[Karen]

Has anyone ever heard of an airplane crash (site) near the little town of Mineral? Or a peak called Ladd Peak or Mountain? Karen

[hikerjo]

I will look it up right now!

[hikerjo]

I have information on the following aircraft which crashed in the area: DC-3 (1953) C-150 (1970) Stinson (1964) Seebee (1953) Those are the closest I can find. If you have any more information I might be able to help you more.

[Karen]

Thanks, Craig I don't have much more information other than what I have posted. I'll tell you how I found out about it, though. After a hike at Mount Rainier we stopped at the 410 Cafe off 410 for dinner and while waiting to be seated got to talking to a WW II veteran who was also waiting to be seated. Anyway, long story short, he said that there is a trail that used to lead (or maybe still does) to the site -- used by locals and he gave a vague description of where to find that trail. He didn't give me any dates (of the plane crash) but this fellow was in his mid-70s, used to work for the Forest Service (he helped construct the Sun Top lookout) and he also talked about some of the things that happened to him during the war which I won't go into. He's lived in the area for years. I have been to Mineral once out of curiosity as I had never heard of the town and still don't know a lot about the history. I'd like to go back sometime but in all honesty, I would be surprised if there was anything left from that plane crash and from what the fellow at the 410 Cafe said, the trail or road to Ladd Peak is used by motorcycles as well as walkers -- I don't know how up to date that information was. Karen PS If I find out anything more I will p.m. you but I have a feeling such information will be hard to come by. My interest is in finding anything historical ... whether an old trail, old structure, historical site .... etc etc.

[hikerjo]

If this plane crashed in World War II I would be able to get tons of information on it. However, it sounds like a civlian crash. You think it crashed on Ladd Mountain, right? I will also see if I can find more detailed information. My interest is also historical. There is usually always something left.

[hikerjo]

I just found information on C-47 #AF5931 which crashed about 5 miles away from Ladd Mountain in 1949. This could very well be the plane which you are talking about. Such inaccuracies are not uncommon. I am going to have the accident report looked up. Its on microfilm, so I most likely will be able to tell you by the end of the day if this is your plane.

[Backpacker Joe]

[hikerjo]

Alrighty Karen, I think I found your plane! C-47 #5931 crashed on January 7, 1949 about 4 miles SW of Mineral at 3700 feet. I am pretty sure this is the one, all the info puts it in the right area. I could get a copy of the accident report for you, but that could take up to a month. Let me know if you are interested.

[hikerjo]

[Karen]

Thanks, Craig ... I appreciate your research. Now, I must profess my total ignorance. What kind of aircraft is/was the C-47 #5931? I am assuming AF stands for air force or I am totally confused? I just like finding artififacts or sites where events have occurred .... finding things gives me the goosebumps, whether it be an abandoned trail or a cast off pair of antlers off the trail somewhere or pieces of a weathered cabin. Karen

[hikerjo]

Its a military cargo plane. You can also look up newspaper articles on this plane. Find out what newspaper was in the area and look it up on microfilm for the date I gave you. There is often much information.

[JimK]

Karen, Here is a C-47:

[Duncan]

I don't remember for sure which was which, but either the C-46 or the C-47 was the military version of the civilian DC-3.

[lopper]

Yup the C-47 was the military DC-3 "gooney bird" The C-46 was quite a different animal. Also known as the CW-20 "Curtiss Commando". It was still a 2-engine radial-prop cargo plane, but one with much larger engines and a fatter fuselage. It had a pressurized cabin and an elegant "twin-oval" cross-section. One crashed on the S. Tahoma headwall on Mt Rainier's SW side in Dec of 1946. 32 fatalities. Bodies remained entombed in the ice. They were mostly USMC recruits on the first leg of a deployment to the 'police action' starting in Korea. (Navy designation for the plane was RC-9 I think). Engines, landing gear and props are usually too heavy for the souvenir hunters to haul out. Nowadays gov't entities often heli-vac the debris to remove the "attractive nuisance". Spoilsports.

[Backpacker Joe]

Then here is a C-46. My father had friends that flew both aircraft over the "Hump" in Burma during WW2. TB