In 2015, the non-profit organization Diving with a Purpose (DWP) participated in an underwater archaeology mission with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to document the crash site of a P-39Q Aircobra in Lake Huron. The P-aircraft was flown by Tuskegee Airmen Lt. Frank Moody, who  perished in the accident April 11, 1941. The aircraft was part of a four ship formation participating in a training mission, departing from Selfridge Field near Detroit, Michigan. The crash occurred just four miles north of Port Huron, Michigan. The wreckage was not discovered until April 11, 2014.

The artifacts remain submerged at their original location in Lake Huron. This photo includes images of the aircraft’s .50 caliber gun, engine block and tail section.

DWP is a community-focused nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation and protection of submerged heritage resources by providing education, training, certification and field experience to adults and youth in the fields of maritime archaeology and ocean conservation. A special focus of DWP is the protection, documentation, and interpretation of African slave trade shipwrecks and the maritime history and culture of African Americans.

Airacobra instrument panel and running light