Historic Discovery: Missing Pan Am Flight Found After 74 Years In Deep Sea

A Pan American Airways flight that crashed off Puerto Rico's coast 74 years ago has finally been located, with an aviation search team confirming the wreckage now rests on the ocean floor.

The Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, working alongside others including Discovery Channel's Expedition Unknown, found the remains of the Pan Am Clipper Endeavor at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean off Puerto Rico's northern coast last month, according to an announcement from Discovery on Tuesday.

The 1952 Crash

The Douglas DC-4 aircraft split into two sections after coming down in the ocean shortly after departing Puerto Rico on 11 April, 1952, carrying 64 passengers and five crew members.

Everyone aboard reportedly survived the initial impact, but only 12 passengers and five crew members were ultimately rescued, with the remainder lost along with the aircraft.

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Lasting Impact On Aviation Safety

The crash is credited with prompting significant reforms in commercial aviation, including the introduction of mandatory pre-flight safety briefings and emergency procedure demonstrations for passengers.

Reaction From Investigators

Russ Matthews, president of the Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, described the team as stunned and elated by the discovery, while also feeling humbled by the memory of the tragedy.

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How The Wreck Was Found

The search, conducted with the Deep Sea Vision company, relied on high-resolution sonar technology, ultimately locating the wreckage nearly 2,000 feet beneath the Atlantic Ocean. Autonomous underwater drones were also used in the search, which brought to a close the decades-old mystery over where the aircraft had come to rest.

Source: NDTV Trending