Pictures 1-2: Aerial view of the wreckage (Jun 2016 imagery)
Picture 3: What the aircraft probably looked like
Pictures 4-6: Close view of the wreckage
Aircraft Type: Boeing B-17
Registration: 40-2047
Airline: USAF
Location: Near Jones Place, California.
Barely visible through satellite imagery, but clearly visible in the June 2016 imagery.
This B-17 was delivered to the USAF in 1940, and only served with the USAF.
On November 2, 1941, 40-2047 took off from Reno en route to McLellan Field. In the middle of the flight, things began to stop working. The radio turned to static and the supercharger on Engine No. 1 began to detach. The co-pilot tried to fix the issue and the aircraft ascended to 14,000 feet. After 45 minutes, the instruments stopped working and the aircraft turned around to head back to Reno. Some time later, the aircraft began to pitch up. The pilots pushed the controls down but they didn't respond. Suddenly, the B-17 rolled and began to spin, breaking apart. The passengers and crew managed to bail with parachutes and survived. However, the pilot was trapped in the cockpit and died.
The wreckage was mostly not salvaged, and remains there.