After a two-year search, a dive team has found the shattered wreck of a TBF-1 Avenger torpedo bomber on the murky bottom of Clear Lake in northern California. The discovery could end 60 years of discomfort for 96-year-old Morton Pinz, whose younger brother Lt. Robert Pinz was flying the plane. The body of radio operator David Herget washed ashore a few days after the crash on Dec. 4, 1944, but the Pinz family was always distressed that the pilot’s body was never recovered. The body still hasn’t been located but divers may return to the wreck to see if it’s there. The wreckage is scattered over about 2,000 feet and the largest piece is about the size of a truck tailgate, according to local potato farmer John Prosser, who led the search. A private research vessel with a side search sonar located the wreck, along with three divers from the Klamath Falls, Ore., police department.
Avenger Wreckage Found In Lake
Key Takeaways:
- After a two-year search, the scattered wreckage of a TBF-1 Avenger torpedo bomber that crashed in Clear Lake on December 4, 1944, has been found.
- The discovery offers potential closure to the family of pilot Lt. Robert Pinz, whose body was never recovered, although his remains are still missing from the wreckage.
- The search effort, led by local farmer John Prosser, involved side-scan sonar and police divers, locating debris scattered over approximately 2,000 feet.
See a mistake? Contact us.
