In 1950, a U.S. Air Force transport plane - the Douglas C-54 Skymaster No. 2469 - departed from Anchorage, Alaska, bound for Montana. With 44 people on board, the Skymaster vanished without a trace. To this day, neither the aircraft nor its passengers have ever been found. Skymaster Down is the story of an almost-forgotten mystery - one of Canada's greatest unsolved cases - set against the backdrop of a spectacular yet perilous landscape and featuring a cast of fascinating characters.
Thank you for this docu. Such a sad thing, terribly frustrating to not be able to find the downed craft. It may never be found, something I’m sure many people have had to make a necessary peace with. A lot of ‘knowitalls’ in the comments, some well meaning. There are comments, however, that have no place here at all, not even for reasons of ‘free speech.’ Wish they would be taken out. Again, thank you for the docu. How tragic, yet we cannot solve any and everything, regardless of the technology. It’s a huge place with unknowns.
@@mynamedoesntmatter8652 Why don't you just say who you think the know it alls are, better to specify if you want action taken. Realistically TH-cam only removes true comments, so just saying you know doesn't give information. Does that help a little?
A thought occurs to me... If people are finding submerged cars with missing people, using Google Earth?.... Has anyone considered that possibility? Basically it is complete photo reconnaissance..!?
My father passed away when I was just four in 1959, my few memories of him are still in my memory, I've missed him all my life, I'm almost 70 now and I still miss him, it just never leaves me... RIP to the passengers and crew and the families they left behind, I hope to see him and now my late mother when my time comes....
My father passed away when I was seven and a half years, back in June of 1962. Like you, I still remember him, and have missed him all of my life, and I will be 70 years next month in December of this year, 2025.
I was a Air Force brat so this story Alway's made me cry. I hope one day they find this plane and bring closure to the loved ones. I pray that a hedge of love and warmth forever surround them with the knowledge that they are thought of and cared for by thousands and thousands of people like myself.
From the score, to the content to the narration to the interviews, this documentary is a heart-tugging understated masterpiece. Well done. Let us hope the missing souls aboard one day will be vindicated by discovery.
I was stationed in Alaska in the late 70's. The arctic is so vast and unpopulated I am not surprised. If you veer off your course, in any part of it and don't find your way back to the path, you're in serious trouble.
Excellent video. The crash happened in early 1950. The Korean War started in June of that year. The war lasted until mid 1953. That is a lot of time to pass by. It is heartwarming to know that the plane, the passengers and crew are still being searched for. Bravo👏👏👏👏👏👏!
My uncle died in a helicopter accident. They never were recovered. This was late 50’s early 60’s. My Canadian family were devastated. He was in the Royal Canadian Air Force
Well told story❤. Empathetic and heart felt. Thank you for sharing. My dad was career U.S. Airforce. He had signed up in early 1945 and was training in B-25 bombers adjacent to the airstrip Doolittle was training on for his " Big Mission. " Dad's training ended with U.S. Army Air Corps two weeks after the end of WW2. He flew Korea in C-119 s And all through the Cold War in C-130 s in both transport & listening post roles. He had Commanded a base out of Germany, Florida, and one in Middle Tn. He has spoken to me of this C-54 mystery on two seperate occassions. This botherred him to. As I am certain wieghed heavily upon the minds of many military servicemen and women whom were aware of it. Though, for our nation's continued success in moving forward, life must go on. And so it did and will continue doing so. Let not this tragedy hold any of you back from achieving all good things. Our hearts and prayers are forever with you. Seek peace and ye shall know it.
What’s left of the C-54 is certainly in the ice deposits or glaciers of the Wrangell-St. Elias mountains. Pilots would often save miles and time by flying south of the airway, closely following the mountains on their right and more directly heading toward Whitehorse. Visually following the mountains works fine, as long as cloud and lighting conditions do not hide the mountains. Unmentioned in this doc is the similar plane four years earlier that ran right into one of the Wrangell mountain tops, which winter conditions had made invisible. Had this crash not been seen by a local it might have become a mystery.
I never heard of this missing plane. I am facinated with unsolved mysteries. It is so hard for the families though. We need to keep them in our prayers. 🇺🇸❤️✝️
The plane willbe found in the ice field or at the bottom of a mountain were the snow doesn't melt. The observation of trapper is a very promising lead that should be followed upon.😮
Such a sad story. It made want to cry. I feel bad for all of their families. I wanted to stop watching it but I felt like I couldn't. I needed to see this all the way to the end.
What a sad tale. Hopefully the wreckage and remains will be found one day. My Father was stationed in Alaska before I was born . My 3 older brothers grew up there for some time in late 50s and early 60s. They always talked about how striking the landscape was but very dangerous as well. People would go out hunting or hiking and never be seen again.
Thank you to all the teams that have been trying to locate the missing persons. I am glad that although our government may have stopped, its search our dedicated people will not stop looking for our service personnel and their families.
A very interesting and very sad video. No closure is the worst. I really feel for the relatives. These 1,000 of hours searching should receive recognition. Even if it's just a letter of thanks for their dedication for trying to bring closure to these families. This was a recommended video which I am glad I clicked on.
✔ 🇨🇦 Many thanks must go to the Canadian forces and agencies for their help and continued perseverance in attempting to solve a missing plane. On behalf of my WW II -Army Air Corps Dad (who flew combat at The Bulge and in Germany) who returned to raise our family - there are still those with questions about their G.I. parents.
We here in Australia are in a similar dilemma. VH-MDX went missing in the Barrington Tops NSW in 1981 with five onboard. The search area compared to this incident is quite small but still 43 years on can t be found. Best of luck witnh your search.
VH MDX was a Cessna 210 and from radio reports it was in a lot of trouble, It can be assumed it went in hard, into heavy woodland. From experience from visiting a crash site involving a cessna crashing due t weather, the wreckage is so hard to spot due to the white gums ...the wreckage just looks like a downed gum!
i cried for them i feel the loss so big just looking into their faces i felt their souls -something about this hits your heart - we need to cherish everyday we are given
MIA Recoveries, Inc reported they found the aircraft on 07 Aug 2020. At GPS location N 61 15 27 W 139 21 01 3-day trek W of Burwash Landing. Reported C-54 aircraft wreckage was documented. There is no prior report of a C-54 crash site discovery in this area. Archival info from the Report of Major Accident indicates this is C-54D #42-72469.
Thanks for the tip. I visited the MIA website, viewed the photos, and read the report. Sure seems plausible and is in the location reported by the lo cal.
My heart goes out to all involved in this tragic loss, it touched me deeply and I shall never forget. Thank you to all that have given so much to find these great people.
Pictures of boat on lake are magical; especially with the clouds reflecting like snow on the water. I thought it was snow at first and worried the boat would hit ice. 😢
We had a similar AirForce transport with dependents crash in So. Tacoma, Washington about the same time and it was thoroughly torn up. I saw it with my dad, a A F officer.😊
This is a sad situation. My heart goes out to all 44 families that was a terrible tragedy. No excuse for the government not going back the following spring to look for them, they probably would have found them. My best suggestion to finding them now would be to deploy lidar drones and scan the flight path. That would see them through the snow I bet.
After flying over that part of Canada, I would wager that the airplane is at the bottom of a body of water, lake, river pond….it will only be found if a wayward fisherman happens to snag a piece of it. My guess is if it was above water, it would have had higher odds for it to have been found, under water, not a chance.
A sad story. It brought back memories of another C-54 tragedy. The husband of a friend was transitioning from B-17's to C54's. He had completed his combat missions in Europe and was slated to become Curtis LeMay's personal pilot. His C-54 exploded over the Gulf of Mexico and was never found. People familiar with C-54's have told me that was a very strange thing as C-54's "never explode in mid-air". The pilot's name was Summner Reeder. He was a Squadron Commander with the Eight Air Force and had been awarded every decoration from the DSC down. I don't think there were any passengers on the plane as they were on a training flight. There were pieces of the plain found. Enough that it was determined the plane had exploded in mid-air
pretty sad with all the resources available these days that some countries would finally put this story to rest and inform the survivors families that their missing family Service members have been found after 74yrs.. Great and Sad story at the same time, Hope those lost are surely found one day... and the families can get some rest from the answers found.
22:37 Albert Isaac reported a noise like thunder near Gladstone Creek.... I'd look there and in Kluane Lake next to it. They're looking in Wellesley Lake 115 miles away.
I watched this today, but have known about the mystery for years. One thing that didn't seem to get mentioned about the lack of a summer 1950 search was the sudden onslaught of the Korean War, and the requirement to start shipping people rapidly to Asia. I'm sure that added to the crash falling throught the cracks. IIRC there was another missing USAF plane that was "discovered" only in the last decade when it started to be ejected from a glacier.
Just a note a kinda crazy guy I worked 4 years ago in Oklahoma claimed he found that plane. FFW 30 years the US NAVY believes he found a second crashed plane not yet identified due to red tape. The crash site is in Canadian Finger Lakes region
Not finding the wreckage and remains of the passengers is inexcusable and unacceptable. The government should have never stopped searching.. It's only common sense that if the wreckage has not been found on land, then it's at the bottom of a body of water
I agree that big lake east of Snag, got to be there. I don’t know how much sediment goes into that lake every year. Need hooks or metal detector technology.
Well, great show. Well done, Thanks. But what a bummer. I expected it to be like a movie and to be shown the wreck and where it was and how they found it, at the end. 😢 😠
The vast area of the Yukon will never attract a settling population. There is no mineral accumulation economically feasible to attract a huge enough settled population or arable agricultural land to attract a settled population. It will remain isolated, unpopulated, unmapped and untrodden enough to ascertain much for the next few hundred years. The best clue was the person who reported the loud crashing sound and the avalanche. That makes us infer a crash and burial by an avalanche. Never again to see the light of day. The failure to find anything in the 1950s search was hampered by weather and not enough SARS protocols. The world had just finished the largest death toll by war in Earth's history. Everyone had lost relatives in that war and was resigned to losing others. There is no closure from death. I was 5 yrs old at that time. I'm 80 yrs old now. I still miss my parents, my wife, my classmates, even my pets. We are human, and we know sadness in our lives.
The wrechage was later found on a glacier, coordinates North 61-15-27.31 West 139-21-01.41. Searchers found lots of small parts, indicating a high speed impact. No human remains found. Some movement of wreckage due to "glacier migration."
The search was likely based on the assumption that the plane continued southwards on its route. But, experiencing trouble, including with its radio, it might have decided to turn around and head back to Snag, the previous airport with which it communicated, which was the nearest, but with cloud cover, missed it. Thus, the plane might have gone past it and veering left or right crashed in the mountains closer to where it began its trip. Or, deciding to turn around unknowingly ended up flying perpendicular to its flight path without turning far enough to complete the turn. That is where the search party was unlikely to look for the missing plane. Assume, that a short distance past Snag the pilot had decided to head back.
@@Davidcallard I understand that they searched to either side for a short distance, but not back to the point of departure. Why not? They were fixated on the notion that the pilot continued forward, that if he were returning to base he would have communicated that intent, but his radio might not have been working, which is all the more reason to return to the airport.
One point - possibly overlooked. If there was an emergency on board, the radio operator may not have had time to check in with Aisihik, so the wreckage could be beyond that point of the route.
Interesting and very puzzling tragedy. This case reminded me of a British WWII surplus Lancaster bomber converted to passenger used that disappeared for decades and eventually started to resurface in pieces at the downhill end of a glacier. I forget what country and mountain range. The crew and passengers were still with it. It had crashed into the mountains and was likely covered in an avalanche caused by the crash. It's sad that, in this case, too, all you can do all we can do is hope wait and keep looking.
Great, albeit sad, documentary! Makes me wonder if the plane was off course, and when they reported being over Snag, they actually weren't. This could throw off the search area by several hundred miles.
Great video! Thank you!! I do have a question - I see that there is a picture of a “PFC” Albie Parker Baughman, but he is in a Navy uniform. Respectly- am I missing something? Thanks again for a great video!
Considering all the fuel remaining, maybe the large devastating explosion left very little visible wreckage which made it difficult to see from the search planes. I’m 80 and in June 1967 I drove to Alaska with my wife and her parents. The Canadian section of the Alaska Highway was over a thousand miles of treacherous gravel back then. It seems nearly every curve had white crosses marking fatalities. We spent the night at a camping area near Whitehorse and I recall my wife and her father going into town for something while her mother and I remained in the trailer at the camp site. Other than the unpaved highway being quite dusty and harrowing, especially while pulling the trailer, it was a beautiful vacation.
Last known contact was Snag. That fact doesn't mean the Skymaster was actually anywhere near Skag. The could have been many miles from there at the time of radio contact.
Good assessment. But would they be contacting Snag station before any of the other way points they traversed since the very purpose of contacting any station would be to establish their location in the air?
It is sad to note that, the Americans just gave up and left it to disappear from memory. That has not happened, and i applaud all those, in all those years, who flew, walked, marched in many areas to find that missing aircraft. Give yourselves a medal of honour for all you have tried to do.. unlike the Americans. Rest In Peace all those who disappeared on that flight.
Sad story for sure, and a fascinating mystery at the same time. Just throwing out a wild guess here, but I got the feeling they might all be at the bottom of a lake, making them infinitely more difficult to find. Looking at the map you see the area is dotted with thousands of them.
Perhaps lost in the water. You'd think all possibilities have been exhausted but still missing vehicles are found years later under water. I know it was January, but if all else has been eliminated, what it left to consider?
I have searched forever for anything about the commercial flight they lost, in the 70's over the Great Lakes and have barely found anything ! Would you be able to look into that ? I have always womdered if they ever found it.
Well done all you Yukoners who, have kept the search going all this time, and what a bad show from America.....This is a truly sad story, and although i am not from your area, and live in Scotland, i feel i should say a little something. Rest In Peace all those who disappeared on that fateful flight.
how do all? r.i.p. to those lost. if i had resources to search i'ld centre the perimeter between last contact and next presumed comms. then move ctr to half the time frame between known comms and usual expected next radio comms. then calculate weather push direction within timeframe then check terrain incursions [ height ] on the ' pushed ' parabolic route vectored by way of factual course / enviro' condition . i guess they had plenty of bomb aimers and navigators using same as above around back then though. happy new year. taztez
Another Theory; Jeromy Wade of Monster Quest revealed that sharks in ocean near the Yukon hunt their prey ( a shiny silver type fish ) Mr Wade even had dressed up in a dark grey thermal dive suit and boldly was pulled in the water 100 feet behind a yaucht too reveal how these NUMEROUS SHARKS were not interested in him. None what so ever. He had another fella casting into the water near him, side to side with a shiny metal lure - that drew the sharks' attention every time. This ballsey experiment lasted a good 20 minutes. I love Jeromy Wade. ❤ Well, if this shiney metal plane crashed in these waters, nobody stood a chance at survival during and after the crash. Nature can be cruel, though it is constant.
Time to get a LIDAR survey done of the area, the same process that uncovered an unknown Mayan city hidden by the jungle canopy. It would penetrate through any trees or plant growth, through snow & ice, glaciers & lakes. These families have waited long enough to have some answers 😢
I have a profound feeling that I cannot shake. I keep going back to the Indigenous trapper who heard something like thunder and then an avalanche could have covered the tracks through the trees that the plane made as it decended into the lake. He also said there was a huge snow storm the next day. All they did was a flyover and didn't see plane parts. .... My feeling is the plane crashed through the ice, the snow initially buried it then the snow storm covered everything. If anyone knew the man's home or the name of the lake, sonar might could ping off the metal. They should not have dismissed the trapper's report. So very sad.
My Aunt by marriage lost her brother, he was a Phillips, possible aboard this plane. Last contact that she had with him he was stationed in Alaska it was during the Korean War. All of his siblings have passed on and I haven't had any contact with my aunts sole surviving son. If I remember correctly his name was Arthur D. Phillips born in Montery Putnam Co. TN
Since the plane doesn’t seem to be in that lake, I can’t help but wonder if the plane’s crash triggered the avalanche seen (and heard) by First Nations people and was then buried by that avalanche. It could have occurred, depending on where the plane landed and how many tons of flowing snow may have been dislodged. Even if the impact site wasn’t covered over initially, subsequent slides could have quickly done so. Things can remain buried in snow, ice, and glaciers for millennia (Otzi the Iceman, anyone?) One day - who knows how far into the future), I’ll bet the crash debris will appear. I’m very sorry for the survivors of those lost in the crash. They know their loved ones died that day, but they may never know the details of what happened. They’re not alone. Disease, accidents, war, etc., people die every second of every day. Death IS “closure.” Maybe that’s all we really need to know.
Beautifully told account of a very sad tragedy. I hope, someday, similar to Malaysian Airlines MH370, old and new technologies will combine to find the final resting place of this plane. Rest in peace and condolences to all the families.
Has anyone ever considered that it was an 8 hr. Flight??? You should search everywhere that plane could be in the amount of fuel left to fly from last contact... something could have happened and the plane could have just flown till it ran out of fuel... I'd search in more than just where last contact was made..
Lidar working from altitude shows objects only lying on the ground, not underwater. Ground-penetrating radar works only when on the ground over which you are scanning.
In 1950, a U.S. Air Force transport plane - the Douglas C-54 Skymaster No. 2469 - departed from Anchorage, Alaska, bound for Montana. With 44 people on board, the Skymaster vanished without a trace. To this day, neither the aircraft nor its passengers have ever been found.
Skymaster Down is the story of an almost-forgotten mystery - one of Canada's greatest unsolved cases - set against the backdrop of a spectacular yet perilous landscape and featuring a cast of fascinating characters.
It's not a mystery
Thank you for this docu. Such a sad thing, terribly frustrating to not be able to find the downed craft. It may never be found, something I’m sure many people have had to make a necessary peace with. A lot of ‘knowitalls’ in the comments, some well meaning. There are comments, however, that have no place here at all, not even for reasons of ‘free speech.’ Wish they would be taken out. Again, thank you for the docu. How tragic, yet we cannot solve any and everything, regardless of the technology. It’s a huge place with unknowns.
@@mynamedoesntmatter8652 Why don't you just say who you think the know it alls are, better to specify if you want action taken. Realistically TH-cam only removes true comments, so just saying you know doesn't give information. Does that help a little?
A thought occurs to me... If people are finding submerged cars with missing people, using Google Earth?.... Has anyone considered that possibility? Basically it is complete photo reconnaissance..!?
God bless you guys always 🙏 ❤
My father passed away when I was just four in 1959, my few memories of him are still in my memory, I've missed him all my life, I'm almost 70 now and I still miss him, it just never leaves me... RIP to the passengers and crew and the families they left behind, I hope to see him and now my late mother when my time comes....
My father passed away when I was seven and a half years, back in June of 1962. Like you, I still remember him, and have missed him all of my life, and I will be 70 years next month in December of this year, 2025.
@lesbeswick6172 me too on December 29, small world...
@@TimothyWiley-r2b It certainly is, a very small world.
You will see them.❤
My mother was killed when I was almost 4.....I have memories of her and missed her greatly......im 64 now.....I understand.....
Many thanks to our Canadian neighbors for continuing this search. 🗽🇨🇦
... unfortunately our Canadian neighbors won't see this because the video is blocked in that country??!?
@@dtaylor10chuckufarleWTF!?
Would VPN help?
@aabll5993 Yes, it most certainly would! Good point!
I’m glad documentaries like this exist but, this one is rough. No answers, not even any clues. Bummer. Hope it’s found one day.
I agree. I kept hoping the documentary would show how the plane was found and the lives it affected.
@allisonmarlow184 it's either in the water or in the snow somewhere
So with today's satellite imagery has anything been found?
The southern cloud crashed on 1931 in the snowy mountains NSW. It was found in the 1960s
The technology exists now for just such discovery. The rugged mountains are the X factor.
I was a Air Force brat so this story Alway's made me cry. I hope one day they find this plane and bring closure to the loved ones. I pray that a hedge of love and warmth forever surround them with the knowledge that they are thought of and cared for by thousands and thousands of people like myself.
military losses make everyone cry 😭 but i know the pain is greatest with the families. im so terribly sorry for your loss 😢❤
Incredible that the military hasn't done more
From the score, to the content to the narration to the interviews, this documentary is a heart-tugging understated masterpiece. Well done. Let us hope the missing souls aboard one day will be vindicated by discovery.
I was stationed in Alaska in the late 70's. The arctic is so vast and unpopulated I am not surprised. If you veer off your course, in any part of it and don't find your way back to the path, you're in serious trouble.
And icing would certainly make following the designated your course challenging,
Excellent video. The crash happened in early 1950. The Korean War started in June of that year. The war lasted until mid 1953. That is a lot of time to pass by. It is heartwarming to know that the plane, the passengers and crew are still being searched for. Bravo👏👏👏👏👏👏!
My uncle died in a helicopter accident. They never were recovered. This was late 50’s early 60’s. My Canadian family were devastated. He was in the Royal Canadian Air Force
So sorry for your loss . Much love from the states.
Well told story❤.
Empathetic and heart felt.
Thank you for sharing.
My dad was career U.S. Airforce.
He had signed up in early 1945 and was training in B-25 bombers adjacent to the airstrip Doolittle was training on for his " Big Mission. "
Dad's training ended with U.S. Army Air Corps two weeks after the end of WW2.
He flew Korea in C-119 s
And all through the Cold War in C-130 s in both transport & listening post roles.
He had Commanded a base out of Germany, Florida, and one in Middle Tn.
He has spoken to me of this C-54 mystery on two seperate occassions.
This botherred him to.
As I am certain wieghed heavily upon the minds of many military servicemen and women whom were aware of it.
Though, for our nation's continued success in moving forward, life must go on. And so it did and will continue doing so.
Let not this tragedy hold any of you back from achieving all good things. Our hearts and prayers are forever with you.
Seek peace and ye shall know it.
What’s left of the C-54 is certainly in the ice deposits or glaciers of the Wrangell-St. Elias mountains. Pilots would often save miles and time by flying south of the airway, closely following the mountains on their right and more directly heading toward Whitehorse.
Visually following the mountains works fine, as long as cloud and lighting conditions do not hide the mountains. Unmentioned in this doc is the similar plane four years earlier that ran right into one of the Wrangell mountain tops, which winter conditions had made invisible. Had this crash not been seen by a local it might have become a mystery.
I never heard of this missing plane. I am facinated with unsolved mysteries. It is so hard for the families though. We need to keep them in our prayers. 🇺🇸❤️✝️
The plane willbe found in the ice field or at the bottom of a mountain were the snow doesn't melt. The observation of trapper is a very promising lead that should be followed upon.😮
I agree. They know the land best.
Hopefully one day the mystery will be solved, and the families will get peace one day.
I hope they are all resting in peace, knowing so many sweet souls have searched for them and that many are still searching! 🕊️❤️🙏
Such a sad story. It made want to cry. I feel bad for all of their families. I wanted to stop watching it but I felt like I couldn't. I needed to see this all the way to the end.
What a sad tale. Hopefully the wreckage and remains will be found one day.
My Father was stationed in Alaska before I was born . My 3 older brothers grew up there for some time in late 50s and early 60s. They always talked about how striking the landscape was but very dangerous as well. People would go out hunting or hiking and never be seen again.
@@Troy_nov1965 Just like that Ôtzi or Iceman who died 5000 years ago in the Alps and wasn’t discovered until 1991. Crazy.
Thank you to all the teams that have been trying to locate the missing persons. I am glad that although our government may have stopped, its search our dedicated people will not stop looking for our service personnel and their families.
Or at the bottom of a lake
A very interesting and very sad video. No closure is the worst. I really feel for the relatives. These 1,000 of hours searching should receive recognition. Even if it's just a letter of thanks for their dedication for trying to bring closure to these families. This was a recommended video which I am glad I clicked on.
@@chrisbentleywalkingandrambling I agree and maybe they’ve gotten that letter in the meantime. I don’t know. Hopefully they will.
✔ 🇨🇦 Many thanks must go to the Canadian forces and agencies for their help and continued perseverance in attempting to solve a missing plane. On behalf of my WW II -Army Air Corps Dad (who flew combat at The Bulge and in Germany) who returned to raise our family - there are still those with questions about their G.I. parents.
We here in Australia are in a similar dilemma. VH-MDX went missing in the Barrington Tops NSW in 1981 with five onboard. The search area compared to this incident is quite small but still 43 years on can t be found. Best of luck witnh your search.
VH MDX was a Cessna 210 and from radio reports it was in a lot of trouble, It can be assumed it went in hard, into heavy woodland. From experience from visiting a crash site involving a cessna crashing due t weather, the wreckage is so hard to spot due to the white gums ...the wreckage just looks like a downed gum!
i cried for them i feel the loss so big just looking into their faces i felt their souls -something about this hits your heart - we need to cherish everyday we are given
4 minutes in I'm hooked...thanks for uploading
Good documentary, sad story very sensitively covered
You can tell it was made by Canadians.
MIA Recoveries, Inc reported they found the aircraft on 07 Aug 2020. At GPS location N 61 15 27 W 139 21 01 3-day trek W of Burwash Landing. Reported C-54 aircraft wreckage was documented. There is no prior report of a C-54 crash site discovery in this area. Archival info from the Report of Major Accident indicates this is C-54D #42-72469.
Unfortunately, Canadian authorities have determined that the MIA recoveries report is false and no such search was ever conducted.
Thanks for the tip. I visited the MIA website, viewed the photos, and read the report. Sure seems plausible and is in the location reported by the lo cal.
My heart goes out to all involved in this tragic loss, it touched me deeply and I shall never forget. Thank you to all that have given so much to find these great people.
THANKS FOR SHARING. SAD 44 SOULS. PRAYERS TO SURVIVER'S OF THEIR LOSS.❤
Pictures of boat on lake are magical; especially with the clouds reflecting like snow on the water. I thought it was snow at first and worried the boat would hit ice. 😢
We had a similar AirForce transport with dependents crash in So. Tacoma, Washington about the same time and it was thoroughly torn up. I saw it with my dad, a A F officer.😊
Well made documentary
My Dad was in a S&R squadron stationed at Whitehorse. He served until Bout March of 1948.
This is a sad situation. My heart goes out to all 44 families that was a terrible tragedy. No excuse for the government not going back the following spring to look for them, they probably would have found them. My best suggestion to finding them now would be to deploy lidar drones and scan the flight path. That would see them through the snow I bet.
Sorry but the Korean war was just getting going
@@corkydziadosz5898there is always a war going. That's no excuse.
Lidar is a good idea.
After flying over that part of Canada, I would wager that the airplane is at the bottom of a body of water, lake, river pond….it will only be found if a wayward fisherman happens to snag a piece of it. My guess is if it was above water, it would have had higher odds for it to have been found, under water, not a chance.
A sad story. It brought back memories of another C-54 tragedy. The husband of a friend was transitioning from B-17's to C54's. He had completed his combat missions in Europe and was slated to become Curtis LeMay's personal pilot. His C-54 exploded over the Gulf of Mexico and was never found. People familiar with C-54's have told me that was a very strange thing as C-54's "never explode in mid-air". The pilot's name was Summner Reeder. He was a Squadron Commander with the Eight Air Force and had been awarded every decoration from the DSC down. I don't think there were any passengers on the plane as they were on a training flight. There were pieces of the plain found. Enough that it was determined the plane had exploded in mid-air
@@MarshallFreerks wow 😮 I guess the only consolation is he left doing what he did best. Still, very sad. Thank you for sharing this.
pretty sad with all the resources available these days that some countries would finally put this story to rest and inform the survivors families that their missing family Service members have been found after 74yrs.. Great and Sad story at the same time, Hope those lost are surely found one day... and the families can get some rest from the answers found.
Very well done documentary; it investigated all sides of the story. I appreciate the research that went into this.
@@moretoexplore6736 thank you. We will pass this on.
I'm thinking that in a lake is a high probability. Incidentally I grew up in the Yukon in a small town (70s-80s), never heard of this!
I came upon this Documentary 1 week before the 75th anniversary of its disappearance. May their memory be a blessing to those who loved them.
Correction to the title: the aircraft was a C-54, which was sold commercially as the Douglas DC-4.
Interesting information. Thanks.
My heart ❤️ goes out to these families. May God bless them 🙏
Life goes on. There is never closure. What will be will be. There is never closure.
The person who made the report hearing the loud sound, could that area be searched??
22:37 Albert Isaac reported a noise like thunder near Gladstone Creek.... I'd look there and in Kluane Lake next to it. They're looking in Wellesley Lake 115 miles away.
It won't be found until they've looked everywhere.
I agree. Seems like they considered Albert to be a "country hick" and dismissed his report as if it were some kind of tribal mysticism.
I watched this today, but have known about the mystery for years. One thing that didn't seem to get mentioned about the lack of a summer 1950 search was the sudden onslaught of the Korean War, and the requirement to start shipping people rapidly to Asia. I'm sure that added to the crash falling throught the cracks. IIRC there was another missing USAF plane that was "discovered" only in the last decade when it started to be ejected from a glacier.
@@luddite4change449 good point
Incredibly sad story. God bless in the hope that thay all will be found. 🙏🧡💜
Just a note a kinda crazy guy I worked 4 years ago in Oklahoma claimed he found that plane. FFW 30 years the US NAVY believes he found a second crashed plane not yet identified due to red tape. The crash site is in Canadian Finger Lakes region
Woah
I'm hoping that they will indeed make another effort in this story of the lost 44 in the story.
Sad 😢 story may they all rest in ✝️ Gods eternal peace.
We had a similar U.S.A.F. transport in the area of So. Tacoma , Washington with AirForce dependents about the same time.
This would be a challenge for Dan Gryder, he found D B Cooper
Not finding the wreckage and remains of the passengers is inexcusable and unacceptable. The government should have never stopped searching..
It's only common sense that if the wreckage has not been found on land, then it's at the bottom of a body of water
I agree that big lake east of Snag, got to be there. I don’t know how much sediment goes into that lake every year. Need hooks or metal detector technology.
It ain’t over till it’s over!
Well, great show. Well done, Thanks. But what a bummer. I expected it to be like a movie and to be shown the wreck and where it was and how they found it, at the end. 😢
😠
a beautiful mystery
Very well told and heart felt. Thanks for posting this.
THIS IS SO TRAGIC AND NOT TO EVER GET ANSWERS IS JUST SAD. I REALLY HOPE SOMEONE FINDS THEM ❤
Flight sim work with icing up could narrow it down
I would say that airplane hit those mountains and the ensuing avalanche covered it. Not forever. It will reappear someday. God bless their Souls. 🙏🇺🇸
The vast area of the Yukon will never attract a settling population. There is no mineral accumulation economically feasible to attract a huge enough settled population or arable agricultural land to attract a settled population. It will remain isolated, unpopulated, unmapped and untrodden enough to ascertain much for the next few hundred years. The best clue was the person who reported the loud crashing sound and the avalanche. That makes us infer a crash and burial by an avalanche. Never again to see the light of day. The failure to find anything in the 1950s search was hampered by weather and not enough SARS protocols. The world had just finished the largest death toll by war in Earth's history. Everyone had lost relatives in that war and was resigned to losing others. There is no closure from death. I was 5 yrs old at that time. I'm 80 yrs old now. I still miss my parents, my wife, my classmates, even my pets. We are human, and we know sadness in our lives.
The wrechage was later found on a glacier, coordinates North 61-15-27.31 West 139-21-01.41. Searchers found lots of small parts, indicating a high speed impact. No human remains found. Some movement of wreckage due to "glacier migration."
From searching, that looks like a different plane called the Globemaster. the Skymaster still remains missing
I am with the indigenous word on this one!
The search was likely based on the assumption that the plane continued southwards on its route. But, experiencing trouble, including with its radio, it might have decided to turn around and head back to Snag, the previous airport with which it communicated, which was the nearest, but with cloud cover, missed it. Thus, the plane might have gone past it and veering left or right crashed in the mountains closer to where it began its trip. Or, deciding to turn around unknowingly ended up flying perpendicular to its flight path without turning far enough to complete the turn. That is where the search party was unlikely to look for the missing plane. Assume, that a short distance past Snag the pilot had decided to head back.
Has anyone tested your hypothesis? If not, why not? 😢
@@Davidcallard I understand that they searched to either side for a short distance, but not back to the point of departure. Why not? They were fixated on the notion that the pilot continued forward, that if he were returning to base he would have communicated that intent, but his radio might not have been working, which is all the more reason to return to the airport.
One point - possibly overlooked. If there was an emergency on board, the radio operator may not have had time to check in with Aisihik, so the wreckage could be beyond that point of the route.
I'm sure they considered some of those possibilities.
Interesting and very puzzling tragedy. This case reminded me of a British WWII surplus Lancaster bomber converted to passenger used that disappeared for decades and eventually started to resurface in pieces at the downhill end of a glacier. I forget what country and mountain range. The crew and passengers were still with it. It had crashed into the mountains and was likely covered in an avalanche caused by the crash. It's sad that, in this case, too, all you can do all we can do is hope wait and keep looking.
Climate change can be a good thing. Lots of formerly frozen and buried stuff is eventually revealed.
I've been to that plane many times it's still there to this day
Can I have some? I want to see Dorothy in Kansas
He is on about the crashed wreckage of one of the search planes you rude son of a bit 😉
*The USAF DC-54 is sitting at the bottom of a 300 foot deep remote lake, never to be seen again.*
Great, albeit sad, documentary! Makes me wonder if the plane was off course, and when they reported being over Snag, they actually weren't. This could throw off the search area by several hundred miles.
What a fantastic documentary. Congrats and thank you.
The background music is highly emotive, until an advert cuts in, shame!
I purchased TH-cam Premium to stop the ads. Couldn’t be happier. About $15 a month.
Great video! Thank you!! I do have a question - I see that there is a picture of a “PFC” Albie Parker Baughman, but he is in a Navy uniform. Respectly- am I missing something? Thanks again for a great video!
His grave is marked WWII so I'm thinking he was prior service Navy during the war then re-upped into the Army afterwards.
wow very very intresting. one day, they will be found
Wellesley Lake, sounds like the place to look.
I hope that one day they will find this aircraft and finally let the families of the missing have closure. May they Rest in Peace. Martin. (Thailand)
Excellent Documentary!
My uncle was on that plane, Pfc William Cranor!
@@Wes-u3g RIP Pfc William Cranor. A terrible loss for your family. I’m so sorry
😢 I hope they search again 🙏
Not searching via satellite photos ! Seems like an additional good approach...
Considering all the fuel remaining, maybe the large devastating explosion left very little visible wreckage which made it difficult to see from the search planes. I’m 80 and in June 1967 I drove to Alaska with my wife and her parents. The Canadian section of the Alaska Highway was over a thousand miles of treacherous gravel back then. It seems nearly every curve had white crosses marking fatalities. We spent the night at a camping area near Whitehorse and I recall my wife and her father going into town for something while her mother and I remained in the trailer at the camp site. Other than the unpaved highway being quite dusty and harrowing, especially while pulling the trailer, it was a beautiful vacation.
Interesting doco.
Last known contact was Snag. That fact doesn't mean the Skymaster was actually anywhere near Skag.
The could have been many miles from there at the time of radio contact.
Good assessment. But would they be contacting Snag station before any of the other way points they traversed since the very purpose of contacting any station would be to establish their location in the air?
It is sad to note that, the Americans just gave up and left it to disappear from memory. That has not happened, and i applaud all those, in all those years, who flew, walked, marched in many areas to find that missing aircraft. Give yourselves a medal of honour for all you have tried to do.. unlike the Americans. Rest In Peace all those who disappeared on that flight.
May the lord bless and keep all involved RIP
Sad story for sure, and a fascinating mystery at the same time. Just throwing out a wild guess here, but I got the feeling they might all be at the bottom of a lake, making them infinitely more difficult to find. Looking at the map you see the area is dotted with thousands of them.
I hope the Douglas C-54 Skymaster would be found. If people keep having the will to look, then there will be a way for it to be found.
Perhaps lost in the water. You'd think all possibilities have been exhausted but still missing vehicles are found years later under water. I know it was January, but if all else has been eliminated, what it left to consider?
I think it must be in a body of water. That would explain the lack of sightings.
I have searched forever for anything about the commercial flight they lost, in the 70's over the Great Lakes and have barely found anything ! Would you be able to look into that ? I have always womdered if they ever found it.
@@jomama5186 we will look into that! Thanks for the tip!
It's like they're destined not to be found.. under water or ice imho..bless those volunteers
I hoped one day somebody would find a single piece of the aircraft.
Well done all you Yukoners who, have kept the search going all this time, and what a bad show from America.....This is a truly sad story, and although i am not from your area, and live in Scotland, i feel i should say a little something. Rest In Peace all those who disappeared on that fateful flight.
how do all?
r.i.p. to those lost.
if i had resources to search i'ld centre the perimeter between last contact and next presumed comms.
then move ctr to half the time frame between known comms and usual expected next radio comms.
then calculate weather push direction within timeframe
then check terrain incursions [ height ] on the ' pushed ' parabolic route vectored by way of factual course / enviro' condition .
i guess they had plenty of bomb aimers and navigators using same as above around back then though.
happy new year. taztez
Another Theory;
Jeromy Wade of Monster Quest revealed that sharks in ocean near the Yukon hunt their prey ( a shiny silver type fish )
Mr Wade even had dressed up in a dark grey thermal dive suit and boldly was pulled in the water 100 feet behind a yaucht too reveal how these NUMEROUS SHARKS were not interested in him.
None what so ever.
He had another fella casting into the water near him, side to side with a shiny metal lure - that drew the sharks' attention every time.
This ballsey experiment lasted a good 20 minutes.
I love Jeromy Wade. ❤
Well, if this shiney metal plane crashed in these waters, nobody stood a chance at survival during and after the crash. Nature can be cruel, though it is constant.
Time to get a LIDAR survey done of the area, the same process that uncovered an unknown Mayan city hidden by the jungle canopy. It would penetrate through any trees or plant growth, through snow & ice, glaciers & lakes. These families have waited long enough to have some answers 😢
I have a profound feeling that I cannot shake.
I keep going back to the Indigenous trapper who heard something like thunder and then an avalanche could have covered the tracks through the trees that the plane made as it decended into the lake.
He also said there was a huge snow storm the next day.
All they did was a flyover and didn't see plane parts.
.... My feeling is the plane crashed through the ice, the snow initially buried it then the snow storm covered everything.
If anyone knew the man's home or the name of the lake, sonar might could ping off the metal.
They should not have dismissed the trapper's report.
So very sad.
My Aunt by marriage lost her brother, he was a Phillips, possible aboard this plane.
Last contact that she had with him he was stationed in Alaska it was during the Korean War. All of his siblings have passed on and I haven't had any contact with my aunts sole surviving son. If I remember correctly his name was Arthur D. Phillips born in Montery Putnam Co. TN
Since the plane doesn’t seem to be in that lake, I can’t help but wonder if the plane’s crash triggered the avalanche seen (and heard) by First Nations people and was then buried by that avalanche. It could have occurred, depending on where the plane landed and how many tons of flowing snow may have been dislodged. Even if the impact site wasn’t covered over initially, subsequent slides could have quickly done so. Things can remain buried in snow, ice, and glaciers for millennia (Otzi the Iceman, anyone?) One day - who knows how far into the future), I’ll bet the crash debris will appear.
I’m very sorry for the survivors of those lost in the crash. They know their loved ones died that day, but they may never know the details of what happened. They’re not alone. Disease, accidents, war, etc., people die every second of every day. Death IS “closure.” Maybe that’s all we really need to know.
Beautifully told account of a very sad tragedy. I hope, someday, similar to Malaysian Airlines MH370, old and new technologies will combine to find the final resting place of this plane. Rest in peace and condolences to all the families.
658 aircraft have disappeared in Alaska, with 255 of those over land.
Has anyone ever considered that it was an 8 hr. Flight??? You should search everywhere that plane could be in the amount of fuel left to fly from last contact... something could have happened and the plane could have just flown till it ran out of fuel... I'd search in more than just where last contact was made..
It’s probably under water
Lidar working from altitude shows objects only lying on the ground, not underwater. Ground-penetrating radar works only when on the ground over which you are scanning.
It almost has to be in the water somewhere the land has been picked over