British RAF crash in Detroit, Michigan in the '50s...

[AlexisDetroit]

I went to Detroit Denby High...

I was eight years old at the time of RAF crash and have no member of it as lived about five miles away near Harper (now I-94) and Moross. Did you go to Detroit Southeastern High? What line of aviation are you in today?

[ckurshil]

We moved away from Detroit to Cincinnati in the summer of 1961, I attended Guyton Elementary a few blocks away. I started first in airport operations, then a Texas regional airline, now in corporate aviation.

[Hotwired]

I finally found a newspaper article:

http://digitize.gp.lib.mi.us/digitiz...1958-10-30.pdf

[Hotwired]

A nice 6 page article was in the July 08 Hour Detroit magizine.
I have a PDF copy of the article and if you PM me your email address I can send you a copy if interested.

[Cypherus]

A very interesting newpaper article, anyway, if you GE the area you can still see the location of the former property that the Vulcan crashed onto, still undeveloped after all this time.

[TP16882]

CRASH

Originally Posted by AlexisDetroit

There was an airshow crash in Detroit circa 1957 but I can't remember the details. I believe it was a De Havilland delta wing type aircraft. I've done several searches for said incident without coming up with any info.

Over the years pieces of the plane have been found in residential yards.

Anyone know about this incident?

I was 5 years old and lived on Lakewood street in Detroit which was 1 block from the crash. The plane crashed on Harsens Island, which is actually a street and a small piece of land that juts out in the water off Lake St.Clair (which is why the street is an island). Being 5 years old, I remember the crash, I was in my living room when the plane crashed, it was in the daytime either late morning or afternoon, I don't know, but the Earth shook upon impact and the sound was as a bomb exploding! Following impact, I remember sirens from fire trucks, ambulances, police etc., racing past my house. I didn't see them, but remember hearing all the sounds. My mother quickly grabbed me in a panic (not knowing what was happening) and took me to one of the bedrooms with my older sisters until she could determine what happened. Sadly, all on board were killed and the one drowned in Lake St. Clair. I don't believe anyone died on the ground, perhaps due to mid-day and people were at work.

[Cornish Jack]

Re. the swimming ability query, it was not a requirement in the 60s ... even 'Willy the winch', the most active winchman on the valley S&R flight, could not swim. !

[Shackman]

It was certainly a requirement by '66. I wasn't a particularly strong swimmer at the start of basic training at AOTS South Cerney, but (eventually/just) made the grade and received my 'X' certificate which was a requirement to graduate and move on to FTS.