Visit to Site of 1954 USAF Fighter Jet Crash at Head of Rush, KY

On 14 June 1954 a US Air Force F-86E Sabre Fighter Jet crashed in a hollow called Hickory Log just off James Road at the head of Rush.

On Tuesday 22 March 2016 I visited the site of that jet crash.

I had heard about this cash my entire life, but had never actually been to the site. I was only three when the crash occurred. I did a bit of research and quickly knew the general area of the crash, but I wanted to see the exact crash point and determining that took a lot more time.

I finally chatted with my old friend Ted Davis that had lived much of his life at the head of Rush. Ted was very aware of the crash location and had been there dozens of times throughout his life. Ted carefully explained with good directions on how to get to the cash site. Ted currently lives on James Road so I parked my car in his driveway and hoofed it to the crash site using his directions. The crash site is 0.7 mile from where the James Road intersects KY SR 854 at the head of Rush and about 0.6 mile from Ted’s house. I was able to efficiently find what I was reasonably sure was the crash site.

You proceed west on the James Road Hollow in a direction away from KY SR 854 and quickly pass a very short hollow on the right with a small pond at the mouth. The next hollow on the right is Hickory Log Hollow and you proceed up Hickory Log. To proceed up Hickory Log Hollow you first cross over the small creek that flows out of Hickory Log and follow the path up the left side of the hollow. The trail head into Hickory Log Hollow is 0.4 mile from KY SR 854. This crash site is 0.3 mile up the Hickory Log Hollow trail (making the 0.7 mile total to the crash site from KY SR 854). The trail up the left side of Hickory Log Hollow goes almost due north and you will cross over the creek on a makeshift wooden bridge and ford the very small creek again (no bridge). 200 feet on the trail after you ford the creek is the crash site.  The crash site is on the left of the trail about 40 feet off the trail. The crash site sits about 12 feet in elevation above the trail level.

The crash site is on the left bank of the hollow and to the left of the Hickory Log trail on a steep, but short incline. The site is a shallow crater mostly filled with leaves. The crater is about 1 foot deep and about 12 feet in diameter. The very center of the crater has a slightly deeper hole about 2 foot in diameter. This 12 foot, shallow crater depression marks the remnants of what was a far more pronounced crater formed when the jet collided with the earth.  Image of crash crater (click on image for a larger view)

The GPS of the crash site is: 38.316420, -82.789440

The crash site is located at the red teardrop in this Google Maps link.

I goofed around the site and took several photographs and accidentally slipped on the dry leaves on the steep bank and slid down the incline above the creek on my rump. When I stopped sliding my shoe came off my foot. When I reached down to recover and replace my shoe I saw something out of place at my foot. It was a small 2 inch square of woven fiberglass cloth likely from the jet just waiting for me to find after 62 years.

I also looked in the nearby creek and found a piece of rubber impregnated cord about 8 inches X 4 inches also likely from the crash. It did not look like tire material so it must be some sort of seal of cowling material, but I am not positive of this scrap’s actual function.  Image of fiberglass cloth and rubber impregnated cord (click on image for a larger view).

I returned to Ted’s house almost certain I had found the crash site, but I wanted to be absolutely certain. I wanted Ted Davis to confirm I was actually at the site that he had described, but Ted was unable to walk to the site.

I asked Paul Hutchinson, who happens to be Ted’s Brother-in-law, to use his spiffy small 4 wheel drive vehicle to get Ted to the site. Paul was very happy to make this accommodation and Paul and Ted (with me loaded in back in the small utility bed like cord wood) wheeled to the site I had just explored. Ted confirmed it was the crash site. I was happy.

I have nearly finished a detailed article about the actual jet crash in 1954 and that will be posted in a couple of weeks. So if you have questions about the crash just hold on for that coming article.

A big thanks to Ted Davis and Paul Hutchinson for their kind and focused help.

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