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Mt Success NH Douglas DC-3 Expedition Reports & Found Aircraft
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214 posts skyraider0609 214 posts
skyraider0609
On November 30 1954, Northeast Airlines Douglas DC-3 N17981, crashed into the eastern side of Mt Success in northern New Hampshire while attempting an instrument approach to the airport in Berlin. Flight 792 originated at Boston and made intermediate stops in Concord and Laconia before the accident leg. There were only seven occupants onboard; two pilots, a flight attendant, a dispatcher riding in the cockpit jumpseat as well as three passengers. The copilot and dispatcher died of their injuries shortly after impact. The captain, while seriously injured, did survive and the flight attendant and passengers were basically unhurt.

A major search commenced when the aircraft was reported overdue, but due to bad weather in the area the survivors were not sighted until December 2nd. The captain was able to send a faint distress call from the aircraft's radio after the crash, which helped rescuers spot the wreckage.

Accompanied by my brother in law and my older son, we went yesterday for our third attempt to locate this wreck. With a good weather day and more information concerning the wreck's location, we were finally "successful" in finding it. It is fairly intact in alot of respects, which makes it a great site to visit.

http://picasaweb.google.com/skyraider0609/MtSuccessNHDC3#

Pete 
ghcoe 53 posts
ghcoe

Awesome find! I hope to find something like that some day.

Ace 223 posts
Ace
Wow, lots of debris. Great find! Thanks for sharing. Chris
Chris McDoniel
theronmoon 474 posts
theronmoon

Amazing site! Thanks for sharing.
Check out my smugmug account for over a thousand pictures of classic aircraft and wreck site visits.
http://theronmoon.smugmug.com/
Dennis 1,365 posts
Dennis

Wow!!!!  Very rare to find a "walk in" wreck.  It is obvious that someone unbolted most of those cylinders.  I didn't see any pistons, were there any pistons on the site?  What about the props?  I guess the souvenier hunters figured it was easier to take the pistons than the cylinders.  Thanks for sharing that with us.  Dennis
Mtflyer 973 posts
Mtflyer

Looks like a great site, lot of wreckage remaining. Thanks for posting the photos.
Joe Idoni

Photo Site http://joeidoni.smugmug.com/
skyraider0609 214 posts
skyraider0609
Yeah, there was alot up at the site as far as wreckage, but alot was missing too. No propellers or pistons anywhere. The other wing..completely gone. I have seen an aerial picture of the wreck right after the crash and the entire fuselage was essentially intact. Nothing like it looks today. I think there's been alot of pilfering over years and maybe some removal right after the crash too. Had to be by helicopter as there's no way anyone gets anything off that mountain otherwise.
The scrub spruce was very thick up there, but I don't think the cockpit section or the other wing could have been hiding anywhere else. Anyway, it was a very interesting site to visit and very rewarding as well since I've been after this one since last summer.
Also, the handheld GPS was a real help as it led us right to the wreck and even more importantly, got us back to the Appalachian Trail after we made a wrong turn as we started back. Saved us a very painful bushwhack through the impenetrable spruce trees. Thank you ETrex!
russfarris 173 posts
russfarris

Excellent pictures! That has to be the best preserved airliner crash site east of the Rockies that I'm aware of. Russ Farris
TreyB 358 posts
TreyB
Excellent post- Nice to find a crash with large parts remaining. Thanks for sharing your find.
Trey
http://www.aircraftarchaeology.com
ktaadn 1 post
ktaadn

I found your Mt. Success gallery very interesting. My friend and I have tried to find this site twice now and failed. It's becoming a bit of an obsession.

The first time was in October of 2009- there were strong winds, rain, and no visibility at all at the summit, so we blamed our failure on that.

This spring, we climbed it on a beautiful clear day, searched for hours focusing on the east side, and still couldn't find it. We even had directions from another hiker we passed who had been there.

Luckily, it's a nice climb with a wonderful view, so wreck or no wreck, it is worth it.

Interestingly enough, on the way down we also met a local "old-timer" there who claimed to have actually visited the crash site as a teenager, just days after survivors had been rescued. He said that even in the snow, the site was highly visible due to the tracks and equipment left behind by Army rescuers.

Anyway... do you recall the GPS coordinates for the site, or do you have any other suggestions that might point us in the right direction? We would like to stop calling it "Mt. Failure"!

Thanks.
-Stacy
skyraider0609 214 posts
skyraider0609
Send me an email Stacy and I'll try and help you.

Pete
TimApNy 116 posts
TimApNy
That is a site I have marked if I ever get in that area and have time for a hike.

Tim

http://www.tailhookstudio.com
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