Aircraft Wrecks in the Mountains and Deserts of California 1909-1996 [Paperback]

Gary Patric MacHa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1997

A guidebook to locating historical aircraft crash sites in California. Amazing details on more than 1,400 aircraft accidents including date, aircraft type, and what happened to the occupants.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...A wonderful resource, listing more than 1,400 military and civilian crash sites in the state..." -- Center for Land Use Interpretation newsletter

"...For those who collect material related to air crashes this is [a] must book for you..." -- Jack Knight Air Log

"...There is a fascinating amount of data within these pages and it is amazing how many wrecks, or portions thereof, still exist...Recommended..." -- Air Classics Magazine

"...highly recommended for aviation archaeology enthusiasts, students of aviation safety, and historians alike." -- Airliners Magazine

From the Publisher

In this book, author Pat Macha has captured vital information on the location of historic--and long forgotten--aircraft crash sites...information that would otherwise have been lost to history.

Macha treats the subject with a reverence it deserves, and is a devoted and careful archaeologist that records the details of the site for accuracy and detail. He tries to instill in the reader this respect for the importance of these sites to future generations, and reports on how careless desecration of these sites is actually a loss for the future historical record.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 213 pages
• Publisher: Info Net Pub (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0924272082
• ISBN-13: 978-0924272080
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,866,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Book of useless lists, April 24, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aircraft Wrecks in the Mountains and Deserts of California 1909-1996 (Paperback)

While MacHa has obviously done a lot of research in this area he doesn't really share any of it.I was looking for stories of the hunt and this is a book of pretty much useless info.He lists a few sites with maps and a few more with map coordinates but the vast majority are pretty vague."1940s Consolidated PBY US Navy crashed in the Cady Mtns NE of Barstow.This site is marked and highly visible." doesn't really help much.How do I go about looking for this? Gary has some ideas in the front of the book but nothing useful.The Cady Mtns cover about 50 miles.This is simply a book of lists.A book it seems of redundant lists...In Region 5 there is:(pp42)"Date Unknown.Douglas A-4 US Navy crashed in the Cady Mtns north of Hwy 40. Wreck scattered." Then:(pp43)"1/1/64 Douglas A-4 US Navy is visible and marked north of Hwy 40 near the Cady Mtns."And:(pp43)"1964 Douglas A-4 Navy/Marine Reserve crashed in Bristol Mtns north of Hwy 40.This site is visible and marked." The Bristol and Cady Mtns are right next to each other...All the same plane? And lastly,I've been to A crash site in the Cady Mtns and the plane mentioned(?) above is an Air Force F-4 phantom. Without coordinates,I don't know if we've discovered a new crash or simply a mislabeled one.Maybe there's just a huge pile out there...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't expect much from this useless text..., December 4, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Aircraft Wrecks in the Mountains and Deserts of California 1909-1996 (Paperback)

I had hoped that this book would provide for a descriptive analysis of the event surrounding an aircrafts demise, this was not the case. I essentially found the book of very little value for actually exploring sites on my own. The bulletized crash statements tell as much about an air crash as a simple headstone says about a person.
The book was a disappointment.

2.0 out of 5 stars Save your $20, useless for locating aircraft., December 6, 2000

By 

"cypowel" (Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aircraft Wrecks in the Mountains and Deserts of California 1909-1996 (Paperback)

The sub title "A guidebook for locating historical aircraft sites in California." is misleading at best. This book won't locate "squat". It gives vague lists of aircraft with NO location directions / maps. (I counted 3 actual directions in the entire book) No maps, latitude, longitude or Township Range & section, nothing for the rest. Example: "1940s North American P51D #44-73698 USAAF is located in Providance mountains. Site is unmarked." Well,... Gee thanks, now I have only to search the entire mountain range. The book breaks CA down into regions of about 22,500 square miles, maybe I'll just search the entire area and blunder upon the aircraft listed. The author knows a lot but does not share it. If you want to locate aircraft, save your money.