Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory Archive

IN THE SCHOOL OF OCEAN AND EARTH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I AT MANOA

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AIR-14: P-39 Airacobra

Historic photo: P-39 Airacobra in flight

Historic photo: P-39 Airacobra center fuselage details

HURL Artifact No.	AIR-14	*Denotes approximations and speculations


Name:	P-39 Airacobra	Lost:	*February 12, 1942
Artifact Type:	Aircraft	Found:	31-Aug-2004
Nationality:	USA	Dive No:	PIV-127/PV-561
Class or Make:	Bell	Location:	Defensive Sea Area
Model:	P-39	Depth (m):	367m
Purpose:	Fighter	HURL crew:	Kerby, Wollerman/Cremer, Kelley, J. Smith
Serial Number:	*41-5927	Additional Dives:
Built/Launched:	1940-1944 (9,584)

Length:	30' 2"
Width:	34' 0"
Height:	12' 5"



Circumstance of Loss:	*Crashed	Crew Personnel/Position:	1 Pilot, *Lt. Othneil Norris

Reason of Loss:	*Pilot was unable to recover from flat spin.	Crew Survivals/Fatalities:	*Parachuted to safety

Artifact History:	*Possibly the P-39B (41-5927) flown by 2nd Lt. Othneil Norris which was "lost into the ocean" in the vicinity of Pearl Harbor. It is the only P-39 "known" to be lost at sea in this area .However, the fact that the wings are still attached might indicate otherwise. Norris parachuted to safety that day, but was killed a few months later.

Artifact Condition:	Propeller, nose cowling, tail section, & most of the cockpit are missing. The center fuselage framework and wings are present, as well as the propeller drive shaft from the cockpit forward into the engine, which is also still intact.

Additional Information:	The US requisitioned 200 aircraft after Pearl Harbor and designated them P-400's. They served in the Southwest Pacific, the Aleutians, and by the Tuskegee Airmen in North Africa. The P-39's were most effectively used by the Soviets for low level attacks on ground troops.

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