I did get the AF Accident Report for T-33A # 50-374, which crashed on 6 September 1952 about 17 miles SSW of Moab, Utah, from Craig F. at AAIR. Thanks Craig.
I first read about this wreck some years back in the popular 4x4 guide book "Canyon Country Off Road Vehicle Trails--Canyon Rims & Needles Area" by F.A. Barnes. He described a "battered tail assembly of a U.S. Air Force airplane once stood beside the trail..." I had looked for it once but had failed to locate the T-33.
The accident report states that the airplane took off from Larson AFB, Washington, on a flight to Biggs Field, Texas, via Hill AFB, Ogden, Utah. The airplane was flying at about 35,000 feet when the front cockpit pilot, 1Lt. Donald Wingert, began experiencing hypoxia. The instructor pilot flying in the rear cockpit, 1Lt. David J. Harsh, dove the airplane down to about 23,000 feet and Lt. Wingert began to get back to normal. Lt. Harsh traded cockpits with Lt. Wingert after they landed at Hill AFB. The airplane took off from Hill AFB, headed Southeast and climbed back to 35,000 feet for the leg to Biggs Field. Wingert, now in the front cockpit, again began to experience hypoxia. Lt. Harsh dove the airplane to 20,000 feet and Lt. Wingert began to feel better and return to normal. At about 1310 (Mountian) Lt. Harsh began to climb the airplane back up to altitude when he heard a "rumbling" noise and felt a vibration. The engine then flamed out. Lt. Harsh tried three in-flight engine starts. The last one was a "manual" starting attempt. Apparently the turbine wheel had exited the aircraft and had seriously weakened the tail assembly. The second air start apparently started a fire in the tail section. The tail section failed completely and seperated from the aircraft after the third air start attempt. The airplane, minus its tail assembly, went out of control and spun wildly to earth. Lt. Harsh attempted to jettison the canopy. After a couple tries, the canopy would not release; he called to Lt. Wingert to help him jettison the canopy and apparently the canopy released when Wingert pulled on the canopy handle. Since the airplane was not equipped with ejection seats, Lt. Harsh was hurled from the cockpit by the extreme forces of the spinning airplane. After he was hurled free of the airplane, Lt. Harsh noticed that the tail section of the airplane was on fire. Lt. Harsh's parachute deployed about 1,000 feet above the terrain. He steered his parachute to avoid landing in the burning debris field of the crashed airplane. Lt. Harsh parachuted to the Canyon floor about 17 miles SSW of Moab, Utah. He had a seriously twisted ankle that prevented him from walking. Lt. Harsh spent the night under a rock overhang near the wreckage. The next morning, Lt. Harsh was able to splint his ankle and began walking. Lt. Harsh found water in a small stream and began to drink. A short time later, a C-47 circled overhead and spotted him. After a little while, he encountered two AF paramedics who had parachuted into the canyon for rescue. A small airplane was landed in the canyon and the pilot was evacuated to Moab and then to Hill AFB. Lt. Harsh was finally evacuated from the canyon about 27 hours after bail out. Lt. Wingert's body was found near the wreckage. His parachute had not opened in time and he fell to his death. His parachute pack burst upon impact with the canyon floor. Investigators speculated that Lt. Wingert's oxygen problems stemmed from an ill-fitting oxygen mask.
The engine failure and in-flight break up was caused by a failed main rear bearing in the jet engine. The turbine wheel failed and seperated from the aircraft, cutting clean through the tail section. The compromised tail section was further weakened by a fire in the tail section caused by the attempted air start. Interestingly, the AF Accident Report states that the tail section of the airplane could not be located at the time of the investigation. By looking at the map and photos in the Accident Report, I reckon that the main debris field for this airplane is near the Lockhart Canyon Trail about 2 or 3 miles west or WSW of the tail section found near Lockhart Basin Trail or roughly 2 or 3 miles north of the Lockhart Overlook, which is near the Needles Overlook. I could be wrong but it is my guess that previously spotted wreckage above and north of the Lockhart Basin Trail where the tail section was found is probably not associated with this airplane since the subject airplane was flying to the southeast and the heavier parts all apparently landed two or three miles WSW of the tail section. Perhaps the previously spotted wreckage were pieces of the shattered tail section that were removed over time for one reason or another. The AF Accident Report indicates that a lot of the wreckage was left in place because of the remoteness of the crash site. I reckon I'll have to go back some day and see if I can find the rest of it. Thanks to all who helped me with this. Tony Mireles
