Crashed Plane

[backspin]

I was hiking Algonquin or maybe it was Colden heck it might have even been Van Hovenburg, anyway i think it was Algonquin, but at the top i remember hearing a story of a small single engine plane looking to land at Lake Placid airport, got lost in the clouds and crashed into the mountain side. Does anybody have more info or the full story behind this.

[Dick]

Backspin, there have been many plane crashes in the Adirondacks, but you're probably thinking of the one on Wright Mt., next to Algonquin. Here is the story. You can find more info on this and other plane crashes, with pictures, if you do a search over at Adkhighpeaks.com forum.

Dick

[backspin]

thanks dick, this is the second time you've helped me today, i sure do appreciate it!

[redhawk]

thanks dick, this is the second time you've helped me today, i sure do appreciate it!

Hey, the man is our resident historian, which serves a usefull purpose, unlike Senior Resident Curmudgon!

[Hakuna Matada]

Here is a couple of pictures of that plane crash on Wright Mt. It was in 1962.

[tgoodwin]

That story sounds like the 1978 crash on Nye Mt. It happened just before Christmas, 1978. It was a green and white Piper Aztec (2 engines), and it snowed soon after so that the initial search from the air never found it. Then just as they gave up searching, one of the two dogs on the plane showed up in Lake Placid and was recognized by friends of the pilot and two passengers who were on the plane. The search was restarted, but the plane wasn't found until the following spring after the snow had melted. All on the plan appeared to have died instantly, but one had actually gone through the rof of the cabin. Preumably, the surviving dog followed that indvidual through the hole.
The word was that the pilot had been smuggling pot with his plane, and when found there was some pot and lots of cash on the plane.

[Gray Ghost]

Cool story, Tony. I heard there have been planes that disappeared off radar in the park and were NEVER found. Does anyone know if this is true?

[spotter]

Crashes in the 'dacks

There was a great article in Adirondack Life a year or two ago, including a map of all the crash sites in the ADKs. There are a couple dozen, all told, with the bomber on Wright being the most well known.

A few years ago, I was climbing Seward and lost the path. As I fumbled around, I ran in to a small group of hikers who were also off the path. I went a different direction from them, soon found the path, and was on my way. When I ran in to them on the way down later in the day, they told me they'd found a plane wreck. Damn! Shoulda stayed with 'em!

[Tuchov]

I heard there have been planes that disappeared off radar in the park and were NEVER found. Does anyone know if this is true?

The planes are usually found in pieces, the bodies on the other hand, well.... they're still looking for a few.

As for the plane, theres not a whole lot of it left other then a piece of the hull thats small and light enough someone can easily take it away, and a peice of the landing gear that wouldn't budge no matter how hard I tried



For more info on the B47 that crashed on Wright:
Adirondack Park.net report on the wreckage
The Plane that went down

You'll notice that "Airman 1st Class Kenneth R. Jensen's remains were never found"

[geogymn]

That story sounds like the 1978 crash on Nye Mt. It happened just before Christmas, 1978. It was a green and white Piper Aztec (2 engines), and it snowed soon after so that the initial search from the air never found it. Then just as they gave up searching, one of the two dogs on the plane showed up in Lake Placid and was recognized by friends of the pilot and two passengers who were on the plane. The search was restarted, but the plane wasn't found until the following spring after the snow had melted. All on the plan appeared to have died instantly, but one had actually gone through the rof of the cabin. Preumably, the surviving dog followed that indvidual through the hole.
The word was that the pilot had been smuggling pot with his plane, and when found there was some pot and lots of cash on the plane.

I helped search for this plane. It was quite the stir when I lived in Placid.

[uberTurtle]

Plaque on Wright

Was up on Wright in March and looked for the plaque with directions from the ADK guidebook. Due to rather icy conditions, we didn't get down to the one vertical rock face that we didn't check. Anyway, never found the plaque. Any guidance on finding it? Thanks.

[Tuchov]

Any guidance on finding it? Thanks.

The books was a bit cloudy for me too (no pun intended) on directions. The book says something like "Stand at the summit, go 30 degrees east from north and start walking".

A better way, is to simply hang a left as soon as you break the tree line. Thats the best way I can describe it, if you were to walk a circle around the summit, you'd find it immediately on your left once leaving the trail [and yes, you can get there easily without stepping on any alpine vegetation].

[Skyclimber]

A better way, is to simply hang a left as soon as you break the tree line. Thats the best way I can describe it, if you were to walk a circle around the summit, you'd find it immediately on your left once leaving the trail [and yes, you can get there easily without stepping on any alpine vegetation].

Just before the actual summit, to the left is a herdpath, just follow it and you should find the plaque and a bit of the remains of the plane, just below the summit and rocks.

[yellowcanoe]

College bulletin board

I have to admit that I schlepped a part of the wing down from Wright in 1963, being a young and stupid college student.

I used it as a dorm bulletin board. What was I thinking

[Judgeh]

I have to admit that I schlepped a part of the wing down from Wright in 1963, being a young and stupid college student.

I used it as a dorm bulletin board. What was I thinking

At tha age? Not much!