The Strange Case Of King Bird Fifty

(美国空军的奇异事件。一架美国空军飞机在1948年从新泽西州的一个空军基地起飞，2001年出现

在位于格陵兰岛的美国空军的图勒基地附近）

By James L. Choron

Due to the sensitive nature of this story and It's recent occurrence, all names have been deleted from the text in order to protect the sources of this material.   On the night (Thule time) of December 23rd, 2001, the Air Traffic Control at Thule AFB began receiving calls from an unidentified aircraft. The weather was horrible... as is usual for Thule... -52 Celcius, with snow and sleet driven by a twenty mile per hour wind, with gusts to thirty five miles per hour... The call letters of the aircraft were badly garbled, as was the voice transmission, which was coming in on an unused (obsolete) harmonic of the standard frequency. The only thing that they could make out clearly was the aircraft's designation... "King Bird Five Zero". This is not a call, or an official designation of any sort, it is the designation of a particular type of aircraft.   Typical mid-run B-50 Heavy Bomber.   The aircraft showed on radar as an intermittent blip of considerable size, although not as large as modern heavy aircraft. Radar also indicated three other things... First, the incoming aircraft was extremely slow- moving, by accepted standards, and secondly, it was extremely low. Any experienced pilot would, if able, get above the current storm front, and remain there until the last possible minute. The front was a big one... extending to an altitude of some 42,000 feet, but this altitude was well inside the maximum ceiling of any known aircraft in service the size of the incoming "visitir". Unless... the "visitor" had sustained damage, such as loss of cabin pressure, and could not rise to this altitude. Finally, there was one other consideration... no military aircraft was scheduled to be incoming at the time, and there were no scheduled civilian flights known to be in the area.   "Map of Greenland showing the location of Thule Air Force Base, which was earlier referred to as "Blue West One" but always called Thule by pilots and groud personnel on site.   Air Traffic Control at Thule Air Force Base first started making intermittent contact with the aircraft when it was approximately 100 nautical miles out of Thule, over the Atlantic. Somehow, it had simply, very suddenly, "appeared" as a faint "blip"on Radar, fading in and out as it progressed slowly Eastward, right in the midst of the storm. Radio contact had begun at approximately the same time. Messages incoming were regular, but garbled by interfereence from the foul weather, coming in on a harmonic (side band) of a long unused military frequency. The transmissions were voice only, but the voice appeared to be steady, firm and unconcerned by the horrendous flying conditions prevelent at the aircraft's cruising altitde 30,000 feet. The timing indicated a set pattern of transmission, such as the kind of routine positioning reports used in the days before Radar was either common, or dependable. There was no transponder signal, and no radar signal imcoming from the aircraft. Thule tower remained in regular contact with the incoming aircraft for slightly over one hour.   Air Traffic Control Tower at Thule AFB as it appears today.   The last message came at 01:07 GMT, at which time the aircraft was a solid radar image, and approximately 10 nautical miles from Thule AFB's main runway, over the lip of the glacier. The message, in clear transmission, stated... "We show to be ten knots out, and should be able to see you... but we can't see you... light up the night..."   Aerial photo of Thule Air Force Base taken in the summer when it is completely free of ice.   Thule AFB is accustomed to having unscheduled visitors many of whom are in distress. They are capable of and quite willing to "light up the night". In fact, with all of the emergency lighting in use, the main runway at Thule is clearly visible, a good deal more than ten miles out in the worst possible weather. They can also set off a radar beacon, which is capable of literally making the hull vibrate on incoming aircraft. None of f ths, however, proved to be of any value. Immediately afterwards, the in-bound craft vanished from Thule's radar screens, and there were no further radio transmissions.   Owing to the conditions... darkness and storm... it was several hours before a search could be mounted for what was assumed to be an aircraft down on the Greenland Glacier. At first light, a search party was dispatched to the last known location of the incoming contact. After a search of approximately two hours, they reported back to Thule AFB, by radio, informing the Search and Rescue Headquarters that they had found the "wreckage" of a U.S. Air Force Boeing B-50D Superfortress bomber... which had belly landed on the glacier, in approximately four approximately sixteen feet of snow, twelve nautical miles out, in a direct line with Thule AFB's main runway. The crew was in place... dead.   The Greenland Glacier as it appears in winter, at the time King Bird Five Zero "landed".   There was no significant damage to the aircraft other than being completely out of fuel. The amount of snow on the surface of the glacier apparently cushioned the impact of the bomber. The crew, according to the logbook, knowing that they were reasonably close to Thule AFB, chose to remain onboard rather than risk the weather... thinking that a search would be imminent.   Personnel at Thule Air Force Base in the late 1940s or early 1950s.   The aircraft's logbook showed to be up to date until approximately the time of the last transmission received by Thule Air Force Base Air Traffic Control... But... it also showed that the flight had originated at McGuire AFB, New Jersey, on December 22nd, 1948 and that the elapsed time of the flight the number of hours actually recorded by the crew was consistent with a flight from McGuire to Thule, at the maximum operational speed of this type aircraft, given the weather conditions prevelent the current time. They were, in fact, only two hours behind schedule, due to the fierce headwind that they appeared to have been fighting. This headwind also accounts for the aircraft's forcedlanding on the glacier, as the power requirements placed on the engines under such adverse conditions, more than doubled normal consumption. The logbook, which is allegedly up to date until shortly after the time of the plane's crash landing, also indicates that the crew was aware of their near proximity to Thule AFB, and expected immediate, or near immediate rescue. They therefore elected to stay with the craft, rather than venture off toward the Air Base. The condition and composition of the crew's uniforms indicate that their chances of survival in the prevalent surface conditions would have been slim to none. Since the B-50D was developed long before the advent of pressure suits, or extreme high altitude flying were more than record-setting novelties... the crew was equipped only with "normal" winter-issue uniforms of the day, augmented by heavy "B-2" coats. While heavier clothing was available at the time of the flight's supposed origin, none was found onboard. While this seemed strange to the would-be rescuers, research later discovered that the winter of 1948/49 had been considered a "mild" one by Greenland standards, and the issue would have been quite sufficient for that time.   Map showing known electromagnetic anamolies in the vacinity of Thule Air Force Base.   All this aside, the crew seems to have done the logical thing by remaining in the aircraft, where there was some protection from inclimate weather. As it was, they seem to have survived for several hours after their landing Examination on site, and a later Coroner's report allegedly indicates that the crew died from shock and exposure. While the bodies were partially frozen, there was no "frost burn" or other associated damage from prolonged freezing. Time of death was fixed at ten hours, plus or minus two, before discovery, wihch is consistent with the time of the last radio/radar contact with "incoming" unidentified aircraft by Thule Air Traffic Control.   "Unofficially" the crew and aircraft have been identified as one which went "missing, and was presumed lost"... presumed to have crashed into the Atlantic, due to "unknown circumstances"... on a routine patrol drployment, "some years ago". Since downed aircraft are common on Thule, and the nature of the far northern location often means that such aircraft are soon covered over with literally dozens of feet of snow, this "explanation" is plausible.   The aircraft, a type that went completely out of service with the Air Force in the late fifties, was the last propeller driven bomber in the U.S. Air Force invenory. The serial number and log book designation of the recovered aircraft, match the fragmentary transmissions received by Thule AFB Air Traffic Control and match the "lost" flight of 1948. Early run B-50 heavy bomber, most likely to be identical in appearance to King Bird Five Zero.   The Heavy long range B-50 Superfortress was developed from the earlier, Second World War era B-29 Superfortress, the same type of aircraft which delivered the first Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.The primary difference was a slightly larger rudder assembly, and more powerful, turbo-prop engines. It was an impressive aircraft, for it's time and the last propeller driven bomber ever accepted for service in the U.S. Air Force.   General characteristics   Primary function Long range heavy bomber Power plant Four turboshaft Pratt & Whitney R-4360-35 engines Length 99 ft 30,2 m Wingspan 141.2 ft 43 m Wingarea 1,720 sq. ft 159.8 sq. m Weight empty 84,714 lb 38,426 kg max. takeoff 173,000 lb 78,472 kg Combat ceiling 35,650 ft 10,900 m Speed cruising 244 mph 393 km/h max. 395 mph 635 km/h Rate of climb sea level 620 ft/min 189 m/min combat (max. power) 2,200 ft/min 671 m/min Combat radius 2,396 miles 3,856 km Total mission time 20 hours Maximum load (bombs) 28,000 lb 12,700 kg Crew Eight (pilot, co-pilot, engineer, radio-electronic countermeasures operator, left-side gunner, right-side gunner, top gunner, tail gunner) Armament 13x .50-caliber machine guns Date deployed 1945 Number built 370   While impressive for it's time, beyond any doubt the most sophisticated aircraft of it's type then in service, a quick look at the statistics will show that it was ill equipped to handle a major Arctic Storm being too slow and inefficient in it's fuel consumption to "fight it's way through", and lacking the altitude maximums needed to "get above" such a storm. The aircraft also did not have a pressurized cabin. Like all aircraft of this era, the crew depended only on breathing masks, and heavy clothing for comfort, coupled with a cabin heater that operated only when the engines were in use.   According to reports, the aircraft has, since it's recovery, been transported to a maintaince hanger at Thule Air Force Base. It is not badly damaged. The plane landed in heavy snow, and aside from some relatively minor "scarring" and a four slightly bent propeller blades, there is no real damage. It is estimated that the old plane could be flown out of Thule in less than three days... depending on weather conditions... and... if someone could be located who knows how, and has the proper certifications, to fly this type of aircraft. According to rumor, a search for such a person is currently underway. Maintaince reports also allegedly confirm that the cause of the crash was very simple... out of fuel, and a large aircraft, of this type, can only glide so far... especially into a twenty to thirty-five mile per hour plus headwind.   The Air Force has supposedly contacted existing next of kin. The statement says that they have found the remains and that they are from a crash that happened "some years ago". The bodies are being "prepared" for return to the U.S. An "official" statements to the press... not as yet released... but allegedly scheduled to be released within a few days... will state that in-tact wreckage has been found, but will give only the date of departure of the flight and "official" time of loss... 22 December, 1948... and no further details.   What is the true story behind King Bird Fifty? The oddesy of the venerable old Cold Warrior poses more questions than answers...   It would appear that "something" swallowed this plane and it's crew in 1948, and spit it in 2001. There is no evidence that the aircrew was aware of the passage of time, other than normal flight time from McGuire to Thule, plus the two hours or so that they were put behind by the storm. Nor, had the crew, according to reports, aged any. Their apparent ages match the age recorded for them at the time of their departure, over half a century ago.. Is there some kind of natural "vortex" a "portal" that randomly opens in the fabric of space and time? Are there places in the world in which one can be "swallowed up", only to be returned at the same place, in a future or past time If this is so, then all we know of Physics and the so-called "laws" of nature, are only the beginnings of a dream   What would have been the case if the crew of King Bird Fifty had survived? What if they had been "rescued"? What would have been their fate? Would it have been the imprisonment of "government secrecy"? Would it have been madness? Both?   Is there some short of "paradox shield" in effect which prevented the crew from surviving the crash? Were they, in effect, already dead when the aircraft landed? Had they been "dead" ever since the aircraft disappeared some fifty-three years ago?   Is the flight of King Bird Fifty some sort of naturally occurring, airborne, "Philadelphia Experiment"?   Is this incident indicatie of some sort of "Bermuda Triangle" type anamoly?   Has this kind of thing happened before?   Does someone, in fact, know exactly what happened to King Bird Fifty and her crew? Is it being covered up, like so many other "unexplained" and "unsubstantiated" paranormal occurences... for reasons of "national security" or for fear of causing a "panic"... or is King Bird Fifty the subject (some might say "victim") of some darker, and more well-thought-out scenario... part of some "experiment" that people are "better off" not knowing about... some hidden aspect of the "Cold War" from which the general public is being "protected"?   Did the incident happen at all, or is it yet another "mystery" and growing legend of the far north? Is it yet another "tale of the unexplained"... the kind that seems to simply grow around aviation, as they once flourished around the ships which plied the oceans?   There are always "rumors" like the "rumors" which surround the Roswell Disc and the Bermuda Triangle... like the "rumor" about King Bird Fifty. "Rumors" that might never come to light or maybe some day, they will. Who knows? Almost certainly, someone does.         Update - King Bird Five Zero...   Jeff,   The aircraft is being FLOWN. It is operational. That is what is so unusual about this story. They actually repaired it and FLEW it back to the states from Greenland...and it is traveling under it's own power now. This indicates, to us, that it is still being evaluated, or that they are planning to repeat the experiment on the same aircraft to try and determine what went wrong the first time.... and something obviously did.   We were notified about an hour after the plane took off for the States, and we turned out people up and down the coast, armed with the ID photos that you have in this article, to try and spot the plane. We knew the approximate range of the aircraft, so that gave us some pretty good ideas about destinations. We got three confirmed sightings. They flew her across, so that she would cross the coast in darkness, but there aren't that many large, multi-engined reciprocal aircraft around, and this one is rather noisy, even at altitude. From that point on, we sent a description of the aircraft, and the same ID photos, through our entire email data base, and simply asked people to be on the lookout. We have been lucky, and have been notified every time they move her. Right now, she's on the ground, somewhere northwest of Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. We assume that it's somewhere in Northern California, given the speed and range of the aircraft. We were notified when she left Luke (actually a small farm-out base Northeast of Luke, and given her bearing just after take off.   Interestingly, since we've been covering this story, we are usually "tipped" accidentally every time there's a move. Hacking and intrusion activity steps up just before a move. I think that "uncle" is trying to intercept the sources of our "leads". It is far to complex to get into in one email, but if you'll look through the material on our site, you'll get the idea. There is a definate attempt to keep information on this aircraft under wraps.   We traced one hacking attack that hit me, and one or our fellow researchers, in Canada, through 14 proxy servers, all the way back to LANGLEY, Virginia. and a second hacker attack to the Lawrence LIvermore National Laboratory. We also had one that traced to the Los Alamos National Laboratory. That particular attack coincided with the aircraft being moved from Wright Patterson AFB in Ohio to Luke AFB in Arizona.   We have made inquiries of all major organizations involved, and have received neither a confirmation or denial... they simply say that "they don't know" about the incident or the recovery of the aircraft and it's aftermath.   The connection that we have made to this experiment is as follows. It is all connected with the activity of the Majestic 12 Group, whch overlaps and interlocks witht he Council on Foreign Relations and the Trilateral Commission. We have documetnted the overlap on our site.   Chronology:   1936 (38?) UFO recovery by Germans in Bavarian Alps 1942 UFO crash in San Francisco Bay area. 1942 Manhattan Project 1943 Project Rainbow (The so-called "Philadelphia Experiment) 1945 Technology "acquired from Germany transported to United States. 1947, July, The Roswell Incident. 1947, Late Fall, Operation "Highjump". 1948 King Bird Incident.   Each of these events is tied together by the presence of the same scientists being involved, and the same group of "specialists" in charge of security.   The goal that we have underttaken with this series is to determine the following:   a. What, exactly happened here. b. What became of the remains of the crew. c. Is the experiment continuing. d. What is the nature of the experiment. e. Why is a sixty-year old aircraft still considered to be "above top secret". f. Who is responsible for this. g. Who, exactly is involved.       Comment   From A. Richard Roberts Roamer 1492@aol.com 12-23-2   Hi Jeff,   In response to the articles on King Bird Five-Zero and the KB-50 that disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle, there is another event involving a B-50 bomber that occurred in the same area between the Azores and Bermuda.   According to pilot and author Martin Caiden, an Air Force Boeing B-50D Super Fortress was en route to Bermuda from the Azores when the radar operator suddenly realized the aircraft was not moving. Even though all four engines were operating normally, the plane was maintaining a stationary position. He reported this to the pilot who, in turn, contacted Bermuda radar. They confirmed that they had a B-50 on their radar that seemed to be standing still. The pilot was able to increase and decrease altitude, but the >aircraft did not move forward.   It was almost an hour before the plane was able to resume forward motion. Upon landing in Bermuda, a check of the fuel tanks revealed the consumption far exceeded the amount normally used for the flight. Caiden said the incident still remains on the books with no explanation.   The source of this information is from an interview with Caiden in a documentary presented on The Learning Channel, "Bermuda Triangle: Secrets Revealed".       Comment   From Joe Pbydreams@aol.com 12-23-2   Jeff,   Found a link into your site and must say its very well done. As for the B-50 information, I am not an authority on the B-50, but am pretty well versed in the vintage aircraft game.   King Bird 50 would be the type. A KB-50 is a tanker aircraft. K stands for tanker and it is a prefix added to the type. C-135 is the air force version of the 707, but is a cargo plane. KC-135 is the Tanker or refueling aircraft. NKC-135 would be a type diverted for special nostandard use, you get the idea...   The B-50 is the perfect aircraft for this type of story as it is an unverifyable aircraft. There wern't many built and most became involved in Spook missions flying around the USSR. Kee Bird, a B-29 that ended up on the icecap and was destroyed in a recovery attempt, was one such aircraft. These planes were flown in secret missions and many were lost, shot down by the Russians, or mechanical failure.     As for the flying of one today... The USAF would need help and expertise from the civilian community. There are many restored aircraft flying around, but a B-50 would not go unnoticed. ANYwhere! If you do live in the NY area there is a flying/flyable KC-97 from the Berlin Airlift foundation. A layman would not be able to tell them apart if one flew over a couple thousand feet up. The B-50 is a large complex aircraft that was difficult for crews back then. Its a neat story. I wish it could be true. I just don't think its possible.       Comment   From Harv Howard hhoward@ecpi.com 12-24-2     In reading the story of "King Bird," I was struck by the sloppiness and inaccuracies of the tale. And I believe that is all it is--and I'm an avid believer and experiencer of UFOs.   What first jumped out was that the author stated that the plane had turbo-prop engines. It absolutely did not. Some later versions of the tankers were equipped with a pure jet engine on each wing to speed them up for jet fighter refueling, however.   The basic plane went into service in June of 1947. The tanker version did not come about until 1957. --So this crash would have had to happen after that time. Some of these aircraft were still flying in 1965, but those remaining at that time were all the modified versions with the extra jet engines. Evidently, the tankers spent most of their remaining lifetimes doing duty in the Far East.   As a bomber flying in weather (without a bomb load), it would be expected to be flying high. Its service ceiling was 24,000 to 36,900 feet.   It is completely unbelievable that the crew would not be flying in winter gear anywhere near Thule! Actually, at those altitudes without pressurized cabins, any day is winter in about any part of the world. The crew would have had sheepskin pants, coats, helmets, mittens. Parts of which were electrically heated.   Basically, if the author can come up with better "proof" or even convincing details, I would be more apt to consider the possibility that Spielberg had it right in the opening scenes of Close Encounters, but until then, it's a nice tale.   Actually, there is a chain of history of such mysterious and ghost aircraft tales running back for decades. The gimmick of an old, long-gone aircraft appearing in modern skies is not new. And those are nothing more than a modern version of the old "Flying Dutchman" mystery ship tale.   And I had no trouble finding info on the plane by asking Google for "BK-50 Superfortress."   HH Comment From Lonnie & Chris Moczydlowski moczy@sc.rr.com 12-25-2   Truly a fascinating story. The article states that the call signal was for the designation of the type of aircraft. The designation K is assigned to aerial refueling aircraft, which would mean this plane had a much greater range since it is a flying gas station. He must of been flying around an awful long time to run out of fuel. Of course, that is assuming that they had been performing their primary mission and had a full load of fuel. Here is the really intriguing part. If the theory of time travel is correct, then King-Bird-Five-Zero would have already traveled back in time since the KB-50 version of this type aircraft did not enter the USAF inventory until 1956. Prior to this time they were just called a B-50 and the call signal would have been Bird-Five-Zero.   Thanks, Lonnie   Comment   From Michael Hauser 12-24-2   Just read with great interest concerning the KB-50.....the mystery. It was a bit far-fetched, but it's the comments...Q & A's, that took the cake. You have some strange people viewing this site evidently. One character was correct, the K designation is used for tankers. There were a few models equipped for air-to-air refueling, which used an extra jet engine per wing for added speed. The ideal didn't pan out though.   As far as the woman possibly seeing this particular aircraft in Arizona, or Texas...the former Confederate Air Force in Midland, Texas has a Boeing B-29 (Fifi) in which tours the country during airshows. I've seen this aircraft many times...and it's a spitting image of the B-50. I doubt if too many people could tell the difference, especially from a distance. And as far as info on the B-50 not being found...they must be stupid. On the first attempt, I found loads of info...including serial numbers to particular aircraft with the KB-50 designation. Someone said the KB-50's engines were turbo charged...how about supercharged? The old 29 engines were supercharged as well...the 50 probably had larger engines for more power to handle the extra weight.   Like I said, it made for interesting reading, but better suited for a Twilight Zone episode. Actually there was one...near identical about a commercial DC-3 being lost and never found. Later it appeared in the future...like a ghost plane. Hmm...quite similar...I wonder...???   Thanks, Michael Hauser   Comment   From Marilyn Guinnane & Richard Hamilton 12-25-2   Jeff - My husband is a bit of an aviation buff. Flew for Transamerica Airlines as well as Airborne Express in the seventies, eighties, and nineties, taught pilot training, blah blah. He pretty much scoffed at the King Bird Five Zero article as it was full of discrepencies. First of all, those are not turbo prop engines. In paragraph two, my husband went on, it says that the aircraft was flying extremely low. Then in paragraph five it says that the aircraft was flying at 30,000 feet, which is anything but low.   You don't say "ten knots out" ...rather ten miles out.   The Pratt & Whitney R-4360 is a 28 cyl. radial aircraft engine. (Seven cyl. around with a total of four rows.) It was turbo-supercharged by General Electric turbo-supercharger. But, to reiterate, those are not turbo-prop engines. They were/are piston engines.   The crew compartment was pressurized. Writer says unpressurized.   The writer says that the cabin heater would not operate unless engines were operating. But the cabin heater required only electrical power, which could be supplied by the aircraft's APU---which was gasoline powered, airborne power unit.   Discrepencies such as all these detract from credibility, beyond question.     Comment   From David Hanson davidhanson@cox.net 12-25-2   Dear Jeff,   Regarding the story on King-Bird-Fifty, another inaccuracy that I've seen in the original story is the comment about the B-50 not being pressurized. One of the features that made the Boeing B-29 unique for its time was the fact that it had pressurized compartments for the crew (three total: nose, mid-section, and tail gunner's compartment).  As a refinement of the B-29, the B-50 (and the KB-50) would have retained the pressurized compartments.  According to articles I've seen on the B-29, flying at high altitudes was relatively comfortable for the crew (compared with other large aircraft of its time). I once flew in a B-29, and I remember the interior of the aircraft, which included a long tube over the bomb bay that connected the first two pressurized sections, sealed by a pressure door on each end. The B-50's interior would have been very much the same.   However, for me the most interesting item is that the article states that the USAF search party claims to have found a B-50D (not a KB-50). While it is possible that the search crew may have mis-identified the aircraft, one would assume that the servicemen who found the plane would not have had first-hand experience with the plane type (since it had gone out of service decades earlier), and so the identification would have been made based upon data plates in the aircraft, type identification painted on the exterior of the tail, and/or from the aircraft's logbook. They didn't report "a B-50", they reported "a B-50D" (if this story is to be believed). So, if true, you would have to think that they knew exactly what type of aircraft it was. If so, it was not a KB-50. The fact as to whether the aircraft is a B-50 or a B-50D or a KB-50 (as one might derive from the name "King Bird Fifty") is crucial, as the earlier poster noted that the KB-50 did not come into service until 1957 (though the actual date was January 1956, according to <http://home.att.net/%7Ejbaugher2/b50_12.html>http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b50_12.html). Even the identification of the type "B-50D" is suspect, as while the first B-50s (the B-50A) were delivered to the USAF in June of 1948, the B-50D model was not delivered until June of 1949 (some time after the supposed "lost" B-50 took off on its final mission).   Another detail that concerns me is that the story states that the plane supposedly crashed a full year ago.  The first update that you posted to the story says that the aircraft is now being flown, being monitored at every step of her cross-country trip. It sounds like this is a current story that is still unfolding, and yet the original story came out a year ago. (I have not heard any rumors or stories in the warbird community that says that there is a mystery four engined bomber making unregistered flights around the U.S.)  To muddy the waters even further, the related link on your site ("Email Q & A King Bird Zero") says that information on the subject disappeared on December 24/25th, 2000 (a full year before the incident supposedly occured). Of course, that could be a typo, but if they meant December 24, 2001, I find it hard to believe that the USAF could (or would) exert that kind of muscle on the Internet in the space of only a day.   Finally, as others have pointed out, there is still a plethora of info on the B-50 on the web. Granted, you probably won't find the names of crews, or details on missions flown or fates of individual aircraft listed, but (as one who does a lot of Internet research on B-17 and B-24 aircraft and crews on the web) I can tell you that for the most part a lot of that info just wasn't on the Internet to begin with.   It's possible that the small details of the story (pressurization, aircraft model, etc.) are incorrect or distorted, while the core of the story is true. However, as much as I would like to believe that a "lost" plane could return "from beyond", I have the strong feeling that this is just another urban legend.... a great story that won't die because it sounds fascinating.   Love your website, Dave H.   for more info, see: B-50A info: http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum//research/bombers/b4/b4-39.htm B-50D info: http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum//research/bombers/b4/b4-47.htm KB-50 info: http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum//research/bombers/b4/b4-49.htm B-50A info: http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~pettypi/elevon/baugher_us/b050-01.html B-50D info: http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b50_4.html KB-50 info: http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b50_12.html photos of a surviving KB-50 example at Pima Air Museum: http://www.aero-web.org/museums/az/pam/49-372.htm from https://rense.com/general32/gly.htm