Page 10 - Discover Winter 2023
P. 10
Tragedy on Sharp Top CONTINUED
on ahead. Within minutes, the plane resources, most of the planes that
slammed into the side of Sharp crashed in wilderness areas were never
Top Mountain at about 3000 feet, recovered, and this particular plane
destroying the aircraft and killing is no exception. Nothing salvageable
everyone on board. The resultant fire remained from the aircraft, and there
was visible from up to 10 miles away. was no top secret equipment on board.
Another 500 feet of altitude would have So the huge debris field was never
safely taken them over the mountain. cleared from the side of Sharp Top.
Instead, treetops were shorn off by
Everything from tiny shards of
the plane’s props, and the aircraft was
aluminum to huge chunks of the
smashed to pieces.
bomber are still
Rescue workers scattered down
from the local the mountain
fire and police slope. What’s
departments were left of its two
dispatched to engines is clearly
the scene of the visible at the
fiery crash, which site. The exact
was not easily location of the
accessible. For its debris field is
part, with a war not publicized,
on, the Army was although many
not able to devote have found
much in the way of manpower and it on their own. There is a memorial
resources to assist in the recovery effort. plaque dedicated to the memory of
In fact, that same day, they were dealing the men who were lost, and in spite of
with at least one other plane crash. So the passage of nearly 8 decades, a fair
it was up to the local first responders amount of the wreckage remains.
to collect the remains of the crew
Scavengers and souvenir hunters have
members and bring them down the
desecrated the site by scratching names
steep side of the mountain, in icy and
and initials on bits and pieces of the
snowy conditions.
plane, salvaging aluminum to sell for
Far from being an isolated incident, scrap, or just grabbing small items as
this was a lot more common of an mementos of their visits. Still, a great
occurrence than people know. What’s deal of the debris is still up there.
interesting is that again, due to the
Countless hikers on the Appalachian
lack of available manpower and
Trail have passed by the site over the
8 Discover Smith Mountain Lake WINTER 2022
