70-Year Mystery of Vanished B-25 Bomber in Pittsburgh River

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

In 1956, a U.S. Air Force B-25 bomber made an emergency landing in the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but the plane mysteriously disappeared without a trace. Despite extensive searches by the Army, Coast Guard, and a private recovery group, the so-called 'Ghost Bomber of the Monongahela' has never been found, leading to decades of speculation and conspiracy theories about what happened to the aircraft and its crew.

Why it matters

The disappearance of the B-25 bomber has become a legendary local mystery, inspiring everything from craft gin to wild conspiracy theories. The inability to locate the plane, which was barely taller than the maximum depth of the river, has fueled speculation about a potential cover-up or other nefarious activity. The case highlights the challenges of searching for and recovering aircraft that crash into waterways, even when the general location is known.

The details

The TB-25 Mitchell aircraft was carrying six crew members when it lost power and made an emergency landing in the Monongahela River. Four of the crew members made it to safety, but two disappeared in the river. Despite extensive searches by the Army, Coast Guard, and a private recovery group over the decades, the plane has never been found. Theories range from the plane carrying secret cargo like atomic weapons or nerve gas to claims that the military secretly recovered the aircraft at night.

• On January 31, 1956, the B-25 bomber crash-landed in the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• For two weeks after the crash, authorities searched the river but never located the plane or the two missing crew members.
• In the 1990s, a private organization called the B-25 Recovery Group began searching for the missing bomber.
• In 1999, the B-25 Recovery Group theorized the plane was buried in a gravel pit in the river, but a 2008 search was inconclusive.
• It has now been 70 years since the 'Ghost Bomber of the Monongahela' vanished without a trace.

What’s next

The B-25 Recovery Group is still soliciting donations to help fund further searches for the missing bomber, which they believe may be buried in a gravel pit in the Monongahela River.