Wreckage of Pan Am Clipper Found After 74 Years

An aviation search team has discovered the wreckage of the Pan Am Clipper Endeavor on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean off Puerto Rico’s northern coast, 74 years after the aircraft crashed.

Experts from the Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, Deep Sea Vision and the Discovery Channel series Expedition Unknown located the Douglas DC-4 last month using high-resolution sonar and autonomous underwater drones. The wreckage was found nearly 2,000 feet below the surface.

The aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Puerto Rico on 11 April 1952 with 64 passengers and five crew members on board.

Everyone survived the initial impact, but only 12 passengers and five crew members were rescued. The other 52 people were lost with the aircraft.

The disaster prompted sweeping aviation reforms, including the introduction of mandatory pre-flight safety briefings and emergency procedure demonstrations.

(Reuters, Max)