Merriam Press Military History. Detailed history of each of 33 aircraft wreck sites visited and investigated by the authors, with photos of the aircraft before the accident, and numerous photos of the crash site and evidence found at the site. Includes Washington, Oregon and Idaho state crash locator lists. 354 color photos, 42 B&W photos.

A century of aviation research and military flights over Los Angeles County has left the San Gabriel Mountains, Mojave Desert and the near-shore Pacific Ocean strewn with more than 1,500 aircraft crash sites. Barnstormers and test pilots too often made unexpected final landings. Accidents occurred on a nearly daily basis during World War II training maneuvers. Private planes, a sign of 1950s prosperity, also met tragic ends. These epic incidents include the 1971 tragedy of Flight 706 in which an airliner collided with a marine fighter jet above Mount Bliss, killing fifty people. Renowned aircraft crash search specialist G. Pat Macha recounts dozens of sorrowful, triumphant and surprising true stories of those who lived through these ordeals while offering touching tributes to those who did not.

Clear weather and a natural harbor made San Diego an early aviation hub, but success in flight came with devastating tragedies. The remains of more than four hundred aircrafts lie scattered across the county's deserts and mountains. Experts estimate that dozens more are on the ocean floor off the coast. In 1922, army pilot Charles F. Webber's DeHavilland biplane went missing over Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. In 1978, Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 178 collided midair over San Diego and crashed in the residential North Park neighborhood, claiming the lives of 144 people in what was the worst airline disaster of the era. Author and aircraft accident research specialist G. Pat Macha recounts these and other stories of astonishing survival, heroism and heartbreaking fatality.

Weather, darkness and twists of fate have contributed to more than three hundred airplane crashes in San Bernardino County, California. Many of these accidents occurred in the vast Mojave Desert, others on the cloud-shrouded, snow-capped mountains of the largest county in the lower forty-eight states. Searches often were labored yet fruitless, even for the privileged: Frank Sinatra's mother perished here in a downed plane. The quest for an aircraft containing $5,000 in cash has become the stuff of legend. Tales of survival in uninhabited, rugged landscapes have been especially harrowing. Join renowned aircraft-crash search specialist G. Pat Macha for dozens of sorrowful, triumphant, touching and surprising true stories of those who lived through the ordeals of plane crashes--and others who didn't.

The continuation of World War II’s most intriguing new aviation series. In Hidden Warbirds II, the engaging follow-up to the critically acclaimed Hidden Warbirds, aviation historian Nicholas A. Veronico further explores the romantic era of World War II warbirds and the stories of some of its most famous wrecks and recoveries. The long-long aircraft featured in this much-anticipated sequel include the Dotty Mae, a P-47 rescued from a lake in Austria; a Hawker Tempest being restored in Texas; and a Junker 88 recovered from the icy waters of Norway. Throughout the book, Veronico provides a history of each aircraft, as well as the unique story behind each discovery and recovery, all accompanied by incredible documentary photographs. With over 150 of these photographs, depicting more than 20 warbird stories spanning the world, Hidden Warbirds II triumphantly continues a nonfiction series that renowned military author Alan Griffith calls “a fascinating joy to read.”

Veronico explores the romantic era of World War II warbirds and the stories of some of its most famous wrecks, including the "Swamp Ghost" (a B-17E which crashed in New Guinea in the early days of World War II and which was only recently recovered), and "Glacier Girl" (a P-38, part of "The Lost Squadron," which crashed in a large ice sheet in Greenland in 1942). Throughout, Veronico provides a history of the aircraft, as well as the unique story behind each discovery and recovery with ample illustrations.

Steve Corbin has a fascination with airplane crashes. This is not morbid curiosity, but a historical necessity. After leaving the NTSB, Steve, along with his army buddy Devin Wade, start up a company expressly designed to track down and recover the wreckage of airplanes crashed during World War II. What begins as an endeavor of passion, soon leads to intrigue, betrayal, and derring-do, as these intrepid explorers stumble upon more than they bargained for. Throw into the mix the beautiful Melissa Tovari, a mysterious woman with a covert agenda, and you have the makings of an edge-of-your-seat adventure, filled with gun play, plenty of sex, and government meddling. The Wreckchasers isn't just some formula action novel, but delves into the moral and ethical questions surrounding the human elements of lost remains of crew members around the world. So join in with each expedition and discover the intricacies of wreck recoveries, while always keeping a sharp lookout for a shot from the dark.