2018 March 31 - Fifth Expedition

I made a fifth trip to the crash site of Flight 655 in early Spring 2018, mostly because the earlier visits were much later in the year when ground cover and vegetation were thick. More of the debris field was visible this visit, and I was in awe of just how debris existed at the site.

I wish I knew who placed the cross at the site. It took at lot of love on that person's part,, since it was assembled off-site and brought in.
Badly accordianed piece of engine cowling.
The airplane has been on the mountain for 45 years, but some parts still shine as if brand new.
I remember seeing newspaper photos from soon after the crash that showed the tail standing upright, but now it points downslope. The CVR and FDR were recovered from here.
Left main landing gear strut.
The rollers are gone, but the races and cages for the wheel bearings are still there, even as the wheel was destroyed around them.
The #2 engine nacelle still contains the RH main landing gear and the remains of the #2 engine.
The structure of the nacelle shows signs of the small post-crash fire. The damage in the center is from melting of the aluminum structure, some of which dripped down and can be seen on the chrome of the MLG strut at lower right.
The #2 engine was destroyed back to the combustion chamber outlet duct/turbine nozzle. The drive shaft in the center shows torsional failure, indicating that the engine was turning at a high RPM at the time of impact..
All that's left of the #2 engine.
Looking east across the debris field.
Another section of engine cowling.