T-6 Salvage

[HarvardIV]

A few years ago Barnstormers mentioned a T-6 that ditched in Lake Tahoe. Can anyone confirm this?

[Roger Cain]

Don't recall hearing about that one, but as a note, Lake Tahoe is deep. With a maximum depth of 1,645 feet (501m) and an average of 1000' (305m) deep, not much is brought up off the bottom.

[airnutz]

So... up to now, that's a good thing ..right? The right conditions too!
Stable thermoclines, the depth indicated would put the temps in the 40's
to high 30's, no massive seasonal silt burial resulting in a "dirt-filled"
airframe too heavy to retrieve w/o buckling etc., and low o2.

The fact that there is no "driving-current" to contend with, is what makes these conditions possible...and inviting for a stable project platform.
Volcanic lakes, especially at higher altitudes are the most logical place
to head for in times of trouble! The terrain surrounding them is often
"chocked with rocks"...or it's surrounded in tall trees! An additional
plus for Tahoe is the historic availablity it has as a destination in early SoCal aviation days.

Gotta' be a sweet floatplane/amphib ..or 2 or 3 there somewhere?
Maybe something in stainless or a nice Doug Dolphin...

[airnutz]

Harvard IV,
I found some data from a 1998 USGS survey of Tahoe...Thar's gold in
that there survey!
....Wanna take a ride????......"Flight" over Tahoe subscape,

http://tahoe.usgs.gov/movies.html

Read the page all the way thru, and then select . Long download times for "nominal" 'puters...but very nice resolution..right off of the maps!

Bathymetry Images
http://tahoe.usgs.gov/bathimages.html

They used a high-resolution multi-beam mapping system which simultaneously collects backscatter return( similar to sidescan sonar).
Meaning, an image interpretation based on the "shadow" of the hit .
Maybe if one could meet the operater..he could return with that
persons "gut-feelings" about data he observed.

There are more thorough downloads in file and zip.

Open File Report,
Outlining mission requirements, scan-bands, environmental interferences and resultant adjustments for success...
http://tahoe.usgs.gov/openfile.html

It's nice when 'Gubment works "with" us!

Addenda; Tahoe is not a volcanic lake, but it is "geologically-blocked"
due to 'crust upheavel',..and later "glacial gouged". My bad..I hadn't
read upon it in some time.

[HarvardIV]

Take a look at Photo 5 under Bathymetry Images. The lower rt hand corner shows the shape of a plane. Try zooming in on it..

[airnutz]

Yeah..I noticed that...but I didn't want to jump to a conclusion. Thanx fer
the suggestion to zoom-in, but I'd "cough-up a lung" if I tried to peddle
this old Dell P-II that fast!...or my 'puter illiteracy is showing.I wanted to look at Fig. 5 in Bathy compared to Fig 9 on the Open File Report page.
I have to wait till I can get over to my brothers 'puter and his dexterity
with these infernal things.

I did try to access Fig. 9, because that is the "backscatter imagery",
it doesn't appear to be part of the public info, or the link is bad. The
beauty of it is, that map in their words is, "...bathymetry is completely
geo-referenced with the backscatter. Consequently, EACH PIXEL on the
map has a latitude, longitude, depth, and backscatter value
assigned to it..."

What would be "really cool", is if you could combine Fig.5 Bathy and 9 Open File...and then combine that with the "Fly-Over" movie. That
would be a cool ride. But that might involve more than what a T-6 is
worth!

Hmmmnnn..need to find a 'puter animation guy who is a real sucke..rrr..uhhh..mmmm...aircraft-nut!

Harvard what did you get when you zoomed-in on fig. 5 ?

[HarvardIV]

Well, it drew even less conclusions. It looks like a plane however. THe interesting thing is when you look at photo 2 and photo 5 both show an object. THe interesting thing is that photo 2 is looking south abd photo 5 is looking west in the same position!

I'll try the "fly over" this evening, and see if the same "object" comes up.

[Elwyn]

I enlarged the #5 photo and posted it onto my Oshkosh warbirds album. Looks like it could be a plane and it almost looks like an indistinct shadow of an empennage on one end but it's not the same light value as the rest so it may not be anything.



http://community.webshots.com/album/170548502gjSPHe

Last edited by Elwyn on Tue Nov 30, 2004 7:07 pm, edited 3 times in total.

[HarvardIV]

Hey Elwyn and everyone:

Talked to Craig Fuller with AAIR (Aviation Archeology) said he's heard the story of the lake Tahoe T-6 too. He doesn't have the crash records on the a/c, because the serial # is unknown. I would bet some of the older community in the Tahoe area may have remembered it happening. By the way, with that photo #5, the exact coordinates can be found from the USGS website.

Thanks,

Chris

[airnutz]

Thanx for the help Elwyn, turns out my Bro's 'puter is down. I've been
"digging" with what I have on a different course. Hmmmn...interesting image.

It looks like "it" is sitting "astride" a small ravine, which ends in a rubble-
pile at the lower right corner of the hillocks.

Thanx Harvard, I'll have to go back and see if I can get the co-ordinates.
Were they indexed to a depth, as well? Sure wish I knew the actual
scale dimensions we are viewing. It really does not look like
any natural geologic formation...considering its surrounding bottomscape.

Harvard, do you have a "rough" idea of the date the T-6 went down?
40's, 50's, etc. ?

The other "course" of search that I hinted at was that I've been reading
through diver, wreck chaser and historical blogs etc. of the area.
was planning to mail inquiries to some of the older historians etc. in the area pertaining to the T-6 as well as any recollection of lost planes in Tahoe. And of course I'm interested if the surveyor is content to
manage the machinery all day... or do they "note" interesting "returns"
in a Log or personal diary???

Curiouser and curiouser...

[HarvardIV]

Hi Airnutz:

I have family in Tahoe, and I think it will be pretty easy to find out. It ditched in the 40's, I believe.

[HarvardIV]

Hi Airnutz:

I have family in Tahoe, and I think it will be pretty easy to find out. It ditched in the 40's, I believe.