Fascinated by the scene but repulsed by the smell of fresh disaster, he subsquently focused his interest on old wrecks. To locate crash sites, he collects old photos of wrecks, often from government investigation files or newspaper archives. Then, with an approximate location, he tries to match the contour of the background in the photos with the mountain vistas as he hikes. That site, which may soon be paved over with tract homes, still holds silverware, shards of cups and junior pilot wings with United's logo. On this day, Mr. Scroggins is hunting two Air Force P-80 jets that collided in 1952 over Lake Mead while practicing dogfights.
Old reports indicate wreckage was found as far from the water as three quarters of a mile.
This is Mr. Scroggins's second attempt to find traces of the accident, and with a declassified hand-drawn map, he thinks he has narrowed the search. Rocks and ridges, they can play tricks on you. You walk 15 or 20 feet, and the landscape can change. Anything shiny catches his eye. His heart pounding, he charges up a hill after spotting a flash in the dirt, but he becomes dejected as he turns in.