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Aircraft Wrecks in the Mountains and Deserts of the American West PT-17
While
working at YMCA Camp Conrad in the San Bernardino Mountains during the
summer of 1964 I visited the wreck of Boeing Stearman PT-17 NC53475 on the
old Heart Bar Ranch. On 7/15/45 one USAAF pilot and his civilian
instructor ran out of gas and force landed in remote Fish Creek Meadows
near the San Gorgonio Wilderness. The two men sustained only minor
injuries and then hiked for several hours before they reached State
Highway 38 at the South Fork of the Santa Ana River. A husband and wife
who were picnicking at the river on that summer day so long ago, drove the
flyers to Redlands to report the mishap. I knew part of this story since
the 60’s, but I did not know the accident date, and I assumed the plane
was USAAF. Thanks to Craig Fuller and his AAIR accident report files I was
able to learn the crew names, exact date of the crash, and that the plane
was assigned to the Civilian Pilot’s Training Program. When the State of
California took over the Heart Bar Ranch the PT-17 was hauled off to the
dump and buried there. To learn more about the resources that Craig
offers, click link below.
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