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PBY in Lake Mead now open to divers

By Meg Godlewski · March 9, 2007 ·

Divers who enjoy exploring submerged airplane wrecks have a new target in Lake Mead, Nevada.

The National Park Service (NPS) has released the location of a submerged PBY Catalina. The plane sits in two sections approximately 190 feet below the surface in the Boulder Basin Area of the lake.

Because of the depth it is considered a technical dive and divers should proceed with caution and at their own risk, according to NPS officials.

The area is designated as an archeological site, so tampering with or removing artifacts from the wreck is prohibited, officials add.

According to the NPS, this particular Navy PBY-5A was converted to civilian use after World War II. It was owned by the Charles Babb Co. of Los Angeles and was on a test flight when it crashed.

According to media accounts of the incident, the pilot was attempting a water landing on Oct. 24, 1949, and did not know that the landing gear was down. The aircraft flipped when it hit the surface of the water. The plane burst into flames and sank. Only one member of the six person crew survived the accident.

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