MIAMI — The simply call came in that there was a probable aircraft crash deep in the Everglades Countrywide Park. For confident there was scattered wreckage. News helicopters scrambled. A examine with the individuals at Everglades Nationwide Park immediately decided that there was no crisis.
The park’s community info spokesperson Allyson Gantt instructed CBS4, “The report arrived in as a latest airplane crash. But the particles out there is really evident it is rusting.” Gantt added, “It was two Maritime Corps planes that had been on a instruction mission in 1954 and there was a mid-air collision.”
Airplane crashes in the Everglades — there have been loads of them big and compact — have remaining debris fields scattered in the park. They are occasionally visited and documented by teams of airplane crash archeologists. About the a long time, with changes in foliage and h2o amounts, the old wreaks grow to be seen.
Stationed at Maritime Corps Air Station have been a fleet of Douglas Advertisement-5 sky raiders. The Advert-5 is a a number of-seat variant of the single-seat Skyraider fighter bomber.
Couple of people recall that in the 1950s, there was a Marine Corps Air Station in Miami, Opa-Locka to be precise, situated on what now is the Coast Guard air facility at Miami-Opa-Locka Government Airport.
The two Ad-5s took off June 3, 1954 on an instrument traveling training mission. 4 on board the two aircraft. 3 died in the mid-air collision. The fourth Marine included survived.
Allyson Gantt claims, “I consider it was very incredible he was capable to survive. Just remaining ejected from the plane….”
Pfc. William G. Collier, 20-a long time-old at the time, instructed his hometown newspaper, he “just went together for the experience.” He mentioned he was blown crystal clear by an explosion when the planes hit at 4,000 toes.
“I was thrown out with the seat,” he claimed. “I then pulled the parachute rip twine. It was the very first time I experienced at any time parachuted.”
There are no plans to clear away the crash debris just after all these yrs.
Allyson Gantt advised CBS4, “It is way out there. It is challenging to uncover. And, you know, now it is preserved as a cultural resource. 1 of the issues the countrywide parks do, and undoubtedly in the Everglades, we assume of safeguarding the all-natural resources. But we are also tasked to be preserving our cultural resources.”
