Channel: sintax77

Category: People & Blogs

Tags: campingforestn28901backpacking tripcranberry wilderness plane crashovernightplane crash hikemonongahela national forestwest virginiawest virginia backpackingcranberry backcountrywilderness campingmissing hikersintax77woods campinghikingwild campingsecret hiking trailscrash sitespring backpackingcampplane crashcamping in the woodsspring campingoutdoorscranberry wildernessbackpackingcessna 414

Description: For this backpacking trip, we hiked into the Cranberry Wilderness in search of a twin engine private plane that crashed in 1995 and went missing for 6 years, deep in the forests of a remote West Virginia mountaintop. There was also a hiker who went missing here back in 2011. For sleep and shelter, Frank and I both decided to pack in our Amok Draumr Hammock camping systems. This would allow us to get a comfortable camping setup even if we were forced to camp in one of the mossy rock fields that are often encountered along mountain ridges in the Cranberry Wilderness. (scroll down for gear list) On the morning of November 28th, 1995, a Cessna 414, tail number N28901 took off from Braxton County Airport in Sutton, West Virginia headed for Lynchburg Regional, Virginia. After encountering low visibility due to foggy conditions, the lone pilot contacted air traffic control to request an IFR (instrument flight rules) flight plan in order to continue navigating the approaching mountainous terrain. After a period of apparent poor communications, possibly due to a radio issue, ATC lost contact with the pilot. Transponder signals ceased not long after the last communication, and the plane was never heard from or seen again until it was spotted from the air six years later. For an easier read, more info, & GPS data check out my full blog post sintax77.com/deep-woods-camping-finding-a-cessna-414 Trailhead Used: Big Beechy Trailhead, 38°17’44.2″N 80°14’55.7″W Highland Scenic Hwy, Minnehaha Springs, WV 24954 No parking fee or permit required. Trails Used, Day 1 Follow the dirt road for less than 1/8 mile Turn right (north) onto Big Beechy Trail (sign missing as of 2021) District Line Trail Setup camp along the District Line trail This is not an established campsite, but it’s the best clearing we found along the District Line and is also about as close as the trail comes to the crash site located about 1/4 mile downslope. There is room for a couple hammocks or tents. There is no reliable water here, so we packed it in. We did stumble upon a small creek further downhill while searching for the plane, but it’s not listed on maps and I can’t vouch for how often it’s actually running. Bushwhack downhill about 1/4 mile to find Cessna N28901 We found that the debris field location differed slightly from the NTSB report. We found what appeared to be the initial impact sight at N38° 20.073′ W80° 16.845′ , and the fuselage at N38° 20.009′ W80° 16.783′ Day 1 Mileage: 3.7 miles Day 1 Gross Elevation Gain: 562’ Day 1 Gross Descent: 639’ Trails Used, Day 2 Retrace yesterday’s route. Return to Big Beechy Trailhead. Day 2 Mileage: 3.7 miles Day 2 Gross Elevation Gain: 639’ Day 2 Gross Descent: 562 feet Grand Total Mileage: 7.4 Miles Grand Total Gross Elevation Gain: 1,201’ Notable Backpacking Gear Frank’s Budget Backpack amzn.to/2UpFpZW Sintax77’s Fjallraven Kajka 75 Backpack amzn.to/2Uj8Ew4 Amok Draumr XL Hammock amokequipment.com/collections/draumr-xl-introduction Amok Borg Tarp amokequipment.com/products/borg-multitarp Amok Fjol XL Winterlight Sleeping Pad amokequipment.com/products/fjol-xl-winterlight Outdoor Vitals Storm Loft 15° Mummy Pod (Frank) bit.ly/3qFoIpy Hammock Gear Burrow 20 Top Quilt (Sintax77) hammockgear.com/premium-burrow GSI Outdoors Halulite Tea Kettle amzn.to/3lJ9Zcw BSR Ultralight Canister Stove amzn.to/3vSwEYC MSR Flex Skillet amzn.to/2L4B4IT Light My Fire Mini Fire Steel Striker amzn.to/30S3rxm Light My Fire Tritan Spork amzn.to/3vSPfDR Marmot Eclipse Hardshell Jacket amzn.to/3shSHpd Military Fleece Jacket amzn.to/2YjWchv Outdoor Vitals Satu Adventure Pants bit.ly/36Hd85J Hardshell Pants – Military ECWCS Gen III Trousers amzn.to/2WzloP4 Solomon Toundro Pro CSWP Boot amzn.to/2KQDDyz Byer of Maine Trilite Camp Stool amzn.to/38xgTx1 Nitecore NU25 Headlamp amzn.to/2YVsp0A Casio ProTrek F30 Smartwatch amzn.to/3dtY7Xj Benchmade Bugout EDC Folding Knife amzn.to/2JVfBS5 Surplus MRE’s (Meal Ready to Eat) amzn.to/3a6cyRL Mountain House Sausage Biscuits & Gravy amzn.to/3q6eyih Camera & Nav Gear Used GoPro Hero 8 Black amzn.to/2D8n6lL GoPro Shorty Tripod Grip amzn.to/2MPhGOM 128GB Sandisk Extreme Memory Card amzn.to/2YWsFIB Spot Gen3 GPS Messenger & SOS device amzn.to/2EJLQhC Garmin Oregon 650 amzn.to/31dVhAR FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through some of my links. sintax77.com/free-stickers teespring.com/stores/sintax77-official-merch-store Music in this episode (Licensed via Artlist) Cities Under Guns by Francesco D’Andrea artlist.io/song/50893/cities-under-guns 2006 Blog post from a viewer that inspired this trip bit.ly/3d4Ns5Y