Aircraft Wrecks in the Mountains and Deserts of the American West

FM-1/FM-2 Wildcat
Date Unknown

 Special thanks to Bob Suacci and Randy Lawson for sharing these photos of one of the many U.S. Navy losses on and around Goose Lake in NE California. At least half a dozen F4F, FM-1, FM-2, SBD, and SB2C aircraft crashed on or near the bombing target in the center of Goose Lake. Some of these aircraft wrecks are located around the shoreline, or directly south of the now defunct Lakeview Naval Auxiliary Air Facility (Lakeview Municipal Airport) in Oregon. At least one military wreck is located near the ruins of an old hunting lodge near the Stateline on the SE side of the lake. A cleanup effort undertaken during a time of low lake levels in the late 1970’s resulted in the removal of several wrecks, but many others still remain scattered across, and around a currently very dry lake. The wreck photos taken by Randy Lawson are thought to be that of a General Motors built FM-1 or FM-2.