A6M Zero Fighter (Fefan, upside down)
An A6M Zero that crashed upside down into the lagoon near Fefan Island and still lies inverted on the bottom at about 11 m (35 ft), facing the island. The fuselage is broken behind the wings and the whole aircraft is covered in coral; it is a popular short add-on dive known as the 'Upside Down Zero'.
Facts
- Region: Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon – Micronesia
- Area: Aircraft wrecks
- Depth: 11 m
- Level: beginner
- Current: low
- Type: wreck
- Coordinates: 7.343, 151.846 (approximate)
- Highlights: Zero fighter, upside-down aircraft, coral growth
- Permit: A Chuuk State dive permit is required for every dive on the wartime wrecks (Chuuk Lagoon State Monument): US$50, valid one year, as listed by Odyssey Adventures, SS Thorfinn and the Blue Lagoon Dive Shop rate sheet (the older state-code text says US$30, so confirm when booking). Under the state code the permit is sold by the licensed dive shops/operators, who collect the fee for the state, and divers must go with a certified guide from a licensed shop. All Japanese ships and aircraft sunk before 31 Dec 1945 are protected monuments and war graves: taking or damaging anything is illegal (fine up to US$1,000 and/or six months in prison under the state code).
- Issuer / contact: Chuuk Visitors Bureau (CVB)
- Phone: +691 330-4133
- Email: executivedirector@visitchuuk.com
- Website: https://visitchuuk.com/contact-information
- CVB is the Chuuk State tourism office and is listed here as the official contact for visitor information; the permit itself is sold by the licensed dive operators (Chuuk State code Title 25 ch. 8, text at https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/mic79052.pdf). Operators (Thorfinn, Odyssey, Blue Lagoon) list US$50.
- Unverified: No published GPS: pin set just east of Fefan Island ('near Fefan Island' only); the side of the island is a guess. The 'Upside Down Zero' name is from liveaboard.com (about 60 ft there; Pacific Wrecks says 35 ft).
- Tips: Easy and shallow; the airframe is fragile, so avoid fin contact. Wrecks are war graves – look, photograph, take nothing. Some cargo (shells, mines, bombs) is unstable: do not touch it.