LBPOST.com: Long Beach Divers Uncover 53-Year Old Aircraft Wreckage

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Long Beach Divers Uncover 53-Year Old Aircraft Wreckage

by Ryan ZumMallen | Long Beach News | 10.15.09 |

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Sheriff's Department divers stationed at the Long Beach Airport were a crucial part of the team that uncovered the 53-year old wreckage of a military aircraft that crashed into the Pacific Ocean.� Between 30 and 40 divers took several weeks to uncover the wreckage, which the Sheriff's Department today confirmed was involved in a crash in 1955. The wreckage was found on the ocean floor, 115 feet below the surface.

"We have a rescue and aero bureau stationed out of the Long Beach Airport," Lieutenant Jack Ewell said in a phone interview today.� "The unit has been working on it for, heck, probably over a month since civilians reported wreckage."

Signs of wreckage were reported by aircraft hobbyists who were searching for remains of a possible P-51 accident that occurred decades ago, when they found evidence of this Lockheed T33-A about a mile and half off the coast of Santa Monica. The hobbyists - although Lt. Ewell says they are extremely professional in their work - alerted the Sheriff's Department, who sent several dozen divers to the site in five to ten minute intervals for several weeks, before confirming crash details today.

"It's pretty unique, being lost for 53 years," Lt. Ewell said.

Sheriff's Department divers prepare for a swim

The Lockheed engine being lifted from the ocean

The recovered engine

A Sheriff's Department diver at work

Wreckage of the Lockheed T33-A that crashed into the ocean in 1955

Comments

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8 Comments so far.

Erik
I was curious to see an image of the aircraft so I googled it naturaly. I find that the Lockheed T-33A was a jet aircraft. The recovered engine seems to be from a piston driven engine, like an old Ford Tri-motor.

Anonymous
Another waste of tax payer money.

Barry
Look; another Grinch woke up... and if this had involved a member of your family, would it still be a waste of money? Goodness, sometimes you spend the money because it's the right thing to do!

update
It is a jet engine. What looks to be piston chambers are in fact jet compression tubes bent outward by the crash.

Mike
American Serviceman should never be left behind. Regardless of how and where. The recovery of this aircraft, and the Americans who were in it is all part of our history and conservation of our past. If you're upset about the money being spent, get off your computer and do something... No point in complaining anonymously just for the sake of complaining.

Robert
Can-Annular Combustion Chamber from an Allison J33-A-35 centrifugal compressor turbojet. Of course, I could be wrong. (P.S. to Anonymous...quit sitting at the computer in your Mom's house, in your filthy underwear, and get a job.

Greg
Robert is correct, those are combustion chambers from the J33. Mike is also correct, we owe it to the crew and next of keen. Anonymous is incorrect, what is a waste of tax payer money is buying new vehicles every two years for the fat cat elected officials, or buying "office supplies" at a boutique in Paris France.

ron grubbs
Don't talk to me about taxpayer money. Pat Macha, one of the "hobbyists" took me to the top of Santiago Peak in CA last may where I collected remnants of the plane crash in which my Father, a Marine Pilot, perished during the Korean War. Macha arranged to get park access opened to us, hosted us at his home, accepted no money and no one had to pay for a thing. That trip up that mountain was priceless to me.

Long Beach News

LBPOST.com Managing Editor Ryan ZumMallen keeps up on all the current and breaking Long Beach news.

Ryan ZumMallen has served as the managing editor of the LBPOST.com since 2007. He graduated from CSULB with a degree in Print Journalism in 2008 and is a member of the 2009 class of Leadership Long Beach. You can find him on various basketball courts around the city.

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