Warbird Information Exchange

I am looking for pictures, stories, and data on the plane the people and the crash. N16KL or 63998. PLease any info would be great.

I recall taking this photo the morning of the 13th.



Scott

That is really wild, my GrandFather Joe Dacus was killed on that plane a few hours after that picture was taken. Any idea waht happened to the wreckage and photos taken by the SNJ or AT6?

I have 4 photos of it, from my inherited collection, taken in 1984...they are all rather close up...


http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N16KL.html

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I've got an old issue of Warbirds International with an article on the incident, which includes a sequence of photos of the crash (which I assume were taken from the T-6 you mentioned.) The crash occured in water only a few feet deep, and the article says the wreckage was eventually brought ashore and scrapped.

SN

AIr Lord
How would I get a copy of the Warbirds International magazine? Any ideas? Thanks for the info.

The NTSB report can be viewed here:
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001214X41356&key=1
I have seen the photos but don't have copies. They match up well with the contents of the report, to me. Hope that helps.

Randy

@sperger1:

Its first flight was May 11, 1945, delivered to the Royal Danish Air Force August 17, 1957. Flew with them as 82-863, later as L-863. Retired from the RDanAF on November 13, 1970 and registered N16KL in July 1972.

I can provide a detailed overview of its RDanAF service if you're interested.

Some pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alfblume/s ... 480054856/

You could try contacting Challenge Publications and see if they still have back issues available. I believe it was an issue from the summer of 1985, and had a picture of an O-52 on the cover. I looked for my copy, but it must be buried in a box somewhere. If I can find it, I'll scan and post the article.

SN

I will try to get in touch with Challenge Publications to try to get the summer issue. Thank you.

I am almost certain that I just happen to have two copies of that particular issue of Warbirds. I would be glad to send you one of them sperger1. Contact me off the board at the address below and we can work out the details.

Chad Veich
cvnkv@aol.com

Hello sperger 1.
If you still are interested in history of Catalina Bu. 63998 ex. RDAF L-863, then I think I can help you. I’m new here on site.

US Navy serial: 66998, first time on water 11-05-1945
Accepted 20-05-1945 by US Navy as 66998
Installation of Jato-system at AROU no. 2, July 1945
At Kobler, Saipan, with VPB-53 Nov.45, VP-53 Dec.45, Jan.1947 overhaul at NAF-NAMC, Philadelphia, then in June to Mustin and in July to NAS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Then in 1949 it flew to Philadelphia, 1950 Mustin, San Diego, 1951 Seattle, New York, and then to NAF Litchfield
Park in Jan. 1954 with a TT of 2277:15
Sold to and accepted as 82-863 by Danish Air Force in Aug. 1957
Out of register Nov. 1970, with a TT of 6186:40
Sold to Larkin Aircraft Corp. Calif. As N16KL in July 1972.
This Cat. Was the star in the film “Midway” in 1977, it was later sold to Confederated Air Force in
Feb. 1982.
To “Lone Star Wing” of CAF in 1983
Crashed and destroyed near Port Isabel, Gulf of Mexico on the 13 Okt. 1984.

Do any now the TT on it when it crashed?
How do I post pictures!
All the best from
Erik

Hi sperger1,
I saw this plane in 1963-4 while serving in the Navy at Keflavik, Iceland. I have already posted some pictures of L-863 in Danish markings on WIX:



viewtopic.php?f=3&t=41956&hilit=iceland

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Triangle P wrote:

Hi Erik, would be great to see your pictures. In the Announcement section at the top of the WIX Hanger page there is a post called "How do you Post Pictures Again?" found here viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1822
Basically, you have to post your pics on a separate photo posting website, like Webshots ( http://www.webshots.com/ ), then paste the link provided by the photo site into the text of your post on WIX. This creates a link to your photo on the photo site and it magically appears in your WIX post.
By the way, which country are you posting from, Denmark perhaps? I have a friend that lives on Sonderho, Fano.

Thanks for the help,I will try it.
Yes I post from Denmark.
Cheers,
Erik

Thanks to everyone on the data on the PBY my Grandfather was killed in on that day. HE loved that plane and was a hell of a Guy! He died what he loved. You can see him in the distance walking around the aicraft in the picture posted the morning of the 13th.

Joe Dacus, was a man that loved his country and loved being with his PBY.

Zach Riddlesperger