Plane wreckage in Thunder Glacier

[obsydian]

Went by the bottom of Thunder Glacier on Sunday, looks like the glacier has given up a plane wreck. Anybody know the story, when it happened and the circumstances? Wonder how long it's been in the glacier?

[Lowell_Skoog]

It would help if you could provide more clarity on which glacier you're referring to. Is this the Thunder Glacier on Mt Baker or the Thunder Glacier on Mt Buckner? If it's the one on Buckner, I imagine that the NCNP rangers at Marblemount would be interested. If it's the one on Baker, you might check with the USFS rangers at Glacier.

[obsydian]

Sorry, it is Mt Baker.

[Dru]

Is this the Thunder Glacier on Mt Baker

 

http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/threadz/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/480373/an/0/page/0/gonew/1#UNREAD

[graupel]

From 1943

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/lavalle.htm

[ScottP]

[spicoli11]

boom.......thundahttp://molbiol-tools.ca/STORM.jpg

[JoshK]

That is a pretty interesting story. I wouldn't mind visiting the site some time.

[obsydian]

Thanks graupel, interesting story, a piece of history.

[sobo]

Ditto. I always like to hear when lost souls are returned to the survivors. Kind of helps wrap things up for them.

[obsydian]

This response from the Mt. Baker Ranger District:

 

Here is the information about the plane crash. An internet search of Bellingham and Everett newspapers may reveal more information. Thank you for the heads up that more material is appearing.

 

On August 29, 1943 a NAS Whidbey PV-1 Ventura plane crashed on the west side of Mt. Baker at the Thunder Glacier, killing all 6 crew members. It had taken off at 1:30pm under light rain and fog to practice navigation between Everett and Bellingham. At 3:30 the plane radioed in that they were running on only one of its two 2,000 horsepower Pratt & Whitney engines. That was the plane’s last communication. The Navy spent hours of searching, but found no trace of the wreckage, and it was assumed that it

had crashed and sunk in the waters of Puget Sound. On October 6th, 1994,

Chuck Eaton, a hiker from Bellingham with his dog Candy hiked up to the area and at noon discovered the plane wreckage, that for 51 years had been buried under the ice of Thunder Glacier. The Navy S& R helicopter flew up to the site in late October and removed the bones of the 6 crew members, lots of live ammunition and other plane parts.