PV-2 Artifact
Wil Shellenberger and others from the PBY Museum on Whidbey Island identified the plane from which the artifact came and they will store it until an appropriate place can be found to display it in the historic district. This is the plane that the plane part came from (scroll down since it was a later version of the Ventura.) It was a medium bomber with radar and 5 front mounted machine guns. It went down 1000 feet off the north end of the runway September 4, 1947 according to the Navy accident report it was used in anti submarine work and was deployed to the Aleutian Islands and later other Japanese islands and the Solomons. It was interesting to see that the first model had trouble taking off when fully fueled and this model had to be redesigned because its wings wrinkled dangerously. No lives were lost when the plane was ditched. The crash crew lived on the north end of the boathouse building. The rest of the plane is nose down in the lake where it will remain since the Navy considers all planes theirs even underwater. The site, BuNo 37528 has verified coordinates and is deemed eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places according to Alexis Catsambis, PhD RPA Underwater Archaeology Branch Naval History and Heritage. We are working with the PBY Museum and Naval History and Heritage Command to fill out paperwork that hopefully allow us to keep this small piece and someday have it at Sand Point, the former Naval Air Station. Fascinating history. Lynn Ferguson President Friends of Sand Point Magnuson Park.