Warbird Information Exchange

Hi All,

This concerns the Navy's salvage attempt of PBM Mariner Bu# 59172 from Lake Washington back in the '90's. Although I hadn't realized this previously, according to the NHC website the tail assembly was recovered and given to the NMNA for possible restoration as an individual display.

Is anyone familiar with the current status of this chunk of PBM?

TIA

Dan

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

That sounds like tax payer's money being well spent and being spent!

Rob,

Here's the original article--straight from the NHC site. Scroll down to the second-last paragraph, and four objectives are stated as having been successfully completed (following the Fall, 1996 "tear-her-in-two"). One of the objectives is the recovery of the tail section and donation to NMNA.

http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/org12-6c.htm

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

In the 4th paragraph it also mentions over 100 artifacts that were recovered and turned over. I wonder what happened to those?

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Jeff

HI This is another sad story of poor planning of a recovery operation. this was a very sound and well preserved a/c.The problem came due to using cables to attept to lift a very large/heavy a/c that was filled with silt. A more reasonable attempt and better chance of recovery would have been to use several air bags strategically placed to support the heavy wings and fuselage floating it to shallow waters then disassemble and remove.Again instead of a preserved example of a rare a/c we now have another display as wreckovered artifact that does not have the same effect!One could only speculate at what could have been if an experienced group like maybe the Lake Michigan guys would have been given the job!!It may have not been done for free but ill bet it would have been a succesful recovery and now on display, instead a destroyed hulk which now presents a much more of a underwater danger to sport divers than a historic artifact that it once was.Whos great idea was this to make such a failed attempt?they had a recovery co. with a proven track record of underwater recoverys yet they made the choice to use a cheaper source,ill bet if you do the math the price of destroying the a/c by using the cheap way/a training exercise vs. what the private sector would have charged Im positive it would be easy to see which was more fruitful!!Moral of this story is you get what you pay for!! lets hope and pray they dont do the same thing with the devastator or anymore rare a/c that they attempt to recover !!thanks Mike

I just can't comprehend the '96 effort. By the NHC's admission, the two "goals" were 1) recovery of the aircraft and 2) training of the salvage crews. Good grief, would one take gemologists-in-training and let them take a whack at the Hope Diamond? The act was negligent, and the NHC owes the historical community an enormous apology. Instead they describe how valuable a training exercise the project turned out to be!

Pure and unadulterated gall...

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Here are some links for more info:

http://www.nwrain.net/~newtsuit/recover ... bm/pbm.htm
http://members.tripod.com/~manchurianhi ... /pbm-5supp
http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/org12-6c.htm
http://members.tripod.com/~manchurianhi ... snov98.htm

Hey BD,

I hadn't seen the last photo in your first link before. I'm assuming it shows at least part of what the "recovery" crew brought up in '96. The big question: Where is it now?

By the way, any idea on what days you'll be on the OSH grounds?

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

It's really sad, the whole thing. Who loses? The American poeple

actually I think we all lose, regardless of being american or not.

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Jeff