Boeing B-17B Flying Fortress 38-214 crashed 6 April 1942 near Tucson, AZ

Oddest piece of wire I've seen. Not sure if it was part of a flex shaft, or something associated with an antenna....or maybe none of those...

.30 case with .50 links. From what I've read, the B-model had one .30 and six .50 Browning Machine Guns.

G.R.E.N.A.D.E. I haven't researched it yet...I wonder if the airplane carried smoke grenades or something similar. Or was it used on the wreckage itself to break it up?

A seemingly mundane item takes on new meaning at a crash site like this. The piece at top is the end of a fingernail file, like the one that comes as part of a set of clippers.

The pieces at bottom left piqued my interest...we found several of these at the site, and I don't know what they are.

Metal end of a strap.

Some pieces around the site are dutifully protected by several cacti.

Pristine .50 bullet. We found a couple of these at the site.

Ceramic insulator near a piece of melted aluminum.

Need to research this too. Found two at the site, I figure it's an antenna of some sort, but I haven't seen one like it before.

UPDATE: These have been found at other fatal crash sites, and it's thought to be part of a parachute frame. It's been discussed on the Wreckchasing board here: http://pacaeropress.websitetoolbox.com/post/mystery-part-4999059?highlight=chute&pid=1266378081#post1266378081

Something that gave me pause and really brought home the human aspect of the accident. Was this collection of castle nuts on a bolt brought aboard by a crew member? Spares the crew chief had stashed away? A humorous gift from one airman to another? At any rate, it is something that a person put together, and it survived an airplane crash that it's owner may not have. Now, 72 years later, I'm holding it in my hand.

Talon zipper that most likely came from a flyer's bag.