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Aircraft Wrecks in the Mountains and Deserts of the American West De Havilland DH-4B
On December 7, 1922 Lt.Col. Charles Webber, USAAS, along with his passenger, Col. Francis C. Marshall departed Rockwell Field on North Island near San Diego, Ca. for an inspection tour of army posts in Arizona. Bad weather east of San Diego resulted in the fatal crash of the U.S. Army Air Service DH-4B on the SE slope of Cuyamaca Mountain. Intensive air and ground searches found no trace of the DH-4B until a group of cattlemen stumbled upon the wreck while rounding up stray cattle on May 12, 1923. The plane remained on the mountain for many years until it was finally removed in the 1960's. The Liberty engine and a few parts remained to be mounted on a concrete and rock base that included a memorial plaque. The memorial was completed with the approval of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park Rangers. Visiting the memorial requires entry into the state park via Hwy.79, then proceeding to Green Valley Campground where the two mile hike up Monument Trail begins. Elevation at the memorial is 4,800'. The best season for this hike is fall through spring. Mountain Lions are residents of this area and hiking alone is not recommended.
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 My only visit to the DH-4B memorial was in the winter of 1986. A few inches of fresh snow had fallen on the Liberty engine the day before my arrival.
Addendum: The above link is an Adobe .pdf document. You must have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to see it. |
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