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P-MAN VI - p. 8 
ATTACHMENT 5: Finding and mapping, without successful identification, an American aircraft debris field in a mangrove in eastern Babeldaob After conducting a flyover around Palau to obtain aerial photographs of several crash sites, our Belau Air pilot introduced us to a relative who knew where another crash site was in SE Babeldaob, near the shore (in mangroves) and who was willing to take us to it. We accepted the invitation and, on 01 FEB 04, our guide took us behind some homes down to the edge of a section of mangrove swamps. Just before getting to the site, he told us that a bigger piece of the airplane used to be here but that it had been blown up a few years earlier because of the possibility of having unexploded ordnance. NOTE: For future exploration of this area, caution must be used, as undetected unexploded ordnance may still be resident. We made two visits to this site (the second on 07 FEB 04) and found a definite aircraft debris field on the edge of the mangrove swamp. However, the debris mostly consisted of small pieces of aluminum. I found a larger section of aviation-related metal (aluminum and iron?) buried in the mud 30 feet from the crater.
Joe found a couple of other pieces with characteristic shapes. Several of the pieces had the green undercoating and faded blue paint consistent with this being an American Navy or Marine aircraft. See photographs below. Attempts to date to identify even the aircraft type have been unsuccessful. More work is in progress. One historically interesting note is that the American Graves Registration report submitted in 14 MAY 47 for their review of this area calls out unidentified "US Navy Fighter Plane" aircraft debris. I have not found a corresponding after action report for this loss.
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Page last modified 28 April 2005 |
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