A plane that crashed off the coast of Puerto Rico 74 years ago has been found. The wreckage of Pan Am Flight 526A, also known as the Easter Special, was discovered 2,000 feet beneath the ocean’s surface. The plane crashed on April 11, 1952, killing 52 people, including a 19-year-old woman who was traveling with her cousin to join her husband in New York.
Crash Details
The plane took off from San Juan with 64 passengers and five crew members but was forced to ditch in the ocean just nine minutes later due to engine failure. All passengers survived the initial impact, but only 17 were rescued. The others perished in the final moments of chaos and confusion on the quickly sinking aircraft.
A doctor on a rescue boat found a purse floating in the water with a handwritten letter from a young soldier to his wife, who was on the plane. The letter expressed the soldier’s joy at the prospect of being reunited with his wife in New York and his prayers for her safe journey.
The crash led to changes in preflight safety briefings, including the use of life vests and emergency exits. The wreckage was lost for decades, but its discovery has brought closure to the families of the victims.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
