Misc data and adventures of a Tayopa treasure hunter

Gentlemen I am referring to the infsamous GRUMPS and CIG emen, I was taught by the USAF " the right or fuller tank""on takeoffs or landings.
 

Last edited:
Real of Tayopa said:
Gentlemen I am referring to the infsamous GRUMPS and CIG emen, I was taught by the USAF " the right or fuller tank""on takeoffs or landings.
Click to expand...

Don Jose Thank you for the clarifications. I confirmed your comments. I think I done a crash manual reading course in flying a DC3 last night. So rest assured if you ever see old crow flying one of those old crates then make sure ya look for a parachute. :tongue3:

Thanks for clarification of factors that determine theoretical cruising speed weight, lift, drag, motion and wind speed.

241 km per hour was just a theoretical base line to work off. Jones made an interesting estimation considering those factors. In my calculations are similar? But in hindsight our rough calculations could of been influenced by bias in the knowledge several key points


1. Seyu was roughly inline with Monrovia and Accra.

2. Seyu was roughly one quarter of the way to Accra,

3, The flight crew never reported in suggests the accident occurred before they reached the quarter way mark of their flight?

4. The fact that not message was sent suggests the problem on the aircraft as catastrophic.

5. There was a report of an explosion near Seyu. That was never fully taken seriously or followed up on.

However my calculation is a little short of Jones's calculation.

However mine might be flawed....I never got past one and two in high school as my young beautiful math teacher had the most awesome rack that was hypnotizing. Every time I got scolded by her she wave her finger at me but her jug number one and jug number 2 bounced in delightful unison. Young crows eyeballs would bounce in timing with them. So ended my learning of maths......:laughing7:

The only calculating I did was how do I get my hands on one and two?:laughing7:

Crow
 

Last edited:
Hardluck lost a lot of documents that was scanned on a computer. Sadly many pertaining to this story of the DC3. From memory there was document pertaining to the cargo of gold. Which was 1110 pounds of gold about 31 -32 kilo worth rough 1.7 million USD.

So cost of the search may exceed the value of treasure there however recovery of the remains would be priceless to the descendants of the families of the victims.

Hardluck concluded this was not a viable business proposition as the cost of resources needed for a proper search exceeded the expected financial return. Perhaps a charity foundation in search of recovering servicemen graves it would be a project for. Not for a commercial recovery operation.

Its not viable even for a one man or two man biscuit and beans team hoping to stumble upon a wreck in deep jungle. An adventure yeah but the novelty soon wears off. However I suspect some one may of made a search in 2013.

Crow
 

I should clarify a little more about earlier statement when I fist posted a shipment of about 3.8 million base on monthly shipment of gold. In fact there was fortnightly flights averaging just over 1000 ounces of gold per flight. Production was from small gold mining tenements in Liberia mining alluvial gold owned by south African company based in Johannesburg.The flight was heading to Accra but was not the final destination.

Just after the war The army air corps transport command was providing air transportation services down the west coast of Africa. Casablanca Monrovia Accra and finally Johannesburg.

Crow
 

Last edited:
Hi Crow,

Thanks for last piece of info as i was starting to scratch my head, I read the newspaper clip posted - it doesn't state the make of the plane. i have done some research on the plane itself serial number: 43-49262,
Construction No / msn: 15078/26523, Last flight listed is somewhat very different from mentioned flight path. USAAF - listed as missing/Unknown


can this be re-confirmed?

Jones
 

Last edited:
Crow said:
I never got past one and two in high school as my young beautiful math teacher had the most awesome rack that was hypnotizing. Every time I got scolded by her she wave her finger at me but her jug number one and jug number 2 bounced in delightful unison. Young crows eyeballs would bounce in timing with them. So ended my learning of maths......:laughing7:

The only calculating I did was how do I get my hands on one and two?:laughing7:

Crow
Click to expand...


That made my day :laughing7: :laughing7: :laughing7:
 

Hi Crow,

I sent Hardluck info on the plane, i'll wait for a response for clarification.

Jones
 

crow , your experience is matched by my German teacher..She commanded the rapt atttention of all of the boys, who often fought for the first rows of desks.she was addicted to very short skirts and loved to perch on top of her desk to the delight of all of the bays. They prob didn't learn much German, but made up for that on Anatomy
 

to answer an off record request. The grumps chesk was for landing and the Cig was for takeoff.. It was drilled into every cadet. G = gas. F flaps. free and working. it's embarrasing to find in the middle of a takeoff to find your flaps locked by the ground control, . C = controls free and, I instruments working properly. G gasoline switcher to right or fuler tank, F flaps free, not still locked . I instruments free and working, ,and so on. Were fundamental to free flight. Landing was much similaar,,Gas right or fullest tank, Radio on and set to the correc freq, landing gear down and locked, shoulder harness adjusted and locked.ect freq, and so on. We had to memorize them. These were only the basics, for an aircraft such as the DC-3 they were much more extensive including your cargo, flight,plan, actually filled a typwriten page or two . As Crow and Jones mentioned there had to have been a major castrophe to have aborted the flight or a booboo by the ground mech. that wasn't picked up by the checks, or the checks were done by a cowboy pilot. Since no debris , I would favor a crew take over and flight to another landing spot.,
 

Last edited:
Hi All,

There is one article on Chicago tribune historical archives entitled "army gives up long hunt for treasure plane and 17 abroad", but could not read it freely as it needs subscription. In any case the article can be searched by putting the following words together "1946 monrovia, accra plane". Below is the link

https://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/

TT
 

Don Jose, TT, Jones

Well over 10 years ago the story was discussed between the trio. And we thought about the possibility of the passenger and crew making off with loot? Now there was 17 on the aircraft not all would of wanted to disappear off the face of earth and never ever get in contact with loved ones again. Maybe one or two but 17 is beyond a stretch of probability.

2 of the passengers was actually on leave to Johannesburg to get married. Another two was cousins. Of course we had the company chemical director. And a government courier carrying diplomatic dispatches. A financial officer most likely an glorified army accountant. Another two pilots that did delivery services of flying new aircraft across the Atlantic. That included their crews of co pilots radio operators etc.....And of course the pilot and crew of the DC 3.

Hell sounds like a recipe for a good who dun it movie?

Hardluck managed to contact the younger brother of the pilot Oliver Kenneth Morton who later died in 2010 and it was an eye opener even today what the old gentlemen told him of the impact of not knowing what happened to his older brother and where his remains lie? Sadly those questions are also for many families of service men and women remain unanswered to this day.

oliver kennoth morton.JPG

Kanacki had an relative captured by the Japanese in Rabual in WW2 he was shipped off the Japan by Japanese troop shipMontevideo Maru However the ship was torpedoed by a united states submarine Sturgeon not knowing the ship was carrying over 1000 POW and they drowned in the hold of the ship. Such is the casualties of war. But the pain went on as his mother had a empty grave reserved for her brother in the vain hope that his remains would be found. Not knowing gave some hope to some family members that they took to their graves.

Such as it with those 17 people who lost their lives on that tragic flight on December 4 1945 just when the world had started getting over the war and wanting to rebuild their lives their lives was cut short. Ironic as a lot of them survived the war only to die in a accident...

Crow
 

But the reality is with all the theories are well and good but in the end a discovery will be done with boots on the ground. The jungle in that part of Africa is thick as any jungle in south east Asia or the Amazon.

2017-10-28.jpg

Sapo_8280_DKortePhoto.jpg

Sapo_Rain_8267_DKortePhoto.jpg

Even some of the rivers and creeks are covered by the tree canopy in most areas. You can hack your way through the jungle and a week or two later there will be no trace of where you hacked through. So a crashed aircraft from 70 odd years ago would be very had to stumble on even if the search area was narrowed down to a few square miles.

Crow
 

Last edited:
Don Jose Amigo

You most likely can remember how hard it is hacking through jungle during your time Guatemala and Mexico? I have done more than my fair share of hacking through thick jungle also. I remember the leaches mosquitoes ticks and horrible vines that fight you all the way. You know the ones that have those evil barbs that cut through skin and clothing that scratched the skin that burns in the contact with sweat.

And the agony of cutting a path through the jungle with everything on your pack that sticks out catches and tangles on everything. bending branches flinging stinging spiders and insects and the old snake shaken off the branches. And those ants you know the type that bites and burns formic acid. And most of the heart break of busting your ass for a few hours to realize only cut a few hundred meters through the jungle.

The heat and humidity sucked the strength out of you and your lungs feel like your breathing water while the jungle itself claws at you like if its slowing eating you alive.

Such is the fun of humping through thick jungle my friends.

Crow
 

Last edited:
Crow, I know jungle survival very well. My partner and I spent 6 mo living off the jungle while looking for Mayan ruins.and Cutting trail is not a hack, hack affsir. You need to nkeep your machete very sharp, as a dul one does not cut, merely gives a good shake and tuumbles various irratated insects'' looking for revenge
 

Last edited:
Usually preferred stringing up a a hammock with a tarp over to keep the rain off ya. than sleeping on the ground.But alas I have done both. The body is paying for it now these days.

Crow
 

Hi Crow,

I would not disrespect anyone trying to locate this plane and it's crew, it will not only solve it's mystery but also help the families awaiting it's discovery and recovery of their family members.

I passed on that information to hardluck for himself to first review to see if he wanted to still investigate it further with his team.

I will wait for an answer.

Jones
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Ma Pa mine of Tayopa has been found

⬅️ Previous Thread

Status On TAYOPA

Next Thread ➡️

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 6 (members: 0, guests: 6)
We Dig Metal Detectors

Latest Discussions

Back
Top