60+ years on and a P-38 has been found intact,on a West Wales beach.....even still contains aviation fuel...
link to story and pic here below...
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/1...html#cnnSTCText
" Members of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery
(Tighar) visited the site in October to carry out a full survey.
They say the plane is arguably the oldest surviving aircraft of this
type, and the only P-38 Lightning in its original condition.
Lt Robert Elliot Lt Robert Elliot died in North Africa a few months
after the crash
Tighar has also trawled through WWII records to discover exactly how
the aircraft came to be on a Gwynedd and beach.
The plane was taking part in secret exercises when its engines cut
out.
Amazingly, the pilot, Second Lieutenant Robert Elliot, walked away
from the crash uninjured.
His nephew, Robert Elliott from Tennessee, recently uncovered details
of the crash after researching his uncle's war diaries.
"They were doing aerial gunner exercises and my uncle was towing a
target," said Mr Elliot.
"He had been airborne for around 55 minutes when his left engine quit.
He decided to pass back over the fields, drop his target and come into
land.
"But as he turned the right engine went."
Mr Elliot said a design fault on the plane meant that reserve fuel
lines to the engines failed, but remarkably his uncle walked away from
the crash unscathed.
Unfortunately, the pilot was reported missing in action just three
months later just weeks into the American's Tunisia campaign in North
Africa."