Cheaha Wilderness Adventure - Airplane Crash Site

The airplane crash site near McDill Point, AL

On Day 1 of our Cheaha hiking trip, we came across the crash site of an airplane.  I assumed it would be a Cessna because those things are always crashing.  However, Brent shocked me by saying, "Do you know what plane this is?"  It was a Mooney!  I cannot believe the irony involved in this situation.  The fact that we worked for the manufacturer who produced this aircraft, albeit later models than this, and we happened to be hiking on a trail to went right beside a crashed one was very ironic to us! 

Needless to say, when we discovered that it was a Mooney we were excited and fascinated beyond belief.  We spent the next half hour exploring and studying the wreckage, identifying parts and trying to determine what happened. 

I decided that as soon as I came home, I would determine which aircraft it was and hopefully who died. We couldn't help but believe the pilot didn't survive.  Look at the wreckage!  

Below, I will share my pictures and the identification and assessment of those parts. I cannot guarantee the accuracy due to the condition of the wreckage, so if there are any mistakes, please forgive me.

This is what is left of the horizontal stabilizers.  

 The vertical stabilizer was missing and we could not find it.  The vertical stabilizer would have attached in the center of the above piece.

The remains of the metal roll-cage that surrounds the cabin of the fuselage.

The metal roll-cage lends structural stability to the cabin section of the fuselage for added safety for the pilot and passengers of the aircraft. The engine mount would have attached to the front on which the engine would have been mounted at the very front of the aircraft.  We did not find any evidence of the engine or mount and assume that it was removed after the crash.  We also did not find any trace of the landing gear and we assume they were removed as well.  The wheel wells in the wings were empty. 

The remains of the firewall.

This is the firewall, which was installed between the engine and the cabin.  It offered extra protection for the plane's occupants in case of an engine fire. 

A fuel line attached to the firewall.

This is where the wing connected to the fuselage.

 Above, you can see evidence of where the wing was attached to the fuselage.  Inside the roll-cage, you can see a large strip of metal laying across what was once a plane.  This was part of the wing spar.  The pilot's seats would have been mounted above this.

A piece of one of the charred wing.

Part of the wing showing a piece of the step.

Brent examining a flap hinge which was locked in the down position.

 Brent was very fascinated by the flap hinge which was locked in the down position.  He looked at the one remaining flap and this hinge and believes that the pilot extended his flaps fully some time before he crashed.  This is very curious and makes us wonder what the pilot was doing.  Extended flaps would slow the aircraft and increase lift.  You usually only lower flaps when coming in for a landing.  Was he trying to come in for a landing somewhere?
The roll cage and fuselage were lying in a south by southwest direction.  Was this where the craft landing after crashing or was the fuselage moved to this position later?  Was the pilot flying in a southernly direction in an attempt to reach Ashland airport to land?

A view looking back into the tail cone. 

A view looking toward the cabin through the tail cone.

Due to the condition of the fuselage, we guess that the aircraft rolled or flipped over at least once of twice before reaching its resting place.  There was significant crumpling of the sheet metal and interior structure all around the craft.

A hose clamp that I found laying inside the fuselage.

The right side of the plane with N6...6Q of the registration number visible. 

The writing in black next to the red X was someone's attempt at humor that states, "I knew I should have taken the bus."

A piece of a wing with indentions from its impact with a tree.

A piece of a wing torn open to review the yellow wing spar.

A view of the cabin section and the metal roll-cage that protects it.  

A view of an access panel.

This is where the tail assembly attached to the fuselage.

Brent was very fascinated that the hinge that attached the tail assembly to the fuselage was still intact on the plane.  He always thought that the hinge would be the weakest point of the aircraft's tail.  He thought if the tail were to break off, it would break at the hinge point.  However, in this case, the tail assembly was torn off, but the hinge was left intact on the plane.  How interesting.  I guess the hinge point is not always the weakest point.

A view of the aircraft standing on its left hand side. 

A wing tip with its light missing. 

Part of the interior of the wing.  Notice the scorch marks.

More discoloration to the metal on the wing spar due to fire.

This section of the wing was crushed by an impact, probably with a tree.

Close-up of impacted section of wing.

The rusted push rod for the flight controls.  

Another impact area on the wing, probably from another tree.

 There was lots of evidence of a massive fire around the plane.  The cabin was gone...as in aliens zapped it away.  So either (A) rescue workers hauled everything cabin related away, or (B) the cabin burned. Considering the state of advanced decay of the roll cage, which Brent says is due to extreme heat, and the evidence of a very hot fire on the sheet metal below, we think that most of the cabin burned away.

Brent holding a piece of the cabin skin that was seriously burned.  Little else remained of the cabin.

A view of the underside of the tail assembly.

Link to NTSB data
Here are the details of the crash from the National Transportation Safety Board's website:
Aircraft: Mooney M20C, Registration N6386QPilot Data: Private name; age 50; 500 total hours flight time; 200 hours flight time in Mooney aircraft; not     instrument rated.Date of crash: 12/26/1972Location:  near McDill Point in Cheaha Wilderness, ALDeparture Point: Longview, TXIntended Destination: Marietta, GAPhase of Operation in Flight: Normal CruiseType of Accident: Collision with Ground, pilot in controlProbable Cause: Pilot in command, continued VFR flight into adverse weather conditionsFactors: weather-low ceiling; weather-obstructions to vision; weather-high obstructionWeather Briefing:  pilot received weather briefing; method unknownWeather Forecast: substantially correctMissing Aircraft:  Recovered later. Fire after impact. Aircraft recovered 12/28/72 about 100 feet below mountain ridge.
Summary for those not versed in flight terminology:  A 50 year old man took off from Longview, TX on Dec. 26, 1972 flight bound for Marietta, GA.  He only had 200 hours flight time in a Mooney aircraft.  He was not instrument rated, which means that he is not certified to fly at night or in bad weather, i.e. anytime he cannot see out the windows and must rely only on his instruments to fly.  He continued his flight even though he knew of adverse weather conditions.  Somewhere over AL, he was having difficulty seeing, probably due to cloud cover.  He dropped too low while flying and impacted the high point of a ridge in between the cities of Ashland and Oxford in AL. He died. 


These are our thoughts on the crash.  We do not know the exact details of what happened.  Also, the crash site is 39 years old, and therefore the details of the evidence have long been erased by both the elements and human curiosity.  It was invigorating to act as detectives and try to determine what happened and identify the parts to learn their story.   However, even amongst all our fun, my heart goes out to the pilot and his family.  No one should have to die in such a tragic way.  

Cheaha Wilderness Adventure - Day 1

Brent and I were so excited to go on a weekend backpacking adventure to Cheaha State Park in AL.  The drive from Huntsville to Cheaha only took about two and a half hours, driving on Hwy 431.  My parents came into town to watch the kids while we were gone.
Early Saturday morning, we loaded the packs into Brent's jeep and headed off for Cheaha.  We ate a large breakfast at a Cracker Barrel along the way.  Once we arrived at Cheaha State Park, we parked at the Cheaha trail head parking lot and shouldered our packs to begin our trip.

We started at Cheaha trail head and took the Pinhoti Connector trail which connects Cave Creek trail to the Pinhoti next to Hwy 281.  Of course, the connector trail would immediately go UP...and up...and up the ridge.  All of the trails in this area are covered with rocks of all sizes and lots of beautiful white quartz.  After hiking up the hill a short distance, we connected with the Pinhoti Trail and began to hike south along the ridge.

Let me just say, I renamed the trail.  From this day forth, the section of the Pinhoti from Cave Creek Connector trail head to AL 281 shall be now as Trail of Many Rocks.  I'll explain why.
The Pinhoti Trail follows the ridge line, up and down the ridge as the elevation changes.  It even crosses several peaks.  This section of AL is covered in rocks.  Lots and lots of rocks.  You must step over, on, beside, and even climb over these rocks.  They come in all sizes from tiny little gravel size chunks under your feet to huge boulders that are bigger than most SUVs.
Brent thoroughly enjoyed all the rock climbing...me, not so much.  I'm so clumsy that I had to pay so much attention to where I placed my feet that I missed most of the scenery along the trail.  However, I will recommend the trail if you want to see some excellent vistas and you are looking for a challenge.  This trail is definitely rated a  4...difficult!

We followed the Pinhoti Trail along the ridge until we came to a rocky outcrop with a campsite beside it.  If we weren't only about a mile into our loop, we would have camped there.  It was gorgeous.  The view faced west, so if you camped there, you could sit along the ledge and watch the sun set over the distant ridges.  I really want to return to this section of the Pinhoti one day so that I can camp on this overlook.

A campsite on a ridge along the Pinhoti Trail.

After enjoying the view, we hiked along (mostly up) until we reached Hernandez Peak.  The last 50 feet or so to reach the peak are brutal.  Let me repeat...BRUTAL.  At least I didn't have to go very far.  See the pictures below.

The Pinhoti Trail going up to Hernandez Point.

Brent, waiting for me at the top of Hernandez Peak.

Hernandez Peak.

Brent waiting for me to finish taking pictures. 

After passing Hernandez Peak, we crossed the boundary into Cheaha Wilderness.  We continued traveling along the Pinhoti, passing several beautiful overlooks from the ridge.  The hike after Hernandez Peak was a moderate hike with lots of rocks.

Cheaha Wilderness plaque to mark the boundary.

View from the Pinhoti.

Brent enjoying another overlook on the Pinhoti.

I tried to get in as many pictures as I could since I'm usually the one behind the camera. 

Yet another beautiful overlook.  I could sit here for hours. 

Brent, standing on the above overlook.  The pine tree behind me, out of sight. 

After resting for a few minutes at Hernandez peak, we hiked along until we reached the side trail that goes to McDill Point.  We turned right and proceeded down the trail, which is only a quarter mile in length.  Just down the trail, we came across the wreckage of an old aircraft.  See this post for details on the wreckage.

1972 Crash of a Mooney M20C aircraft - near McDill Point.

After examining the aircraft for nearly half an hour, we walked to McDill Point.  The plan was to hang out there for a while, but someone was camping on the overlook, so we just snapped a couple of pictures and continued back to the Pinhoti.

View from McDill Point.

We hiked along the Pinhoti until we found a large campsite situated on the side of a ridge.  It was a decent campsite.  We've seen better, but out of the three in the immediate area, we choose the one with the flattest ground to set up the tent and a large log for sitting.  It also already had a pile of firewood available, most of which was cedar.    Brent and I set up the campsite.  We stopped so early that once the campsite was set up, we didn't have anything else to do!  We decided to take a nap in the tent.  After about an hour of napping, we woke back up and began to prepare dinner and some tea.  While dinner "cooked" and cooled (which takes about 20 minutes), we talked about the future and where we see ourselves in one, five, and even ten years.

Once dinner was ready, we tried eating outside, but the bugs were swarming so bad that we retreated into our tent to eat in peace.  Afterwards, Brent started the fire, which produced enough smoke to chase most of the bugs away.  We sat around for several hours talking and enjoying the view of the stars and beautiful full moon.  We also played a couple of hands of gin rummy, in which Brent beat me profoundly.

After playing cards, we retired to our sleeping bags in the tent.  I slept soundly the entire night.  Brent didn't sleep as well as me.

A White Christmas

On Christmas morning, Brent and I woke up to see several inches of snow on the ground and more still coming down!  It was gorgeous.  After spending the morning playing with the kids, we decided to go to Monte Sano State Park and hike in the snow.  Brent was very excited because he has never hiked in snow like this.  It was at least 4-5 inches deep in most places.  Brent's mother, Shareen, watched the kids for us as we headed out in Brent's jeep.  The roads were fine until we reached the bottom of the mountain.  The road was closed off, but we were able to drive around the barrier to creep up the mountain side.  We only hit one small patch of ice in a shadowed curve; the rest of the road was in great shape.  As we rounded a corner near the top, we saw two parallel lines in the snow in several places.  Brent thought it was tracks from a baby stroller, but I recognized the sled tracks.  As we turned the corner, we saw the families who were using the closed road as their sledding slope.  We received some nasty looks from parents as slowly passed them.  Sheesh...don't they know a Jeep is an off-road vehicle?

Once we reached the top, we parked near the trail head of the Sinks trail.  There were no tracks anywhere.  We were obviously the only idiots who wanted to hike in the snow on Christmas Day.  I warned Brent that we had better not get lost because I didn't even think the park rangers were out on that day!

A picture of Brent next to his snow covered Jeep.

After grabbing our hiking sticks and zipping up our coats, we headed out down the Sinks trail.  There were no footprints anywhere in the snow except for the occasional deer track.  We had to blaze our own way through the trails, trying to step through 4-5 inches of snow.  Though it was starting to melt in the valley, it was not melting on the mountain.  

Brent, admiring the view from the trail.

Posing for a picture on the snow covered trail.

Brent, stopping for a moment before we descended to the Stone Cuts.

Shortly after taking this picture, I had to stop for a bathroom break.  Yes, I know.  Why would I even mention that on my blog?  Well, I just wanted to say that I trail tested the Go Girl and it worked with flying colors.  Trail tested and approved in 30 degree weather over snow covered ground.  As Brent pointed out to me, why would a female want to squat on the ground when the snow is about squatting height?  He is so charming, isn't he?  Charming, only sometimes, but practical, always. I fully recommend the Go Girl to all women out there.  The best $9.99 purchase you can buy if your restroom options are severely limited.   

A shot of me climbing some rocks to get to the cave.

 

The pictures above are of me and Brent in the "cave" of the Stone Cuts.  It was very warm and dry in there.  It was darker in there than it appears to be in the photographs.  I was having fun with my camera and showing Brent the low light feature that allows me to take some awesome no-flash photos in places...such as a cave!  

After leaving the "cave," Brent and I stopped for another picture.  I wanted a picture of the two of us.  Brent, brilliant as he always is, suggested that we wedge the camera into a fork in a tree.  It worked fantastically.  However, when he asked me if I wanted the self-timer set on 10 seconds, I responded positively.  Isn't it always set on 10 seconds, I wondered.  The answer, yes.  The "10" that my husband set the self-timer on actually set the number of photographs for the camera to take.  We had to stand there smiling while it snapped 10 pictures in a row!  On the bright side, if you quickly flip through the pictures you can see the tree limbs behind us blowing in the breeze.