Wreckage of 1952 Pan Am Crash Found After 74 Years

Searchers have located the wreckage of a Pan Am flight that crashed off Puerto Rico in 1952, killing 52 people and prompting major aviation safety reforms. The DC-4 aircraft, known as the Clipper Endeavor, lost engine power shortly after takeoff and made a hard landing in the ocean. While 17 passengers and crew survived the initial landing, panic ensued as many struggled to find life vests and deploy life rafts. The plane sank within minutes. The wreckage was discovered last month using an autonomous sonar drone in 2,000 feet of water. The crash led to mandatory preflight safety briefings and improved flotation equipment, according to aviation experts. The Civil Aeronautics Board attributed the accident to inadequate maintenance and the captain’s handling of the aircraft. The discovery was spearheaded by the Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, which traced the wreckage after a luggage tag from the flight washed ashore in Florida in 2019. The wreckage’s location was confirmed using high-resolution sonar on an autonomous underwater vehicle. The crash remains a pivotal moment in aviation history, influencing modern safety protocols.