Airplane accidents somehow attract the public’s attention because of the associated drama and destruction. No car crash could ever seem so fascinating, terrifying or deadly, as many of them happen every day. Today, Roman drives the road less-traveled in search of wreckage from a T-33A jet trainer that crashed fifty years ago in the Roosevelt National Forest near Boulder, Colorado.
The trail is appropriately named T-33A Plane Crash and a hearty 4×4 vehicle is recommended to reach the crash site within walking distance. Beginning on forest service road 203, the trail starts with a steady climb up with some rocky sections. There is an optional hill called Dead-End Hill that starts as a fairly well-traveled road on the left. This hill is more difficult than the rest of the trail to the plane crash, and it suddenly dead-ends at the top.
Continue on 203 to get to the plane crash. Roman chose to use a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, the same one used for the Motor Mountain USA journey, because there are quite a few rocky sections along the way and some of them are quite challenging.
Watch episode 1 of a new TFL Car video series, “Off-Road America – the Road Less Traveled”, where the team tackles some of the most challenging and interesting off-road trails in Colorado using an unmodified off-road vehicle.
About the Crash
*On July 27th, 1965, two people were killed in the plane crash while flying a T-33A jet trainer. Tthe pilot was a very experienced Air Force Major named Jay Currie. First Lieutenant Donald Darby was riding along as a technical observer. They were flying from Buckley Field to California, and Major Currie was viewing some property he owned in Colorado, flying at 13,000 feet.
Cause of the crash remain unknown. The facts are that the plane was flying slowly, there were no technical issues with the plane, and neither pilot attempted to eject from plane before it crashed. Thunderstorms were reported in the area, which may have been a probable cause behind the crash. Last contact was when the pilot was instructed to fly at 17,000 feet by Air Traffic Control.
*Source: TrailDamage.com
