THE CRASH SITE OF THE F6F-5K DRONE LOOKING SOUTH. THE TELEPHONE LINES IN THE BACKGROUND STILL SHOW SPLICE REPAIR MARKS (CIRCLED) AFTER BEING SEVERED IN 1956 BY THE AIRCRAFTS RIGHT WING.

While researching aircraft accidents in the Periodicals section of the California State University Northridge (CSUN) Library, Pete Merlin stumbled across one that he had never heard of. The headline in the Los Angeles Times read "208 Rockets Fired at Runaway Plane." A subhead continued "Missiles Spray Southland Area in Effort to Halt Wild Drone." The story described terrified residents, property damage, and forest fires caused by rocket bombardment of a wide area of northern Los Angeles County as Air Force jet crews attempted to shoot down a runaway Navy drone airplane. The story included both drama and humor (of a sort). Fortunately, nobody had been killed or injured during the incident.

On 5 July 1997, Pete searched for the crash site with Tony Moore. Using information from old newspaper articles, they defined the search area. When they arrived, they followed the power lines to the location that had been described and immediately spotted aircraft debris.

It soon became apparent that the pieces belonged to a relatively small, propeller-driven airplane. Some of the pieces had part numbers and Grumman inspection stamps. Fragments of exterior skin were painted red, just as the drone Hellcat had been. There were numerous data plates from various components. They also found items from the cockpit and parts of a camera pod from the right wing. There was no question that they had found the crash site of the F6F-5K.

LOOKING NORTH FROM THE HELLCAT'S POINT OF IMPACT. SCATTERED PIECES WERE FOUND WELL PAST THE WHITE JEEP

THE X-HUNTERS AT THE F6F-5K CRASH SITE

1.CAMERA POD DATA PLATE 2.FILM MAGIZINE COVER(16MM) 3.G.S.A.P.CAMERA DATA PLATE 4. SHIMS FROM CAMERA POD END CONE 5.CAMERA POD FRAGMENTS 6.CAMERA POD WINDOW FRAGMENTS

HEAVY CONCENTRATION OF PIECES FROM THE HELLCAT CLOSE TO THE MAIN IMPACT POINT, SEVERAL SHOWING ITS DISTINCTIVE RED PAINT. FRAGMENTS OF AN ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD AND PART OF A HYDRAULIC ACTUATOR CAN ALSO BE SEEN IN THE WRECKAGE

VARIOUS DATA PLATES AND PLACARDS FROM THE F6F-5K GRUMMAN HELLCAT

VARIOUS OTHER WRECKAGE FROM THE HELLCAT INCLUDING THE FACE FROM AN OXYGEN FLOW INDICATOR AND THE AIRCRAFT RUDDER TRIM TAB PLACARD (CENTER)