ALPINE, Calif. -- Over 50 years ago, Navy pilot Ralph "Skeeter" Carson crashed his jet in the mountains of East County.

Carson recently returned to the scene in Alpine where he had ditched his jet to see the wreckage for the very first time.

"I can't believe it's that long ago, that it should be in the Historical Society," said Carson.

Carson crashed his McDonnell F3H Demon fighter jet into the hills of Alpine. Carson said he had problems with instruments and the fog during his night flight helped make his decision to eject.

"Without knowing whether I was right-side up or upside down, it was time to go," said Carson.

Until now, Carson had never seen the crash site.

Local hiker Dennis Richardson found the crash site one day and then sought Carson.

"From the time I was a kid, I thought people died in airplane crashes. I never thought you (Carson) would be alive," said Richardson.

"People started sending me pictures, and I thought, 'Oh! That's pretty neat," said Carson.

Carson came all the way from Florida to see the crash site for himself.

The long hike up the steep mountainside took its toll on the 79-year-old Carson.

Once they arrived, Carson's partners looked over the site. Carson was looking at a gift from the property owner.

"It's the tailhook to the airplane. Rudy is giving it to us," said Carson.

That was enough to make this trip worth it.

"At my age, this is probably the last time I'll be here. So it's been fun," said Carson.