F-22 Crash Site Scouting 3-29-09 (Updated 8-22-09) New Photo

[Fetus]

Well from what I know the Air Force was at this site for almost a month. So I returned some 4 months later, this Saturday.

There was a lot of cloud cover that made it somewhat muggy but I didn't have to deal with the sun beating down on me.

I took my laptop with me and loaded with Overland Navigator 2.0, Expert GPS, and USA Photomaps. I also took my paper maps of the area.

I headed out towards Cuddeback Lake and drove onto the middle of a car commercial film shoot. Looks like Cadillacs? They were driving almost 100 mph across the lakebed.







I found the crash site after a little work. I couldn't tell that a plane crashed there. They excavated the whole site (about 100 yards in each direction) and replanted the desert sagebrushes in a few places. There was torn up bushes and twigs and things of that nature. But for the most part it was completely sterilized. No crater. No burned bushes. No burned dirt. No smell of burned fuel. No cyanide vapors killing me on the inside...

The Excavated and Graded Site


So it was uneventful.

On the way out, I decided that I was going to recon this place. The old Boron Air Force Station which is now abandoned except for the white dome which is still in use. It was also used as a federal prison camp at one time (minimum security I assume).



The road off the 395 is blocked by a gate.

I was off road and using USA Photmaps to find a way near or in. With Photomaps, it has GPS tracking so I can see exactly where I am at, what is on the other side of a hill, or where a road goes. Its free. The downside is that you have to download the maps and photos to the hard drive manually. If you're like me, I never have the map I need on my hard drive. This is the first time I used aerial photos offroading and it really helped with knowing exactly what was around my "bubble".

Fortunately for me, I had these aerials.



I snapped a couple photos of the place. Very interesting place and hasn't been vandalized yet with graffitti.





I also made a couple simplex contacts on 146.520 with stations about 30 miles away. They were surprised when I told them where I was for some reason.

I want to now find the T-38 crash site outside California City that happened a month or so after the F-22 crash and see how clean that site is.

[gon2srf]

Excellent recon, photos and story! Enjoyed it thanks.

[BorregoWrangler]

Wow, looks like they really know how to clean up after themselves.

[brentbba]

...and you'll probably be getting a knock on your door by a couple of agents in black suits before too long! Nice story and pics!!!

[Arkarch]

Looks like a first generation Porsche Cayenne ("Pepper") doing the camera work for the commercial. Gotta give the love out to my Touareg's 7L chassis cousins, as ugly as they may be

Anyway,, I'm not sure I have your guts to wander in to military areas like that. But if you ever do come out to Nevada, I'd love to hear where you go.

edit - I see you have been near 51. Now what about the newer sites?

[SteveS]

Looks like I missed you by a week.

I was out in this area last weekend, Aug 29-30.

I left 395 just north of Boron Prison (your last few pics) toward Fremont Pk, which I looped around to Hamburger Mill. Headed across the dry lake to the 20 Mule route to Blackwater Well. Then I back-tracked thru Grass Valley wilderness, to Slocum Camp. I went on the new base fence which is done except for the gates. I stayed off the base because I’d already been contacted by the MP’s on my last trip to Goldstone. I camped up on Opal Pk sat night, it was nice but somewhat smoky.

Is searching out wreck site a hobby of your? I’ve never set out to look for a crash site, but have run across a few over the years. I get a lot of joy finding things I didn’t expect.

[Fetus]

Looks like a first generation Porsche Cayenne ("Pepper") doing the camera work for the commercial. Gotta give the love out to my Touareg's 7L chassis cousins, as ugly as they may be

Anyway,, I'm not sure I have your guts to wander in to military areas like that. But if you ever do come out to Nevada, I'd love to hear where you go.

edit - I see you have been near 51. Now what about the newer sites?

That Cayenne was hauling. It was kind of neat to watch them pass me at almost 100mph while I'm doing a cool 25 in my Jeep.

The old military area off the 395 has been abandoned for several years, so its not too scary wandering onto it. I just didn't hang out for too long. Some of the people you come across in the desert and abandoned buildings can be sketchy.

I haven't been near any other sites in Nevada. The drive kills me though I'd like to see more.

[Fetus]

Looks like I missed you by a week.

I was out in this area last weekend, Aug 29-30.

I left 395 just north of Boron Prison (your last few pics) toward Fremont Pk, which I looped around to Hamburger Mill. Headed across the dry lake to the 20 Mule route to Blackwater Well. Then I back-tracked thru Grass Valley wilderness, to Slocum Camp. I went on the new base fence which is done except for the gates. I stayed off the base because I’d already been contacted by the MP’s on my last trip to Goldstone. I camped up on Opal Pk sat night, it was nice but somewhat smoky.

Is searching out wreck site a hobby of your? I’ve never set out to look for a crash site, but have run across a few over the years. I get a lot of joy finding things I didn’t expect.

I'm very familiar with that area. I'm sure you've been out to the Dirt Bike memorial. That's always cool to visit. Where did you come across the MPs? I've been out by Superior Lake range but not far east as Goldstone or Fort Irwin. Though I'm sure its pretty close.

Searching for wrecks is a side hobby. Guns, geocaching, GPS, and airplane wrecks are little side missions for my off road trips. The history that still sits untouched in the desert is something else. Gotta do something besides burn gas.

[SteveS]

I'm very familiar with that area. I'm sure you've been out to the Dirt Bike memorial.

Where did you come across the MPs?

I've been out by Superior Lake range

Searching for wrecks is a side hobby. ...The history .....

Yes I’ve been to the Dirt Bike Mem., but haven’t stopped at it in 10+ years. Last time I dove by it was maybe 2 years ago on a trip to Coolgardie from Harper dry lake. I know, I know, anyone who can read a map can see that’s the LONG WAY, but I like to drive dirt roads.

The MPs stopped me about 5 miles east of Goldstone, on the road going to the Stripped Stone Cabin (we called it Band House). Like most that have been exploring the desert for a long time, and go to the seldom traveled areas around Military installations I’ve had my share of contact with MPs.

I’m not familiar with the place “Superior Lake range” but I know where China Lake range B and the Deep Space tracking station is. Last time I actually drove out on Superior Dry lake was to investigate something that turned out to be a 4 wheel-drive trailer. It was rear engine with a transaxle with a torque tube running to the front diff. It was kinda cool.

Sound like we’re both reading the same book (so to speak) hope to meet ya along the trail some day.

BTW, when I was in the desert last I saw the biggest Bobcat I have ever seen in the desert. It was about 50 feet from me sitting on rock, staring straight at me, after about 30 seconds it leaped to another rock and disappeared between some boulders. For me that was a real treat to see an old healthy cat like that.