AT-17B #42-38739

History of Flight: This aircraft was one of three AT-17's that crashed after flying on an unauthorized flight up a canyon in the Chiricahua Mountains. The three AT-17 "Bobcats", each with an instructor and student pilot, departed Douglas Army Airfield on December 28, 1943 for a flight over the mountain range to Rodeo, New Mexico. 

They realized they were not going to make it out of the canyon after the strong downdraft prevented the aircraft from gaining the required altitude to clear the ridges. Two of the aircraft crashed into the side of the canyon, killing two of the four men. This AT-17 just made it over the top of the ridge, but clipped trees and brush so that it ended up stalling and crashing down into the next canyon and killing both occupants, 2nd Lt. Robert Andrus and Cadet Gayle Kral. The problem was that the two survivors never saw where this AT-17 went, so the USAAF really had no idea where in the mountain range the aircraft was, and eventually gave up the search.

In September, 1945, a hunter in the canyon stumbled upon the wreckage of the lost trainer high up on the rugged canyon wall.  Jim Fusco, who has spent years searching for the elusive crash, had recently been in contact with the hunter who was able to guide us back up to the spot, 56 years after he had found it.

The fabric that covered the fuselage and wings is long gone, but the wood and steel frames that shaped the aircraft are still present.