Wreckage Of A Deadly Plane Crash Lies 200 Feet Below Sebago Lake

Why is there wreckage of World War ll aircraft below the surface of Sebago Lake?

May 16, 1944, was a deadly day on Sebago Lake. During a training flight in a low-level formation, Two Royal Navy Vought F4U Corsairs collided and immediately sank. According to the website New England Aviation History, the purpose of the flight was to give the pilots experience flying low over bodies of water. While flying in formation, suddenly one plane dropped and hit the water. A second plane struck the debris from downed aircraft and too crashed into the water.

The crash killed two pilots, both of the 732 Squadron based out of Brunswick Naval Air Station. Despite search and rescue efforts, both of their bodies were never recovered. The video above was posted on Youtube by Dustin Harper. Here's what he had to say about the video:

"This is footage taken around 2003, of 1 of 2 Vought F4U Corsairs that collided during training on May 16, 1944. Both Royal Navy pilots were killed. They were both out of Naval Air Station Brunswick and Sebago Lake was used as a safe place to train young pilots on how to fly over water. The Corsair shown is # JT160, and the second one it collided with sits 1.3 miles away. She is sitting on her nose straight up and down, both wings were torn from the fuselage, and the right wing is 100 feet from the rest of the plane. The landing gear was down (she is equipped with a tailhook) when she crashed (not sure why) and the Canopy is open."

Get our free mobile app

According to News Center Maine, there was an attempt to recover the planes back in 2003. The efforts were halted by the Maine Attorney General's Office. The site is designated as a War Grave, meaning it's not to be disturbed.