Pan Am Clipper Endeavor Found on Atlantic Seafloor

Overview

• Explorers confirmed the Pan Am Douglas DC-4 known as the Clipper Endeavor on the seafloor about 600 meters deep off Puerto Rico after a search that culminated in June 2026.
• The discovery was made using high-resolution sonar and the autonomous underwater vehicle Miss Millie launched from the survey ship Fugro Brasilis and was publicly announced on July 21–22, 2026.
• Images show identifiable Pan Am markings, intact fuselage and tail sections, and the airframe broken into parts, and the team captured hundreds of thousands of high-resolution photographs for documentation.
• Search efforts began in 2019 after researcher Russ Matthews traced a baggage tag from the flight and overcame pandemic and weather delays before partnering with Deep Sea Vision, Air/Sea Heritage Foundation and Discovery’s Expedition Unknown.
• The 1952 ditching originally left many bodies unrecovered and helped drive mandatory preflight safety briefings; families of victims view the find as closure while explorers say they will not recover remains.