XF-11 - Howard Hughes Crash Scene

On the 7th of July, 1946, Howard Hughes tested his new XF-11. The plane, designed to exceed 450 miles per hour, was intended to fly photo reconnaissance missions (at high altitudes) for the U.S. Army Air Force.

As he flew over Los Angeles, everything was going well. Then - the right engine failed, reversing the propeller pitch (when the governor mechanism ceased to work properly). His air-speed indicator had stopped at 155 miles an hour.

This photo, courtesy U.S. National Archives, shows the extent of the crash. Later, Hughes was successful in a lawsuit he filed against the manufacturer of the faulty propeller.