Pan Am Plane Wreckage Found 74 Years After Crash Off Puerto Rico

Seventy-four years after a Pan Am plane crashed into the sea off Puerto Rico, killing 52 people and prompting major aviation safety reforms, a research team has located the wreckage on the ocean floor.

The Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, working with partners including Discovery's "Expedition Unknown," found the remains of the Pan Am "Clipper Endeavor" last month in the Atlantic Ocean off Puerto Rico's northern coast. The discovery, aided by an autonomous underwater drone, resolves a decades-long mystery about the exact resting place of the Douglas DC-4. The aircraft crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from Puerto Rico on April 11, 1952.

Of the 64 passengers and five crew members aboard, only 17 were rescued. The investigation into the crash revealed that a lack of safety instructions before takeoff contributed to the high number of fatalities, leading to crucial changes in the aviation industry. "We are all stunned and thrilled by this discovery, but at the same time, deeply aware of the tragedy that occurred there so many years ago," said Ras Matthews, president and co-founder of the Air/Sea Heritage Foundation.

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We are all stunned and thrilled by this discovery, but at the same time, deeply aware of the tragedy that occurred there so many years ago.

The wreckage was found broken into two pieces. Subsequent photography confirmed its identity, with the distinctive Pan American winged logo and the aircraft's name still visible. Discovery Channel plans to feature the find in an upcoming episode of "Expedition Unknown." The Air/Sea Heritage Foundation is now working with Puerto Rican authorities to protect the site and advocate for a memorial.

The plane lost both engines on its right wing shortly after takeoff, forcing the pilot into an emergency landing on the sea's surface. While life rafts and vests were available for all passengers, the rapid sinking of the aircraft after impact hampered rescue efforts.

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The system worked for about 30 hours, scanning the seabed in the targeted zone, and when it came back to the surface – the wreckage was there.