Strange Photo

[Ric Gillespie]

One of our researchers stumbled onto this photo on a social media site among a whole bunch of untitled non-aviation related random photos. There was no explanation of what or where or who.

It's clearly a DC-3 in shallow water, maybe 50 feet?  The diver is not wearing scuba gear.  The bottom appears to be a mixture of coral and sand.
Doesn't look like a crash.  No nose damage.  Possibly a ditching.  Forward fuselage section and tail section have separated and are displaced - but not far. It almost looks like the fuselage blew up. The vertical fin looks to have been knocked off but the tail section is upright.  How does that happen?  Engines are almost completely corroded/rusted away but the fabric ailerons and elevators appear to be intact.    No coral growth on the wreckage.  The holes in the wings look like flak damage.

This thing just doesn't make sense. Is it a Photoshopped hoax?  If it's not, can we find out where it is and what happened? We need to learn as much as we can about what happens to airplanes in different underwater environments.

[Chris Johnson]

Do we have a link to the page it was on? Could be  a clue in the source code.

[Gus Rubio]

Looks fake to me, Ric.  Too clean.  Could be a plastic model kit with some effects added- shot dry-for-wet.  The diver definitely looked superimposed to me.

Disclaimer: My thoughts on what things look like undewater must be tempered by the fact that I can barely swim and am thus rarely underwater myself.  Carry on.

[Ric Gillespie]

Do we have a link to the page it was on? Could be  a clue in the source code.

The researcher who found it is trying to find the link.

[Matt Revington]

I think this is the same wreck on this page, it says that was used in a Jessica Alba movie, maybe its a mockup
http://www.flickr.com/photos/59206851@N00/3964632200

[Ric Gillespie]

I think this is the same wreck on this page, it says that was used in a Jessica Alba movie, maybe its a mockup
http://www.flickr.com/photos/59206851@N00/3964632200

BINGO!  Great job Matt.  I don't think it's a mock up.  Probably just pieces of a derelict "3" dumped in the water.

[Chris Johnson]

I think this is the same wreck on this page, it says that was used in a Jessica Alba movie, maybe its a mockup
http://www.flickr.com/photos/59206851@N00/3964632200

Same as this one, different angle but coral outcrop look similar

[Chris Johnson]

Do we have a link to the page it was on? Could be  a clue in the source code.

The researcher who found it is trying to find the link.

Got it but maybe we don't need it now :)

[Chris Johnson]

I think this is the same wreck on this page, it says that was used in a Jessica Alba movie, maybe its a mockup
http://www.flickr.com/photos/59206851@N00/3964632200

Same as this one, different angle but coral outcrop look similar

Link DC-3 wreck Bahamas  :-[ :-[ :-[

[Ric Gillespie]

Mission accomplished.  Good job everyone.  We now return to our regularly scheduled mystery.

[Jeff Lange]

I have caught parts of the movie, I am sad to admit. The only good part is Jessica Alba in a not much there bikini!

The link to the photo Chris supplies even gets it wrong, calling it a DC-3 JET airplane, when the radial engines are clearly visible.