Cheyenne Suarez

Pan-Am plane lost in crash 74 years ago, found on ocean floor

Article (news)

Reuters Wires

An aviation search team found the wreckage of a Pan American Airways passenger plane that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Puerto Rico in 1952, ending a 74-year-old mystery and bringing closure to families of those who died.The Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, working with Deep Sea Vision and Discovery Channel&#x27;s Expedition Unknown, located the wreckage of the Pan Am &quot;Clipper Endeavor&quot; nearly 2,000 feet (610 meters) below the ocean surface off Puerto Rico&#x27;s northern coast last month.The Douglas DC-4 crashed shortly after takeoff from San Juan on April 11, 1952, carrying 64 passengers and five crew members. Although everyone survived the initial impact, only 12 passengers and five crew members were rescued.Foundation President Russ Matthews said the team confirmed the aircraft&#x27;s identity after obtaining images showing the Pan American logo and the name &quot;Clipper Endeavor&quot; on the nose.&quot;We were able to obtain pictures of the Pan American logo and the name Clipper Endeavor on the nose of the airplane,&quot; Matthews said. &quot;That told us without the shadow of a doubt that we&#x27;d finally found Clipper Endeavor.&quot;The search relied on an autonomous underwater vehicle that mapped the seabed and collected terabytes of data. Matthews said the first indication came when researchers reviewed imagery showing &quot;the wreck laid out on the sea floor like a toy plane on the living room carpet.&quot;The crash prompted major aviation safety reforms, including pre-flight safety briefings and emergency procedure demonstrations.Matthews said relatives of victims and survivors have contacted the team since the discovery.&quot;Just telling us what it&#x27;s meant to their families to know the resting place now and to have peace with it,&quot; he said.He added that advances in underwater search technology could help locate other long-missing aircraft.&quot;This demonstrates what&#x27;s possible with this technology,&quot; Matthews said. &quot;Even after 74 years, it&#x27;s possible to find and know the answers.&quot;

An aviation search team found the wreckage of a Pan American Airways passenger plane that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Puerto Rico in 1952, ending a 74-year-old mystery and bringing closure to families of those who died.

An aviation search team found the wreckage of a Pan American Airways passenger plane that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Puerto Rico in 1952, ending a 74-year-old mystery and bringing closure to families of those who died.

Pan-Am plane lost in crash 74 years ago, found on ocean floor

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Pan-Am plane lost in crash 74 years ago, found on ocean floor

Reuters

Published July 24, 2026 08:33 PM PHT

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Pan American Airways

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