A salvage team took a closer look Thursday at a plane found 85 feet below the surface by an angler using a fish finder.
Divers have begun to uncover the SB2C-4 Helldiver, an aircraft that played a big role in World War II. This particular plane, however, is stuck at the bottom of the Otay Reservoir.
"I would be more excited to actually see it in a museum and be the guy who can look up at the ceiling and say I found that airplane underwater," said fisherman Duane Johnson, who made the incredible discovery in February.
Divers from all over the country met Thursday to discuss the fate of the Helldiver, which crashed in 1945 during a practice mission, and to conduct an underwater site survey to determine what can be salvaged.
If restored, the aircraft could end up in a museum, but that is a lengthy process involving everything from environmental to historical factors, not to mention the fact that it would require significant funding.
"I would compare it to [an aquarium] that wants a whale," said Taras Lyssenko of A&T Recovery. "Well, catching the whale may not be hard, but they need to build a very big pool for the whale and feed it so the public can see it."
Organizers said a big concern is raising enough money to restore the aircraft and display it properly.
Johnson said he saw the wings and then the fuselage, and then went over it from a different angle so he could see the whole airplane. Johnson sent photos to the FAA, and it started an investigation.
Everyone in the aircraft when it went down survived the crash 65 years ago, but the Navy never recovered the plane ... until now. One of the pilots who survived the emergency landing is believed to be 90-years-old and living in Michigan.
