Help Solve A Mystery And Win A Planeload Of Cash
There’s a rusted WWII airplane engine still visible along the Iron Door Mine Trail above the city near Crossman Peak.
It attests to a disaster in which five servicemen tragically died when their B-25J aircraft, based at Yuma AAF base, crashed in a fireball on August 11, 1945. According to the mishap report, the aircraft flew into the mountain after encountering low clouds and rain. While that crash site is easily accessible to anyone with a pair of hiking boots, the site of two aviation mysteries are a bit harder to find. Help us document those sites and you can receive a planeload of cash.
On Aug. 4, 1943 at 1900 hours, a Pursuit P-40 crashed between Site Six and what is now Havasu Landing. Flames were extending back to the cockpit as it filled with smoke. The pilot escaped by parachute without injury, writing in his report, “After the parachute opened, I attempted to steer for land but was unable to guide the parachute. When I saw I was going to land in the Colorado River, I pulled off my shoes and unbuckled my parachute then dived out of the parachute when I was approximately 15 or 20 feet from the surface. “After swimming about ten minutes a motorboat from Site Six approached and picked me up.”
The plane, downed by engine failure, sank a complete wreck. It was there when Site Six ended its relationship with the U.S. Army in 1945, and is still somewhere beneath the lake surface. Search and recovery diving teams have attempted to locate the wreck throughout the years, without success.
There’s another mystery as well: Lake Havasu holds the wreck of a war surplus North American AT-6C single engine fighter which went down in the lake on Jan. 2, 1960, taking the lives of two duck hunters – both brothers from California. It’s thought the carburetor froze up; the bodies were recovered but the plane has yet to be found.
“To budding Jacques Cousteaus, to all you Indiana Jones types, or fans of famed early 1960s TV diver Lloyd Bridges … find either of the planes, bring back photos, and the Convention & Visitors Bureau will pay you $1,000 for your help in solving the mystery,” said Doug Traub, president/CEO of the CVB.
“It’s not some Loch Ness monster down there, these are two real planes, piloted by real people. It’s fully documented. These mysteries attest to the commitment of our servicemen and women, and the eternal lure of the skies above.”
Happy hunting.
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About Lake Havasu City
Lake Havasu City, three hours driving time from Phoenix, 2-1/4 hours south of Las Vegas and four to five from the Los Angeles region, attracts 775,000 visitors a year thanks to its dry, desert weather, more than 300 sunny days a year, a range of restaurants and lodging, and a boatload of special events.
For more information on Lake Havasu City, Arizona’s only waterfront resort destination, including a 2014-15 calendar of events, visit golakehavasu.com or call 928-453-3444. Also find Lake Havasu City online at facebook.com/lakehavasucityarizona and twitter.com/golakehavasu . Photos of dozens of images of local recreational activities, restaurants, lodging and scenery are available upon request.
Contact:
Jeff Blumenfeld
Blumenfeld and Assoc. PR
203-655-1600
Michelle Gardia Lake Havasu City CVB 928-453-3444
