Museum Digs-In with Aviation Archeology Symposium On October 13

The Museum of Flight’s aviation archaeology symposium, Before It’s Too Late, returns with new tales from the trails on Oct. 13 from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm. Experts from the field of aviation archeology will share secrets and gritty stories of recovering lost aircraft, preserving crash sites and historical aviation landmarks. Facing deadly terrain, a changing global climate and geopolitical shifts, these investigators scramble to find lost aircraft before it’s too late. The programs are free with Museum general admission.

11:00 am to 12:30 pm:  The 1956 Grand Canyon Mid-Air Collision – History Revealed Through Aviation Archaeology

Mike McComb discusses the tragic accident in 1956 when a United Airlines DC-7 collided with a TWA Super Constellation over the Grand Canyon, killing all 128 souls onboard the aircraft. It was first commercial airline accident with over 100 fatalities and the event led to significant changes in the air traffic control system. McComb will also talk about his work with the National Park Service and the establishment of the 1956 Grand Canyon Air Disaster National Historic Landmark, as well as the ongoing work to identify the remaining wreckage in the Grand Canyon.

1:00 pm to 2:30 pm:  Aviation Archaeology in the Rockies

Larry Liebrecht will discuss the Colorado Front Range F-4/P-38 crash site and provide a cultural resource perspective on the Medicine Bow Wyoming Intermediate (Airmail) Airfield, where in 1931 a radio transmitter at the field completed America’s first transcontinental radio navigation route for aircraft.

Founded in 1965, the independent, nonprofit Museum of Flight is one of the largest air and space museums in the world, annually serving over 600,000 visitors. The Museum’s collection includes more than 160 historically significant airplanes and spacecraft, from the first fighter plane (1914) to today’s 787 Dreamliner. Attractions at the 23-acre, 5-building Seattle campus include the original Boeing Company factory, the NASA Space Shuttle Trainer, Air Force One, Concorde, Lockheed Blackbird and Apollo Moon rockets. In addition to the Seattle campus adjacent to King County International Airport, the Museum also has its 3-acre Restoration Center and Reserve Collection at Paine Field in Everett (not currently open to the public).

With a foundation of aviation history, the Museum is also a hub of news and dialogue with leaders in the emerging field of private spaceflight ventures. The Museum’s aviation and space library and archives are the largest on the West Coast. More than 150,000 individuals are served annually by the Museum’s onsite and outreach educational programs. The Museum of Flight is accredited by the American Association of Museums, and is an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.

Angela Decker

Angela Decker, from McPherson, Kansas, discovered her passion for aviation after earning a Master’s in Military History from Norwich University in 2011. Since 2012, she has volunteered with vintage aviation groups, excelling as a social media content creator and coordinator. Angela has coordinated aviation and WWII events, appeared as Rosie the Riveter, and is restoring a Stearman aircraft. She is the Operations Logistics Coordinator at CAF Airbase Georgia and an accountant with a degree in Economics from the University of Georgia. Her son, Caden, shares her love for aviation and history and is studying Digital Media Arts.

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