YB-49 Crash Site
Posted by: 
dmbfan73
N 35° 02.553 W 117° 59.554
11S E 409471 N 3878211
This waymark is placed near the crash site of the Northrop YB-49 Flying Wing.
Waymark Code: WMF3RG
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 08/18/2012
Views: 26
The test pilot, Capt Glen Edwards, is the namesake for nearby Edwards AFB. Please respect the site and do not remove any artifacts from the area. There are only a few nuts, bolts, shards of aluminum skin and other small debris left after years of scavenging. The crash site is marked by a memorial site with a US Flag, information book and some reminents of the aircraft. The most notable feature of the area is the lack of vegetation from the resulting fire of the crash- the desert still has not recovered. Also, you'll see what appears to be white rocks strewn all over the desert floor, this is actually solidified molten aluminum from the aircraft fireball.
"On the morning of June 5, 1948, 42-102368 crashed just north of Muroc Dry Lake. The co-pilot, Air Force Captain Glen Edwards, and all four other members of the crew were killed. What caused the crash is not known, but it was suspected that the flight crew managed to surpass the "red line" speed of the aircraft while descending from 40,000 feet, causing the outer wing panels to be shed and the aircraft to disintegrate in midair.
The crew on the ill-fated mission included Major Daniel H. Forbes, Jr. acting in the role of Pilot; Captain Glen W. Edwards as the copilot; Lt. Edward L. Swindell as the flight engineer; Clare C. Lesser and Charles H. LaFountain both Air Force civilian engineers. Muroc AFB was renamed Edwards AFB on December 5, 1949 in honor of the late Capt. Glen Edwards (as well as a middle school in his hometown, Lincoln, CA, was named for him). Also, Topeka Army Air Field in Kansas was renamed after Major Daniel Forbes on July 13, 1949.
The aircraft hit the ground inverted, immediately exploding, consuming the entire wreckage in fire. Various pieces of the aircraft including both wing tips were scattered from the main wreckage on a heading of 50 degrees. "
Crash description from: (
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