SAN DIEGO, California (9 July 2004) -- An undersea explorer has finally found what he was looking for. In August of 1952, a B-36 bomber -- a gigantic aircraft built after World War II -- crashed off the coast of Mission Beach. Nearly 52 years after the plane went into the ocean, Steven Donathan, found it in 267 feet of water. After years of research, the full picture of what happened began to emerge. Six crew members were able to escape, but two did not including, Dave Franks the plane's pilot. "It was headed in for a landing after the plane caught fire and lost its right wing, he stayed at the controls to bank it off to sea to keep it from reaching land," Donathan explained. A man with a mission: Steven Donathan | | In tribute to that heroic act, the site won't be disturbed. But, the discovery allows the legacy to live on. The plane was on its last test flight before it was to be turned over to the Air Force. The History Channel has shown some interest and could feature the discovery on its program "Deep Sea Detectives." SOURCE - The San Diego Channel |
