading. Follow the Bush Mt. Trail until your reading to Guad. Peak is 171 degrees ( 32 degrees less than the reading from Pine Top). You are 1/4 mile (horizontal displacement) due south of the site. See my suggestion above regarding beast route to site.
James Robinson
hhyl