Having received permission from United
States Forest Service personnel to remove parts of the wreckage for research,
TIGHAR members Bill Carter and John Clauss extricated the following sixteen
artifacts for laboratory study:
2-9-A-1
Surface covering fragment 14.6cm x 9.6cm x 1mm.
Possible floor covering material fragment, but inconsistent
with known floor covering examples recovered. Orange in color, with one
2cm wide band along one edge darker from apparent protection by another
object overlaying it and protecting it from deterioration by exposure
to light and other elements. Possibly rubber or linoleum, this fragment
shows evidence of a blue/greenish residue that appears to match the color
of the identified floor covering. It is possible that this fragment is
from a mat that was lying on, or adhered to, the blue-green floor covering.
2-9-A-2
Surface covering fragment 9.5cm x 5.5cm x 1mm
This blue/green surface covering (flooring?) material fragment,
possibly linoleum, features one edge that has curled under.
2-9-A-3
Foil fragment 2.5cm x 2cm
A fragment of aluminum foil insulation/vapor barrier.
2-9-A-4
Wooden assembly fragment 29cm x 1.5cm x 1.5cm
A section of thin wood veneer, that covered a portion of
a cabin wall, nailed to a tacking strip mounted under cabin window.
2-9-A-5
Leather fragment 15cm x 10cm
This fragment of leather or artificial leather is dark
brown in color.
2-9-A-6
Channel fragment 22.6cm x 4.8cm x 1mm
Found lying loose in the drainage, this aluminum “U” channel
section of an unknown structural member is coated on all surfaces with
blue protective paint, contains remnants of 3 ferrous screws, remnants
of 16 sheared rivets, and features two manufactured folded edges of 2.5cm.
2-9-A-7
Heater duct 25cm x 19cm x 1mm
This composite structure of Alclad and non-Alclad aluminum
has some intact rivets and screws as well as remnants of an adhesive
and blue protective paint. It was removed from the starboard side of
the fuselage near the floor.
2-9-A-8
Flooring corner 22.3cm x 14.6cm x 1.5cm
This floor corner fragment includes aluminum framing coated with a
blue protective paint, plywood, blue-green floor covering material, and
two flooring nails.
2-9-A-9
Dado 89cm x 15cm x 1mm
This object, removed from the starboard side
of the fuselage just aft of the main beam near the floor, is a single
lightweight aluminum sheet that includes a cup holder, a 180 degree
2cm flange on the bottom edge, and a slightly rolled edge on the top.
Ten slot-head mounting screws along the bottom edge remain attached,
and areas of blue protective paint remain.
2-9-A-10
Dado 74.5cm x 14cm (tapering to 9cm) x 1mm
The eight slot-head mounting screws holding this object
in place were removed allowing for the careful extraction of a complete,
isolated, structure. Taken from the starboard side of the fuselage just
above the heater duct, it stretched from the cockpit bulkhead to a point
just forward of the main beam. This lightweight aluminum sheet features
a cup holder, and is coated on interior surfaces with blue protective
paint. Two centimeters of the bottom edge is bent over 180 degrees, through
which the screws are attached to the underlying structure.
2-9-A-11
Heater duct 51.5cm x 12.5cm x 1mm
Removed from the starboard side of the fuselage near the
floor, this flattened duct section consists of Alclad and non-Alclad
aluminum sandwiching asbestos. Long edges are bent into a 90 degree flange
and an 180 degree flange respectively.
2-9-A-12
Flooring section 25cm x 13cm
A section of wooden flooring removed from under the auxiliary
fuel tank.
2-9-A-13
Window frame 11cm x 3cm
Aluminum edging—probably part of a window frame.
2-9-A-14
Dado/Heater Duct/Asbestos 1.4m x .6m
Removed from behind the auxiliary fuel tank, this composite
structure of Alclad and non-Alclad aluminum is a section of heater duct
covered with heavy asbestos matting and a lightweight aluminum dado.
Rivets, screws and remnants of blue protective paint remain.
2-9-A-15
Glass fragment 6.7cm x 4.2cm x 2mm
Predominantly clear in character, this shard has a slight
greenish hue. The thickness of the fragment suggests it may be from the
cockpit windows, but the subtle green coloring is puzzling. Another possibility
of origin for this piece may be an object that was carried aboard.
2-9-A-16
Glass fragment 9cm x 6cm x 1mm
This glass is clear and features a slight curvature with
one finished edge. Probably from a cabin window (Lockheed part number
40522), the type of glass and the 1/16th inch thickness match the specifications
for early Electra cabin windows. These windows contain the only curved
glass in the aircraft, with the exception of the landing light covers
in the nose.
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