Did you have any luck tracking this one down?? I dont know where that crash site is, but you can order the accident report from AAIR and try to find it using the report: http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/ Notice, there is another crash up there too -- see this one: http://www.aircraftarchaeology.co...

Thanks Nighthiker, That's very interesting. I bet it was the TBM Avenger torpedo bomber that crashed June 1961 (borate bomber). (and yes, I was talking about a much smaller Cessna 180 over by the hatchery) Craig Fuller at AAIR (http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/) told me the entire TBM Avenger wrec...

SP369,

Thanks for the posting. I hope you make it up there before me....HA!

Hard terrain.

Thanks,
Chris B.

SP369, I am only guessing where that wreck is based on newspaper article info, etc .... I dont know where it is. I marked it on that map as a guess. Period newspaper articles put the crash in the Williams Creek Area, southeast of the fish hatchery, sw of Prominitory Butte, etc, etc. But they are als...

You may be right, JK. Seems the wreck wouldve been common knowledge closer to the Payson Hatchery. I just dont know. I already heard back from USFS and they have no aircraft accident records prior to 1978 (via a Freedom of Information Act request and also a general request). Will be difficult to res...

I want to thank you all for your help (and reiterate that I am only guessing as to the Cessna crash site location on those Googlearth images). I have requested (per Nighthiker's advice) documents from USFS thru FOIA, and Gila Co. Historical Society and Sheriff's, etc. to try to nail this site down. ...

I did some old-fashioned paper-map work and think Joe may be right about Old Horton Creek Rd being the trail to Horton Spring and the area of this aircraft crash. The only other option seems to be the powerline road just west. Last option being the Rim Road. See attached Googlearth images. That's so...

Cheers JK, That's a great idea. I hadnt thought of old sheriff's records. The slurry bomber website I think you might be talking about is this one (under "Memorial"): http://airtanker.com/ They dont have this crew on there. Or location information. But it is nice of them to make the dedica...

Thanks very much, Joe. (and for the forum fix on the location of the creek) I bet you are right about the old two-track, that would fit. I am only semi-familiar with the area having looked for F-100 and P-51 crashes near there. This Cessna 180 site is even more important in my opinion, considering w...

Hello, I am looking for information regarding a wildland firefighting aircraft wreck site from June 21, 1961 near Payson. Was wondering if anyone had run across wreckage or knew of particulars about this crash. Both pilots were killed spotting for borate bombers in the "Hatchery Fire" of 1...