Airplane Ditched In The Ocean In 1953

The remains of a Douglas A-1 Skyraider have been located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, CA, and it is hoped it can be somehow displayed to the public in the future.

The airplane reportedly went down in 1953, according to California Diver Magazine. It was discovered in about 60 feet of water by diver Dennis Burns, who said the the 20-millimeter cannons ... two on each wing ... were intact. Burns said there is a large debris field containing hundreds of pieces of the wreckage.

The exact location of the wreck has not been disclosed to prevent scavengers and treasure hunters from picking over the debris. Burns is working with Dr. Ruth Yu and the San Diego Aerospace Museum to determine how to best preserve the airplane and somehow exhibit it. Yu said a "wet" exhibit and video presentation are among the possibilities.

Television station KSWB in San Diego says that Burns and Yu have also been in contact with the son and daughter Charles Kelly, who was flying the airplane when it went down and survived the ditching. Kelly's wife was 8 months pregnant at the time, and the family still has photos of him wrapped in a towel after being rescued. He was treated and released at a hospital and returned to duty later that day.

Burns said Kelly passed away in 1999. His children told him they wanted to come to San Diego and dive on the wreck themselves.

(Public domain image from file)

FMI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A-1_Skyraider