One Of Arizona's Worst Plane Wrecks Can Still Be Visited By The Most Committed Hikers

Apart from changing the global political landscape and churning out tech that is relevant till date, World War II played a crucial role in taking aviation to new heights. The aviation industry in the U.S. was at the forefront of this growth, as the country added close to 80,000 military aircraft to its fleet during the war. The fleet included multiple bombers like the B-17, B-24, B-26, and others, which were mostly flown and tested in the less dense states of Arizona, California, and other southwestern parts of the country. As aviation tech was just taking off, aircraft accidents were a common sight, especially during the war.

According to Aircraft Archaeology, there were over a thousand crashes between the 1940s and the 1960s in Arizona itself. While many of the crash sites have been cleared off, some hard to reach crash sites still hold the wreckage, offering a glimpse into the past. These sites are mostly located in secluded areas like the Rincon Mountains in Arizona, and the Ivanpah Mountains in California. Interestingly, you can visit some of the World War II plane crash sites even today.

A popular crash site, holding the wreckage from a fallen B-24 Liberator Bomber, is located close to Humphreys Peak in Arizona. Although the hike to the wreckage is moderately difficult, most committed hikers can make it through.

The B-24 was the most-produced military plane in the U.S. and easily one of the most important planes in World War II. Developed by the Consolidated Aircraft Company in 1938, these were primarily designed as an upgrade over the B-17 (another great aircraft that helped win World War II). The aircraft offered greater speed, longer range, and a higher payload capacity over the B-17, making it useful in a variety of operations such as patrolling Atlantic cargo ships, supplying essentials and weapons to the French resistance, and bombing critical German infrastructure. The B-24 also played a critical role in facilitating the D-Day attack by targeting the Germans from the sky.

Despite being the best at the time, the B-24s were involved in a fair share of crashes, especially during the peak of the war. On September 15, 1944, a training version of the B-24 Liberator Bomber carrying eight crew members was cleared to take off from Bakersfield to Kirtland Field in New Mexico. A navigational error caused the training flight to stray 15 miles away from its intended course. To further worsen things, the visibility was extremely low during the flight as clouds were present at much lower altitudes of 6,000 feet. As a result, the aircraft crashed into the western side of Humphreys Peak at around 3:30 AM. The impact from the crash killed all eight crew members and scattered the wreckage all around the impact site.

The B-24 crashed into the mountain at an elevation of 11,300 feet, only a few hundred feet below the peak. Moreover, the 7-mile-long roundtrip to the peak is filled with rocks and boulders, especially near the crash site, making it somewhat treacherous for beginner climbers.

If you are confident in your hiking abilities, you can start the ascent by following the main trail from the parking area for the Humphreys peak. Keep following the main trail for about three miles, before branching off towards the crash site. There should be a faint trail and cairns toward the crash site. If you hike on a sunny day, chances are that you will see the reflection from the wreckage from a distance. After you spot the wreckage, keep heading in its direction to reach the crash site.

The wreckage includes parts of the B-24's fuselage, wings, propellors, landing gear, and more. The site also includes damaged parts of the legendary Pratt and Whitney R-1830 engine that powered the aircraft. Some of the greatest fighter jets in the history have been powered by Pratt and Whitney engines. A large portion of the aircraft's wings is also present in the wreckage, with the USAAF star still intact. Apart from reflecting on the tragic incident and the aircraft's glorious history, the wreckage site offers pristine views of beautiful Arizonan landscape.