Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star Mid-Air Collision 48-882 vs. 48-870 30 October 1953 Northeast of Las Vegas, NV

27 April 2012. This was the field trip for the 4th Annual Aviation Archaeology conference. The goal was to survey the debris fields and locate the impact points of two F-80Cs which had suffered a mid-air collision.

At the impact point of one of the F-80s.
A piece of rock captured by aluminum melted in the post-crash fire.
This impact point has larger wreckage still there, mostly from the center section.
The data plate identifies this as belonging to an F-80C-1-LO, and is part number 177776-5. It's one of the dive flaps from the lower front fuselage.
Dynamotor from the Scintilla Magneto Division of the Bendix Aviation Corporation. I'm still researching where this would have been located in the airframe.
Ignition exciter box.
A collection of inspection stamps.
Group photo at the first impact site.
Remains of a map light. This would have been mounted on the right side of the cockpit on the side panel.
I didn't see very many cacti in the area, but I still managed to get stabbed by a couple...
Found between the impact sites. Not from either of the aircraft, but seemed to be a cutter of some sort. Push on the top and a blade would cut whatever was in the hole.
The impact site of the other F-80 was now mostly a burn area with a lot of small parts.