Mooney Airplane Crash Site Found on Mt. Hood (Part 2)

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Thomas M
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Mooney Airplane Crash Site Found on Mt. Hood (Part 2)

Post by Thomas M » October 2nd, 2010, 7:51 am

Finally getting around to posting this. Another hiker is suppose to be heading up there today, Oct 2. We'll see if he report his findings too.

On July 29, 2010, my hiking partner, Fred, and I finally located the airplane crash site that I had visited nearly 10 years ago. Using tips from fellow members of my Delorme GPS forum and knowledge of the approximate location recalled from my former visitation, we hike up about 700 feet above the Timberline Trail on the north side of Mt. Hood. This location is just east of the Coe Creek crossing. If you do go up there, please do not disturb the remains or take any "souvenirs". The engine, landing gear and propeller were taken as salvage and the rest written off as scrap. One can see that the remains have been crushed over the years by snow loading. The accident occurred on December 1, 1975 at GPS coordinates N45.394429, W121.682459, elevation 6705 feet.

Here you see the general location "Mooney Crash Site" on the aerial photo.
ELX Overview.JPG
The view below looks to the north down the drainage, up which we hiked, to get to the site. The right wing lies about 300 feet from the remains of the fuselage which is to the left in the photo.
IMG_2316.JPG
Below, I am examining the right wing, which is separated from the main fuselage by about 100 feet.
IMG_2311.JPG
This photo (below) is of the fuselage, showing the orange left wing and partial fuselage. I am standing at the nose of the fuselage from which the engine had been removed.
IMG_2303.JPG
The photo below is taken from the nose of the airplane with the fuselage and tail extending to the upper left. Here one can see the front pilot and passenger seats and a few shards of plexiglass remaining from the wind screen. No tail surfaces could be recognized.
IMG_2306.JPG
Image

This crash site and fuselage wreckage can also be seen from the summit of Barret Spur. I was up there on Sept 30 and to my amazement I spotted the wreck with a small 10X monocular that I carry. I had my snapshooter with me and did the best to capture what I saw. First, I used my GPS maps and former waypoints to get the general location and then spied around with the monocular until it popped into view.

Here is the site in the middle of the frame:
P9300279.JPG
Now on this one, to see the airplane wreckage you must look closely...
The fuselage is just to the upper left of the large rock outcropping. The slight hint of the orange and white color can just be made out. To the left of that, at about a 30 degree angle up, and just about in the center of the picture, the slightest hint of the orange wing can be seen. Of course, it was a lot clearer as viewed through my small telescope. This is the best I could do with my cheesy camera. Quite exciting for me though as I never thought about spotting it on my climb up onto the Spur.
P9300284.JPG
Here we go....this might help out a bit........
Mooney Detail.JPG

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Splintercat
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Re: Mooney Airplane Crash Site Found on Mt. Hood

Post by Splintercat » October 2nd, 2010, 9:20 am

Thanks, Thomas -- you probably forgot that you and Fred posted this in early August. I can combine the threads, if you like -- GREAT reports! I'd love to see news accounts on this crash. I recently ran across another report of a commercial jet crash on Salmon Mountain, and it occurred to me that there isn't really a comprehensive history of these.

Here's a question you can probably answer: this is the Robert Edling memorial on the shoulder of Cooper Spur:

Image

It's hard to tell from the memorial if he died in a crash on the mountain -- it seems to suggest that, which in turn, asks the question of where?

Jack Grauer's "Complete History of Mount Hood" lists several aircraft accidents on the mountain -- some involving military aircraft (but not the Mooney crash).

Fascinating history!

Tom

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Guy
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Re: Mooney Airplane Crash Site Found on Mt. Hood

Post by Guy » October 2nd, 2010, 8:50 pm

Thomas we made it up there today - found the plane but not without incident! Turned into a (very) long & exciting day :^).. Dark when we got back to the Vista Ridge TH & just got home (9:45pm). Full details of our trip in a day or two. Many thanks for the co ordinates.
hiking log & photos.
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Re: Mooney Airplane Crash Site Found on Mt. Hood

Post by Peder » October 2nd, 2010, 10:22 pm

Thomas, thank you very much for posting this (and also to Fred for his earlier report). That is a very exciting find and I can't wait to go up there.
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Thomas M
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Re: Mooney Airplane Crash Site Found on Mt. Hood

Post by Thomas M » October 2nd, 2010, 11:05 pm

Yeah, I forgot that we had posted to this website. I frequent the Delorme GPS forums and it took me a while to get the info to that site. I must have thought that I did not, or in that case, that we did not post to Porltlandhikers.
Sorry for the redundancy. But, the view from Barret Spur was exciting.

Thomas

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Re: Mooney Airplane Crash Site Found on Mt. Hood

Post by mayhem » October 2nd, 2010, 11:52 pm

Way too Cool! But very creepy!! There is another crash site on Hood, also creepy!

Image
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Thomas M
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Re: Mooney Airplane Crash Site Found on Mt. Hood

Post by Thomas M » October 3rd, 2010, 7:21 am

Mayhem,

Please, more information!!!

That looks like a propeller from a large airplane.

It's not over near Mississippi Head, is it????

Any GPS waypoints????

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Re: Mooney Airplane Crash Site Found on Mt. Hood (Part 2)

Post by Splintercat » October 3rd, 2010, 9:41 am

Thomas, I moved both threads over to this forum and gave them Part 1/Part 2 names so we wouldn't lose them in the pile of trip reports -- they're distinct enough that merging would have been a bit confusing, especially given your Barrett Spur addendum. Hope that works for you!

Looking at the other thread, I see that Fred posted a photo of the Robert Edling memorial from your trip... didn't catch that earlier! So, anyone know the story, there? It's not in Jack Grauer's "Complete Hood", as far as I can tell.

Thanks for posting, Thomas!

Tom :)

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Re: Mooney Airplane Crash Site Found on Mt. Hood

Post by mayhem » October 3rd, 2010, 9:53 am

Thomas M wrote:Mayhem,

Please, more information!!!

That looks like a propeller from a large airplane.

It's not over near Mississippi Head, is it????

Any GPS waypoints????
Sorry no GPS way points, they are not needed anyaway because it is right on the Mississippi Head Cliff. Go through the pics or watch the movie :) http://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/vie ... f=8&t=6268
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Re: Mooney Airplane Crash Site Found on Mt. Hood (Part 2)

Post by Peder » October 18th, 2010, 11:15 am

Many thanks to Fred, Thomas and Guy for indicating how to get to the crash site. While there yesterday, I noticed that there is also a left wing at the site:
Airplane (1).jpg
Note that Chase, a Portland Hiker, although in matching orange shirt is not part of the crash site! My son Greg, also in orange, is likewise no longer to be found at the crash site, though I am sure that he would choose Mt Hood over school any day...
Some people are really fit at eighty; thankfully I still have many years to get into shape…

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