Wreckage of Pan Am plane found 74 years after it crashed off Puerto Rico
The discovery ends a decadeslong search and could help preserve the wreck site as a memorial to the 52 people who died.
- On June 2, 2026, a multi-partner search team led by the Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, Deep Sea Vision, and Discovery Channel located the wreckage of Pan Am's Clipper Endeavor 2,000 feet below the ocean surface off Puerto Rico.
- The Clipper Endeavor crashed on April 11, 1952, after losing both right-side engines shortly after takeoff from San Juan, killing 52 people and leaving 17 survivors; the disaster prompted mandatory pre-flight safety briefings industry-wide.
- Using high-resolution sonar and autonomous underwater vehicles, researchers captured more than 350,000 images of the wreckage without disturbing the site, resolving a 74-year-old aviation mystery.
- The Air/Sea Heritage Foundation is coordinating with the Government of Puerto Rico to secure legal protections for the wreck site and establish a permanent memorial; no remains will be recovered.
- Details of the discovery will feature in an upcoming episode of Discovery Channel's Expedition Unknown later this year, potentially offering new hope for families seeking closure regarding other missing ocean aircraft.
189 Articles
189 Articles
More than 74 years ago, a commercial aircraft started heading for New York. Then two of the four engines dropped out – and the pilot launched an emergency watering system that ended tragically.
74-Year Search Ends With Discovery Of Pan Am Wreck
Searchers have discovered the wreckage of Pan Am's Clipper Endeavor, 74 years after the aircraft crashed into the ocean off Puerto Rico in 1952, according to CBS News and the Associated Press. The New York-bound DC-4 lost engine power shortly after takeoff, killing 52 people. Survivors later told investigators that panic and confusion over life vests and rafts contributed to the high death toll.💡The report said the tragedy prompted sweeping avi…
In 1952 a Pan American Airways aircraft crashed shortly after the launch into the Atlantic Ocean, only a few passengers and the crew survived. Now the wreck was found on the bottom of the ocean.
The remains of a plane belonging to the extinct Pan Am airline, which crashed on April 11, 1952 in waters north of Puerto Rico and which claimed the lives of 52 people, were found by an aviation search team working with the Discovery Channel. According to a statement published by the U.S. media this Tuesday, the remnants of the Douglas DC-4 aircraft, known as 'Clipper Endeavor', were found on June 2. Pan Am's plane took off from San Juan, Puerto…
The remains of a plane from the extinct Pan Am airline, which crashed on April 11, 1952 in waters to the north of Puerto Rico and which claimed the lives of 52 people, were found by an aviation search team collaborating with the television channel Discovery Channel. According to the American media in a statement this Tuesday, the remnants of the Douglas DC-4 aircraft, known as 'Clipper Endeavor', were found on June 2nd thanks to images that clea…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 54% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
