Kee Bird: The B-29 Superfortress Lost During a Cold War Sky Mission

Thursday, June 05, 2014 at 10:18 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The B-29 "Kee Bird" made an emergency crash landing in the Arctic in February 1947 due to severe weather and low fuel, with all 11 crew members surviving and being rescued three days later.
Decades later, in 1995, an attempt was made to restore and fly the aircraft out of its resting place.
During the takeoff attempt after restoration, the B-29 caught fire and was completely destroyed, leaving its wreckage permanently on the ice sheet.
Recent NASA photos continue to show the enduring wreckage of the "Kee Bird" in the Arctic, with one image even suggesting the presence of polar bear tracks.

See a mistake? Contact us.

A new NASA photo shows the most recent glipmse of this wreckage frozen in time in the Arctic.

B-29: Kee Bird — **This photo was taken in February 1947 after the crash landing. The crew was forced to make the emergency landing after encountering severe weather and low fuel levels.
**

B-29: Kee Bird — **All 11 crewmembers aboard survived the crash but were forced to wait for rescue personnel in the arctic conditions for three days. This picture shows the men being rescued and preparing for their departure flight in a C-54.
**

B-29: Kee Bird — This photo was taken in 1995 after the B-29 had been restored and was preparing for a takeoff attempt.

B-29: Kee Bird — The B-29 never took off, however, as it caught fire during the attempt. The wreckage of the airplane was left on the ice sheet.

B-29: Kee Bird — This image of the B-29 was captured last year. The white streaks in the snow are believed to be polar bear tracks.

FLYING Magazine is a one-stop resource for everything aviation, including news, training, aircraft, gear, careers, photos, videos, and more.