Recently Recovered Pearl Harbor Plane Solves A Decades-Old Puzzle
Decades after one of the bloodiest wars in history, ruins from the gruesome fighting still laid in shambles all over the jungles of Papua New Guinea. That was, at least, until one team finally dared to take it back. These adventurers had time, the elements, and the law stacked against them. And the further they trekked into the unforgiving terrain, the more it looked like they were destined for a crash of their own.
Into the jungles
The jungles of Papua New Guinea aren't always so friendly to outsiders. One group of men learned that fact the hard way, and they never forgot the experience. However, it all came rushing back to them decades later as they shared their story with the public.
The flying fortress
In early 1942, the United States had recently entered World War II. The Air Force sent a B-17 Flying Fortress on a bombing run across the Japan-controlled Pacific. That mission, unfortunately for everyone aboard, didn't go quite as planned.
Mayday
Due to a critical miscalculation, the aircraft ran out of fuel over Papua New Guinea. Everyone aboard knew that, in foreign territories like this, there were no friendly airstrips. They had to brace for a crash landing.
Miracles
The plane dipped toward the island and slammed into the ground. Miraculously, barely any of the crew members were injured by the impact, and they soon found out why: instead of landing on solid earth, they careened straight into a swamp.
