WIX Archives

US ownership claims

Posted by andy saunders on Sun Jul 07, 2002 05:03:24 PM

Following on from the ownership debate I've had several e-mails asking for chapter and verse on the position of the US authorities regarding ownership. This position was first set out in a letter from the USAF to a colleague in Germany seeking to recover a P-51 B from a lake. The actual policy is covered as under:
USAF Supply Manual, AFMAN 23-110,Vol 6, Excess and Surplus Personal Property, Chapter 9, Processing Aircraft and Missiles.
Para 9.10
"Aircraft that crashed prior to 19th November 1961...and that remain wholly or partially unrecovered are considered formally abandoned. The air force neither maintains title to nor has property interests in these aircraft. The authority for access to and recovery of these aircraft as well as liability for damage associated with the recovery are matters to be resolved between personnel seeking recovery and the landowners of the wreckage sites"

So, there we have it. Comments anyone? OK - so this is a USAF manual and one might argue it only applies to USAF and not USAAF airplanes. However, the USAF tell me they are quoting this in relation to wartime wrecks on the basis that USAAF property and assets became subsumed into the organisation of the USAF.

Here in the UK, the MOD state this is not the case and that the US Govt does still own them and that the wrecks can only be "gifted" to the finder or recoverer by the MOD who act on behalf of the USAF. When I raised this with the USAF they said they knew nothing about any such arrangement and it was the first time they had heard about it. Interesting!
Andy Saunders.

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