Wreckage of 1952 Pan Am Flight 526A Found Off Puerto Rico Coast

The wreckage of Pan Am Flight 526A, a Douglas DC-4 that tragically crashed on April 11, 1952, resulting in the deaths of 52 individuals, has been located. This discovery, made on June 2 by the autonomous underwater vehicle Miss Millie from Deep Sea Vision, occurred approximately five miles off the coast of Puerto Rico at a depth of 2,000 feet. Since 2019, Russ Matthews of the Air/Sea Heritage Foundation has led the investigation, which utilized over 350,000 underwater images to uncover parts of the aircraft, such as the landing gear and cabin windows. While the main structure is damaged, it remains intact. The team will not recover remains since 39 bodies were never found and is collaborating with Puerto Rico to safeguard the site and establish a memorial. The crash, referred to as "La Tragedia del Viernes Santo," happened after two engines failed. Pilot John C. Burn made an emergency landing attempt; although all survived the initial impact, many drowned. This incident led to the implementation of new aviation safety measures. In October 2024, Matthews worked with Josh Gates on a televised episode.