By Alan Silverleib
As German Gen. Erwin Rommel chased British forces across the North African desert, a stray Royal Air Force fighter crashed in the blistering sands of the Egyptian Sahara on June 28, 1942. The pilot was never heard from again. The damaged Kittyhawk P-40 - a couple of hundred miles from civilization - was presumed lost forever.
Until now.
In what experts consider nothing short of a miracle, a Polish oil company worker recently discovered the plane believed to have been flown by missing Flight Sgt. Dennis Copping. And almost 70 years after the accident, it's extraordinarily well-preserved.
You can read more of Alan Silverleib's story here
Here are the extraordinary photos:
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The clubs are built offset a caertin angle. I believe if is so there is a bottom (low point) of the swing under the target shoulder. If the shoulder returns to the same position on each swing the driver is hit (now on the upswing) and irons on the down swing. This leads to the different in divot length and depth. There has got to be a common low point related to the upper body which will add consistency to the shot. Now with the D Plane I am not sure of the ball position and airm. Does this make sense? Thanks.David
I agree the pilot's remains is likely nearby and they should be found and returned to England along with the plane.
Great skill to fly in the wrong direction, dumb cracker.
Have you ever flown a plane? If you have, you would know that getting lost is not all that hard. Add in a largely featureless desert and it becomes even easier. Dumb comment and you should be ashamed of yourself. Have some respect for the dead.
The pilot is the issue now, his remains will surly be within some miles from the plane. the pilot have to be find and accorded his honor.
WHERE IS DENNIS' BODY? IS IT STILL IN SIDE THE AIR CRAFT.?
Yeah, they probably saw it and forgot to mention it in the article... yeah....
Well of course Egypt should give back the plane to the UK, just as soon as the UK gives Egypt back the Rosetta stone and tons of stolen monuments exhibited in London
The Rosetta Stone was not 'stolen'. Derisory that you suggest this in a story about remarkable flying skill and bravery.
The Rosetta Stone was found and "stolen" by Napoleon. Any other lack of historical knowledge you'd like to display?
'If I should die, think only this of me. There's a corner of some foreign field that is forever England.' (Rupert Brooke, 1915). I sincerely hope that the British authorities can find Flight Sgt Copping's remains for a proper burial, and that the plane comes back to England. What a remarkable story.
who said he was English?
Look at the propeller. It clearly struck the ground while still spinning. Given the damage on the lower front it can be presumed he slowed the plane as much as he could before touching down then the rocky terrain broke off the forward landing gear, causing it to skid on its belly. Either that or he tried to belly land it.
Either way, that's a tough landing.
See the B-24 Lady Be Good on youtube, watch the long version. Just like the crew of this bomber, this pilot's body should be around somewhere 5-10 miles(?)
What's the matter with all of you?
If is a dry, there is no humidity , the factor dry air was the reason to conserve the airplane no , do you see any plants around it?
Now let's find the airplance presumed to be that of Ameila Earhardt. Anyone got any ideas?
An amazing find. I hope the Egyptian authorities will quickly authorize the salvaging of the wreck by the British.
The plane is in such great condition due to the dry climate of the desert. There's no moisture, that's why the Air Force store their aircraft in Tucson Az. Unfortunately those same elements would only give person hours to live without proper hydration.
Great observation, O'Leary. I was wondering, how on earth did the pilot land that thing? Maybe those rocks were covered with sand 70 years ago? Amazing that pieces of the parachute were still there.
He probably did not starve because of the sand which is there...
I believe the desert elements helped preserve the plane. It's quite a find and very interesting. It would be good to know what happened to the pilot.
questions (1) wouldn't sand storms have scoured this wreck, or was it covered up with sand for years? (2) where did the pilot go–his bones probably within a few miles.
Hey Surfdog,
If you look at the photos, they show different points of view. When the photos show the area around the plane, you can see that the plane sits on a rocky "plateau" with limited sand. The plane over 70 years surely would have gone through cycles of more sand, less sand (covering the plane). Since the area does not have large sand dunes sorrounding it, you may assume that wind kept this area "swept" of substantial amounts of sand. As far as the pilot's fate goes, well, we may never know. He may have to be placed on the list with Amilia Earhart.
What if find incredible: The terrain consisting of jutting rocks, and yet the skill of the pilot must have been incredible to keep the plane as intact as it is. Surprised aviators have not picked that up and commented.
My grandpa did a lot of travelling in the Libyan Sahara working for an oil company. He found at least one jeep that was was driven off of a dune killing both occupants during WWII
Wow, how amazing!
my grandfather was in WWII it was pretty cool to find all of his items, like the book of what the natives looked like and what they had to inured it was pretty epic
The desert does preserve mechanical things very well. That's why the U.S. military stores unused aircraft near Tucson, AZ.
....... Along with airlines.
Great time capsule. There have been a couple of planes from WWII found in North Africa. I wonder how many more are out there. I worked in Libya in the 70's and we found a German truck out in the middle of nowhere. It was really well preserved, too.
That is amazing! I was attached to an F-14 squadron during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and the thought that this plane survived so well preserved in the open elements still floors me.
That's Extraordinary, when will the movie come out?
Emmett, read the book first. I can envision a young aviator eating his last meal not knowing what was awaiting his inevitable fate; or writing his last letter to an acquaintance or family member letting them know everything was okay…if he only knew. I hope the pilot's remains can be found and honored. A side note, the military has come a long way with survival preparation and aircraft tracking to include things such as IFF, global satellites, etc..