1 00:00:05,005 --> 00:00:06,372 [Eric] This is a search for three individuals. 2 00:00:06,406 --> 00:00:09,942 All three have been missing from their families for over 70 years. 3 00:00:14,647 --> 00:00:17,516 This is kind of a smoking gun, if this is accurate, 4 00:00:17,550 --> 00:00:21,320 then 400 yards out there should be a lost World War II plane. 5 00:00:23,823 --> 00:00:26,625 [Eric] These are AUV's. Autonomous Underwater Vehicles. 6 00:00:26,659 --> 00:00:28,694 Okay. Let's do it. 7 00:00:28,728 --> 00:00:30,596 We got something, we got structure. 8 00:00:30,630 --> 00:00:32,998 - [Eric] Oh this is incredible. - Look at that! 9 00:00:35,301 --> 00:00:36,335 [airplane buzzing] 10 00:00:36,369 --> 00:00:38,370 [Josh] Unbelievable. What a thrill! 11 00:00:40,573 --> 00:00:43,075 I'm gonna go in. I see the wreck. 12 00:00:43,610 --> 00:00:45,411 Absolutely incredible. 13 00:00:52,552 --> 00:00:54,086 "No one left behind." 14 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,522 That's the pledge we make to American soldiers 15 00:00:56,556 --> 00:00:59,458 willing to sacrifice their lives for our country. 16 00:00:59,492 --> 00:01:00,759 In World War II alone, 17 00:01:00,794 --> 00:01:05,764 more than 75,000 servicemen were listed as missing in action. 18 00:01:05,799 --> 00:01:10,569 But not tallied in that number are the more than 18,000 airmen 19 00:01:10,603 --> 00:01:13,806 who died in fatal training and aviation accidents. 20 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:17,476 Most of them right here, in the USA. 21 00:01:17,510 --> 00:01:20,646 This is the story of three of those young men. 22 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:23,582 The baffling mystery surrounding their disappearance 23 00:01:23,616 --> 00:01:26,118 and the effort to bring them home. 24 00:01:27,587 --> 00:01:29,655 February 1945. 25 00:01:29,689 --> 00:01:32,691 A squadron of Avenger bombers is on a training mission 26 00:01:32,725 --> 00:01:35,427 near California's, Channel islands. 27 00:01:35,462 --> 00:01:38,363 When suddenly two of the planes collide. 28 00:01:39,732 --> 00:01:42,034 And crash into the pacific. 29 00:01:42,902 --> 00:01:44,570 One of those planes is never found. 30 00:01:44,604 --> 00:01:46,105 It's three man crew, 31 00:01:46,139 --> 00:01:51,343 pilot Dennis Ruehle and crewman Russell Guzzetta and Ernest Williams, 32 00:01:51,377 --> 00:01:54,480 vanished never to be seen again. 33 00:01:54,514 --> 00:01:57,549 Now in the race against time and the elements, 34 00:01:57,584 --> 00:02:00,252 a group of scientists and archaeologists 35 00:02:00,286 --> 00:02:01,587 called Project Recover 36 00:02:01,621 --> 00:02:05,657 is using the latest deep sea tech to reconstruct the accident 37 00:02:05,692 --> 00:02:11,396 and mount a search to find the lost avenger in the depths of the Pacific. 38 00:02:11,431 --> 00:02:12,664 My mission is to join them 39 00:02:12,699 --> 00:02:16,335 and uncover what happened on that fateful day 40 00:02:16,369 --> 00:02:20,072 and to hunt for the final resting place of three servicemen 41 00:02:20,106 --> 00:02:22,541 who have waited three quarters of a century 42 00:02:22,575 --> 00:02:24,143 to be brought home. 43 00:02:27,347 --> 00:02:29,281 My name is Josh Gates. 44 00:02:29,315 --> 00:02:30,349 Hello! 45 00:02:30,383 --> 00:02:33,252 Explorer. Adventurer. 46 00:02:33,286 --> 00:02:34,786 This is sick! [screams] 47 00:02:34,821 --> 00:02:38,323 And a guy who ends up in some very strange situations. 48 00:02:38,358 --> 00:02:40,526 [bleep] That was exciting! 49 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,996 With a degree in archeology and a passion for the unexplained. 50 00:02:44,030 --> 00:02:45,697 [cheers] 51 00:02:45,732 --> 00:02:49,468 I travel to the ends of the earth investigating the greatest legends in history. 52 00:02:49,502 --> 00:02:51,236 Okay, let's punch it. 53 00:02:51,271 --> 00:02:53,972 This is Expedition Unknown. 54 00:02:55,575 --> 00:02:57,209 [waves splashing] 55 00:03:00,580 --> 00:03:02,080 [seagull squawks] 56 00:03:10,790 --> 00:03:13,659 I'm driving in an authentic Willys Jeep. 57 00:03:13,693 --> 00:03:16,795 This iconic four wheel drive vehicle 58 00:03:16,829 --> 00:03:19,565 replaced the Military's literal work horses. 59 00:03:19,599 --> 00:03:23,268 The draft animals that were used during World War I. 60 00:03:23,303 --> 00:03:24,503 And it was so popular 61 00:03:24,537 --> 00:03:28,440 That Willys manufactured more than 350,000 of these 62 00:03:28,474 --> 00:03:30,108 during World War II. 63 00:03:31,778 --> 00:03:34,646 I am headed towards La Jolla, California 64 00:03:34,681 --> 00:03:37,182 to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography 65 00:03:37,217 --> 00:03:42,554 and the beginning of an expedition in search of a lost World War II era plane. 66 00:03:42,589 --> 00:03:45,390 And a mystery, 75 years in the making. 67 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:49,228 Founded in 1903, 68 00:03:49,262 --> 00:03:55,000 Scripps is one of the oldest and most important earth science centers on the planet. 69 00:03:55,034 --> 00:03:59,471 I'm here to meet Scripps lab director and Project Recover co-founder 70 00:03:59,505 --> 00:04:00,973 Dr. Eric Terrill. 71 00:04:01,007 --> 00:04:03,475 - Hey, Josh. Thanks for coming. - Hey, nice to meet you, man. 72 00:04:03,509 --> 00:04:04,743 This place is stunning. 73 00:04:04,777 --> 00:04:08,580 Scripps is a global institution looking at sea level rise. 74 00:04:08,615 --> 00:04:11,850 We are studying ocean waves, the forecasting of the ocean. 75 00:04:11,884 --> 00:04:15,087 - So if it has to do with the ocean, Scripps is on it. - We're on it. 76 00:04:15,121 --> 00:04:17,723 And I take it these are some of the tools of the trade here? 77 00:04:17,757 --> 00:04:20,058 [Eric] Yes, AUV's. Autonomous Underwater Vehicle. 78 00:04:20,093 --> 00:04:23,562 We can go out and sample a 1000 football fields in one deployment. 79 00:04:23,596 --> 00:04:24,663 Wow. 80 00:04:24,697 --> 00:04:27,299 This is revolutionizing what we do here at Scripps. 81 00:04:27,333 --> 00:04:29,768 Things we never dreamed off a decade ago, we're doing now. 82 00:04:29,802 --> 00:04:32,437 [Josh] These sonar quipped torpedo bots 83 00:04:32,472 --> 00:04:35,173 are transforming deep sea exploration. 84 00:04:35,208 --> 00:04:39,845 Allowing scientists to map earth's final frontier, the ocean. 85 00:04:39,879 --> 00:04:42,948 I got to see them in action while searching for Gertrude Tompkins. 86 00:04:42,982 --> 00:04:44,816 Another missing World War II pilot 87 00:04:44,851 --> 00:04:49,621 whose story inspired me to seek out more of our nation's lost heroes. 88 00:04:49,656 --> 00:04:52,391 And among the many missions that you're associated with 89 00:04:52,425 --> 00:04:54,326 is this thing called Project Recover. 90 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,161 [Eric] Yes. 91 00:04:56,195 --> 00:05:00,365 We've conducted over 50 missions in 20 different countries. 92 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,402 Looking explicitly for missing in action associated with past conflicts. 93 00:05:03,436 --> 00:05:05,037 Incredible. 94 00:05:05,071 --> 00:05:09,341 [Josh] Project Recover scours the globe for American M.I.A's with one objective. 95 00:05:09,375 --> 00:05:10,976 To bring them home. 96 00:05:11,010 --> 00:05:14,946 Their efforts have led to the discovery of more than 30 World War II wrecks, 97 00:05:14,981 --> 00:05:18,517 associated with more than a 100 missing servicemen 98 00:05:18,551 --> 00:05:20,686 who made the ultimate sacrifice. 99 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:24,056 More than a dozen of these individuals have been repatriated. 100 00:05:24,090 --> 00:05:27,492 Giving long awaited closure to their families. 101 00:05:27,527 --> 00:05:28,827 [Eric] So, Josh. Why don't we go upstairs and I'll show 102 00:05:28,861 --> 00:05:30,529 you the next mission we're getting ready for. 103 00:05:30,563 --> 00:05:31,863 - I would love to. Come on. - Let's do this. 104 00:05:32,932 --> 00:05:36,401 [Josh] Eric leads me to the aptly named "Vis Room." 105 00:05:38,371 --> 00:05:39,571 Welcome to our operation center. 106 00:05:39,605 --> 00:05:41,773 - I mean, this is like mission control. - It is. 107 00:05:41,808 --> 00:05:43,575 You launched a space shuttle from in here. 108 00:05:43,609 --> 00:05:45,577 - We can at least track it. - Right. There you go. 109 00:05:45,611 --> 00:05:49,681 This is unbelievable. So, when we talk about American M.I.A's, 110 00:05:49,716 --> 00:05:51,650 how many are still out there? 111 00:05:51,684 --> 00:05:53,418 Josh, the numbers are staggering. 112 00:05:53,453 --> 00:05:57,456 83,000 missing in action since World War II up to their present. 113 00:05:57,490 --> 00:05:58,657 83,000? 114 00:05:58,691 --> 00:06:01,193 For instance, let's take a look at this map here, Josh. 115 00:06:01,227 --> 00:06:05,697 We've got maps of cases just in the European, Mediterranean theatre. 116 00:06:05,732 --> 00:06:07,766 Each one of these dots represents a case file. 117 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:09,468 So these are all potential missions? 118 00:06:09,502 --> 00:06:10,869 Yes. 119 00:06:10,903 --> 00:06:14,039 And some of them aren't even on the Defense Department radar. 120 00:06:14,073 --> 00:06:18,643 US doesn't recognize people who got lost during training accidents. 121 00:06:18,678 --> 00:06:21,680 - They're not counted as M.I.A. - They're not counted as M.I.A. 122 00:06:21,714 --> 00:06:22,581 So if you were in a training accident, 123 00:06:22,615 --> 00:06:24,026 you're not listed as missing in action 124 00:06:24,050 --> 00:06:26,752 even though your body was never found and brought home to your family. 125 00:06:26,786 --> 00:06:28,820 And how many people are we talking about? 126 00:06:28,855 --> 00:06:33,392 We have about 18,000 individuals that were lost in training accidents. 127 00:06:33,426 --> 00:06:34,693 Really? 128 00:06:34,727 --> 00:06:38,230 And does that also mean that, nobody's looking for those people? 129 00:06:38,264 --> 00:06:42,267 It's currently not on the search list for US government. 130 00:06:42,301 --> 00:06:44,136 And in fact a lot of these cases are in our own backyard. 131 00:06:44,170 --> 00:06:47,706 So as we spin the globe here, we're gonna bring you into Southern California. 132 00:06:47,740 --> 00:06:50,542 Yellow dots here represent training accidents that 133 00:06:50,576 --> 00:06:53,011 our team's been able to uncover for the last year. 134 00:06:53,045 --> 00:06:57,582 [Josh] Project Recover's next mission and one of its most mysterious is here 135 00:06:57,617 --> 00:06:59,885 off of California's, Anacapa Island. 136 00:06:59,919 --> 00:07:05,957 These two targets here represent a mid-air collision between two torpedo bombers. 137 00:07:06,893 --> 00:07:10,262 [Josh] On the morning of February 22nd 1945. 138 00:07:10,296 --> 00:07:15,700 A squadron of Avengers took off from the naval air station in Oxnard, California. 139 00:07:15,735 --> 00:07:18,437 Each plane had a 3 man crew on board. 140 00:07:19,338 --> 00:07:20,705 Flying over Anacapa Island. 141 00:07:20,740 --> 00:07:24,309 They were practicing torpedo runs critical to the war effort, 142 00:07:24,343 --> 00:07:26,278 when two of the planes collided. 143 00:07:28,414 --> 00:07:29,581 [explosion] 144 00:07:30,683 --> 00:07:32,851 According to the report by the commanding officer, 145 00:07:32,885 --> 00:07:35,954 Dennis P. Ruehle's plane, ducked suddenly 146 00:07:35,988 --> 00:07:40,792 and then flew right up into the aircraft of Pilot John Buckley. 147 00:07:40,827 --> 00:07:43,728 Ruehle's plane went down south of the island 148 00:07:43,763 --> 00:07:45,564 and Buckley's plane crashed to the North, 149 00:07:45,598 --> 00:07:48,366 where he and another crew member survived. 150 00:07:48,401 --> 00:07:50,702 That wreckage has now been located. 151 00:07:50,736 --> 00:07:53,171 Second plane on the southern side of the island. 152 00:07:53,206 --> 00:07:54,272 It's never been found. 153 00:07:56,142 --> 00:07:57,609 [Eric] Josh, this is a search for three individuals. 154 00:07:57,643 --> 00:07:59,778 We've got the pilot Dennis Ruehle. 155 00:07:59,812 --> 00:08:01,379 We've got the bomber Ernest Williams. 156 00:08:01,414 --> 00:08:02,948 We've got the radioman Russ Guzetta. 157 00:08:02,982 --> 00:08:06,651 All three have been missing from their families for over 70 years. 158 00:08:06,686 --> 00:08:08,720 [Josh] Dennis Ruehle's family received the following message 159 00:08:08,754 --> 00:08:11,857 from the commander of his unit. 160 00:08:11,891 --> 00:08:14,025 "I realize how weak and fruitless must be" 161 00:08:14,060 --> 00:08:17,562 "any words of mine which should attempt to comfort you." 162 00:08:17,597 --> 00:08:19,709 "Exhaustive searches were initiated," 163 00:08:19,733 --> 00:08:22,267 "but no report of his recovery was made." 164 00:08:22,935 --> 00:08:24,369 A month after the accident, 165 00:08:24,403 --> 00:08:27,706 Russell Guzzetta's bereaved parents contacted their local paper. 166 00:08:27,740 --> 00:08:31,409 Noting that no details of the crash were released. 167 00:08:31,444 --> 00:08:33,378 A desperate appeal for more information 168 00:08:33,412 --> 00:08:35,547 on the fate of their missing son. 169 00:08:35,581 --> 00:08:37,616 Now, 75 years later, 170 00:08:37,650 --> 00:08:40,986 Project Recover hopes to answer that plea. 171 00:08:42,722 --> 00:08:45,357 If they collided in midair, one would think, 172 00:08:45,391 --> 00:08:47,792 it must be close to the plane that's been recovered, right? 173 00:08:47,827 --> 00:08:50,629 You would think. Big airplane, bigger ocean. 174 00:08:50,663 --> 00:08:52,898 Look how long it took to find the Titanic, 175 00:08:52,932 --> 00:08:54,232 we still haven't found Malaysian Air. 176 00:08:54,267 --> 00:08:57,002 And to be honest, nobody's been really charged with that mission 177 00:08:57,036 --> 00:08:58,403 to go after these training losses. 178 00:08:58,437 --> 00:09:00,405 So the question is, how do you find it? 179 00:09:00,439 --> 00:09:02,073 So the way we're gonna find this 180 00:09:02,108 --> 00:09:05,443 is using not only all that high tech equipment that I showed you downstairs, 181 00:09:05,478 --> 00:09:06,678 but we really gotta do due diligence 182 00:09:06,712 --> 00:09:08,313 on all the historical documents 183 00:09:08,347 --> 00:09:09,714 to really set up our search areas. 184 00:09:09,749 --> 00:09:11,816 - To understand the crash itself? - Exactly. 185 00:09:11,851 --> 00:09:13,785 Before we're gonna undertake our mission, 186 00:09:13,819 --> 00:09:15,754 we have to really understand in all detail 187 00:09:15,788 --> 00:09:17,455 their mission on that fateful day. 188 00:09:18,724 --> 00:09:21,026 In order to solve the mystery of the missing Avenger, 189 00:09:21,060 --> 00:09:25,363 I need to get in front of one and decipher the accident itself. 190 00:09:27,567 --> 00:09:29,868 Luckily, there happens to be an Avenger 191 00:09:29,902 --> 00:09:34,372 just 20 minutes down the coast on the deck of the USS Midway. 192 00:09:34,407 --> 00:09:36,408 Commissioned in 1945, 193 00:09:36,442 --> 00:09:38,643 this thousand foot long airport on the ocean 194 00:09:38,678 --> 00:09:42,380 served until 1992, offering critical support 195 00:09:42,415 --> 00:09:43,648 during the Vietnam War, 196 00:09:43,683 --> 00:09:46,618 and as the flagship in Operation Desert Storm. 197 00:09:46,652 --> 00:09:48,820 Now, like a lot of 76-year-olds, 198 00:09:48,854 --> 00:09:51,957 she's retired to sunny San Diego. 199 00:09:51,991 --> 00:09:56,061 I head down the flight deck to meet historian and naval veteran 200 00:09:56,095 --> 00:09:56,595 Karl Zingheim. 201 00:09:56,629 --> 00:09:59,598 - Karl. - Hey, Josh! 202 00:09:59,632 --> 00:10:00,832 - How are you, man? - Welcome aboard. 203 00:10:00,866 --> 00:10:03,335 Hey, thank you. Happy to be here. And look at this. 204 00:10:03,369 --> 00:10:04,336 The Avenger. 205 00:10:09,475 --> 00:10:11,710 You know, my first reaction to being up close to it, 206 00:10:11,744 --> 00:10:12,711 is how big it is. 207 00:10:12,745 --> 00:10:14,813 I think the photos don't really do it justice. 208 00:10:14,847 --> 00:10:17,649 This is the largest single engine aircraft 209 00:10:17,683 --> 00:10:20,251 to routinely operate in World War II 210 00:10:20,286 --> 00:10:20,852 at squadron strength. 211 00:10:20,886 --> 00:10:21,720 Why so big? 212 00:10:21,754 --> 00:10:24,456 You needed a big engine to do a big job, 213 00:10:24,490 --> 00:10:25,657 and, quite literally, 214 00:10:25,691 --> 00:10:28,560 they start with a large R-2600 engine 215 00:10:28,594 --> 00:10:30,528 - and build the rest of the airplane around it. - Right. 216 00:10:30,563 --> 00:10:32,731 And that big job, I assume, is dropping these. 217 00:10:32,765 --> 00:10:35,634 That's a two thousand pound torpedo, 218 00:10:35,668 --> 00:10:37,469 a delicate instrument in its own right. 219 00:10:37,503 --> 00:10:39,304 And this is live, right? This is left over? 220 00:10:39,338 --> 00:10:39,771 It better not be. 221 00:10:40,740 --> 00:10:44,142 So, okay, I get it, you need a lot of power 222 00:10:44,176 --> 00:10:45,677 and it looks like a pretty big wingspan to pull that off. 223 00:10:45,711 --> 00:10:49,381 How important was this plane to the US in World War II? 224 00:10:49,415 --> 00:10:50,515 Critically important. 225 00:10:50,549 --> 00:10:53,685 This was a huge step up for naval aviation at the time 226 00:10:53,719 --> 00:10:56,521 because now you finally had a torpedo plane 227 00:10:56,555 --> 00:10:58,590 that could keep up with the other aircrafts 228 00:10:58,624 --> 00:11:00,325 so you could have a combined strike. 229 00:11:00,359 --> 00:11:04,529 Previous torpedo plane was just too slow, and you had disjointed attacks. 230 00:11:04,563 --> 00:11:08,333 With the top speed of about 275 miles per hour, 231 00:11:08,367 --> 00:11:12,437 the powerful Avenger lived up to its name, raining fire and fury 232 00:11:12,471 --> 00:11:13,838 on Japan's Navy. 233 00:11:13,873 --> 00:11:17,609 They sank the super battleships Yamato and Musashi, 234 00:11:17,643 --> 00:11:21,479 as well as 30 submarines to help win the war in the Pacific. 235 00:11:22,481 --> 00:11:24,582 But the torpedo bomber's innovative feature 236 00:11:24,617 --> 00:11:27,485 was its signature stow wing. 237 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:30,555 - How cool is that? - Awesome, isn't it? 238 00:11:30,589 --> 00:11:33,925 -Oh, my word. That is so badass. -Look at that. 239 00:11:34,727 --> 00:11:37,195 Probably one of the cleverest ways 240 00:11:37,229 --> 00:11:39,698 of putting an aircraft away on a carrier deck. 241 00:11:39,732 --> 00:11:42,701 For deployment on aircraft carriers, including this one, 242 00:11:42,735 --> 00:11:47,972 it cuts the plane's 54 foot wingspan in half when they move it below deck. 243 00:11:49,608 --> 00:11:52,010 Let's talk about this incident out at Anacapa, right? 244 00:11:52,044 --> 00:11:55,013 I'm trying to understand this, we know there was a midair collision out there, 245 00:11:55,047 --> 00:11:58,516 do you suspect that that might be because of how the aircraft flies 246 00:11:58,551 --> 00:12:00,385 or because of what they were trying to do with it? 247 00:12:00,419 --> 00:12:02,420 It's a very forgiving aircraft to fly. 248 00:12:02,455 --> 00:12:04,422 - Okay. - It's got such a large wing area, 249 00:12:04,457 --> 00:12:06,124 you don't have much to worry about 250 00:12:06,158 --> 00:12:08,893 in terms of instability or losing control of the aircraft. 251 00:12:08,928 --> 00:12:13,064 It probably was down to what they were attempting to practice. 252 00:12:13,099 --> 00:12:14,532 Right. 253 00:12:14,567 --> 00:12:17,702 Dropping a torpedo under combat conditions is the most demanding attack 254 00:12:17,737 --> 00:12:19,170 in all of naval aviation. 255 00:12:22,908 --> 00:12:25,910 Even in a big stable bomber like the Avenger, 256 00:12:25,945 --> 00:12:29,080 delivering a torpedo on target took some serious skill. 257 00:12:29,115 --> 00:12:32,517 The torpedo is still the most potent single weapon of destruction 258 00:12:32,551 --> 00:12:34,352 against enemy shipping, 259 00:12:34,386 --> 00:12:36,020 but only if used properly. 260 00:12:38,224 --> 00:12:41,025 And according to reports from the Anacapa island crash, 261 00:12:41,060 --> 00:12:45,563 pilots Ruehle and Buckley were perfecting a complicated new attack 262 00:12:45,598 --> 00:12:46,698 called an Anvil maneuver. 263 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:51,402 Squadrons of bombers would approach a ship on both sides, 264 00:12:51,437 --> 00:12:55,740 so that whichever way the ship turned, it faced a torpedo strike. 265 00:12:55,775 --> 00:12:58,543 So the planes are flying kind of toward each other? 266 00:12:58,577 --> 00:13:00,111 Essentially. 267 00:13:01,847 --> 00:13:03,848 It does seem like understanding that maneuver 268 00:13:03,883 --> 00:13:07,652 is the key to figuring out both the collision and where these planes crashed. 269 00:13:07,686 --> 00:13:10,421 We could speculate all day about what happened. 270 00:13:10,456 --> 00:13:12,190 But to really understand it, 271 00:13:12,224 --> 00:13:13,258 you have to fly in one. 272 00:13:13,292 --> 00:13:14,726 Which, I assume, is impossible. 273 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:16,594 I don't think this thing's lifting off the deck any time soon. 274 00:13:16,629 --> 00:13:18,463 How many of these are even left? 275 00:13:18,497 --> 00:13:19,631 Maybe a handful. 276 00:13:19,665 --> 00:13:21,499 But one of those is nearby. 277 00:13:21,534 --> 00:13:24,102 - It flies? - It flies. 278 00:13:24,136 --> 00:13:28,239 What's it like to be a new pilot flying an 80-year-old Avenger? 279 00:13:28,274 --> 00:13:29,607 I'm about to find out. 280 00:13:30,543 --> 00:13:32,811 I meet pilot John Maloney on the wing, 281 00:13:32,845 --> 00:13:35,947 as he makes final preparations for takeoff. 282 00:13:35,981 --> 00:13:37,448 - How are you doing? - Good. How are you doing? 283 00:13:37,483 --> 00:13:38,550 - I'm Josh. - John, how do you do. 284 00:13:38,584 --> 00:13:40,518 Great to meet you. You wanna fly or am I flying? 285 00:13:40,553 --> 00:13:43,454 - No, it's gonna be me. - You know what, probably best if you fly, John. 286 00:13:43,489 --> 00:13:44,289 - I'll be back here, yeah? - Yeah. 287 00:13:47,126 --> 00:13:48,159 Like a glove. 288 00:13:48,194 --> 00:13:49,961 I squeeze into the navigator's seat, 289 00:13:49,995 --> 00:13:53,298 thankful that I'm not in the even more claustrophobic 290 00:13:53,332 --> 00:13:54,999 tail gunner position. 291 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:02,407 Look at this! 292 00:14:13,352 --> 00:14:14,819 Let's rock and roll. 293 00:14:14,854 --> 00:14:18,756 This historic aircraft is about to fly its first mission in decades. 294 00:14:18,791 --> 00:14:22,694 Our directive, to reconstruct the accident, to learn how it happened, 295 00:14:22,728 --> 00:14:27,131 and solve the mystery of where the lost Avenger lies. 296 00:14:31,403 --> 00:14:34,239 Unbelievable! This is sick! 297 00:14:38,544 --> 00:14:41,679 In 1945, two Avenger torpedo bombers 298 00:14:41,714 --> 00:14:45,750 collided off the coast of California's Anacapa island. 299 00:14:45,784 --> 00:14:49,888 One of them and its three man crew is still missing. 300 00:14:49,922 --> 00:14:53,524 Now I'm flying in an identical plane to investigate 301 00:14:53,559 --> 00:14:56,261 the crash and find the lost Avenger. 302 00:14:59,665 --> 00:15:02,166 This thing gets up in the air fast. 303 00:15:06,572 --> 00:15:08,439 Unbelievable! 304 00:15:08,474 --> 00:15:11,542 Packing a whopping 1800 horsepower, 305 00:15:11,577 --> 00:15:15,480 the Avenger's right R-2600 twin Cyclone engine 306 00:15:15,514 --> 00:15:18,516 has us cruising above the clouds in no time. 307 00:15:19,618 --> 00:15:22,086 If there's a better view than this, I haven't seen it. 308 00:15:27,226 --> 00:15:28,259 Amazing! 309 00:15:29,194 --> 00:15:30,328 This is sick! 310 00:15:31,730 --> 00:15:33,031 It really does feel stable, 311 00:15:33,065 --> 00:15:38,136 I mean, it's just an absolutely smooth ride up here in this thing. 312 00:15:40,606 --> 00:15:42,907 It's like riding in a Cadillac up here, I mean, it's smooth. 313 00:15:43,842 --> 00:15:46,377 Affectionately nicknamed "The Turkey", 314 00:15:46,412 --> 00:15:50,181 the Avenger was built like a truck, and she handles like one. 315 00:15:56,422 --> 00:15:58,189 And I'm flying an Avenger. 316 00:16:00,793 --> 00:16:03,528 You can't see it, John, but I'm grinning from ear to ear. 317 00:16:04,997 --> 00:16:09,734 Somebody pinch me. I am actually piloting an airplane from World War II. 318 00:16:09,768 --> 00:16:12,670 And John wasn't kidding about the heavy stick. 319 00:16:12,705 --> 00:16:14,439 This bird could use some power steering. 320 00:16:20,646 --> 00:16:23,348 Unbelievable! What a thrill! 321 00:16:29,455 --> 00:16:31,122 Okay, she's all yours. 322 00:16:36,462 --> 00:16:38,596 That's something that is really interesting, right? 323 00:16:38,630 --> 00:16:41,699 Because, I guess, every design advantage is also a disadvantage. 324 00:16:41,734 --> 00:16:44,802 And one of the disadvantages of these big beautiful wings 325 00:16:44,837 --> 00:16:48,373 is they really hurt your sight lines underneath you. 326 00:16:49,408 --> 00:16:51,843 It's easy to see how the plane's design 327 00:16:51,877 --> 00:16:53,344 may have contributed to the accident. 328 00:16:53,379 --> 00:16:55,680 We know from declassified reports 329 00:16:55,714 --> 00:16:56,781 that a squadron of pilots 330 00:16:56,815 --> 00:16:59,984 were practicing a newly devised attack 331 00:17:00,019 --> 00:17:01,519 called The Anvil Torpedo maneuver. 332 00:17:01,553 --> 00:17:04,655 Suddenly one of the planes being flown by Dennis Ruehle 333 00:17:04,690 --> 00:17:07,325 did something unexpected. 334 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:08,860 We know that Ruehle's plane, 335 00:17:08,894 --> 00:17:13,097 the Avenger that's lost, dipped out of the formation. 336 00:17:15,567 --> 00:17:16,901 I was thinking the same thing. 337 00:17:16,935 --> 00:17:20,104 Maybe he was already struggling with some sort of problem 338 00:17:20,139 --> 00:17:22,306 with the plane and that's why he dipped down. 339 00:17:22,341 --> 00:17:23,875 Whatever the cause, 340 00:17:23,909 --> 00:17:27,178 the aircraft suddenly disappeared from the view of the nearest plane, 341 00:17:27,212 --> 00:17:28,780 flown by John Buckley. 342 00:17:28,814 --> 00:17:31,149 So when Ruehle's plane dipped out of formation, 343 00:17:31,183 --> 00:17:37,021 Buckley would have had almost no ability to see where he was underneath him. 344 00:17:39,358 --> 00:17:41,159 Then Ruehle pulls back up, 345 00:17:41,193 --> 00:17:44,228 smashing his plane into Buckley's tail section. 346 00:17:46,031 --> 00:17:50,468 He collides with Buckley's plane, that's what causes the accident. 347 00:17:50,502 --> 00:17:52,370 It's strange that he would have done that, 348 00:17:52,404 --> 00:17:54,539 because he must have had a clear view 349 00:17:54,573 --> 00:17:57,008 coming up on Buckley's tail. 350 00:17:58,677 --> 00:18:01,712 How bad would the damage had to have been to the tail section 351 00:18:01,747 --> 00:18:04,115 to just take this thing out completely? 352 00:18:14,193 --> 00:18:17,361 Unable to recover, both Avengers crash into the Pacific. 353 00:18:21,733 --> 00:18:23,434 Buckley manages to escape, 354 00:18:23,469 --> 00:18:24,902 but Dennis Ruehle and his crew 355 00:18:24,937 --> 00:18:28,506 Ernest Williams and Russel Goosetta disappear. 356 00:18:28,540 --> 00:18:31,008 Never to be seen again. 357 00:18:32,411 --> 00:18:34,512 I really have a whole different view 358 00:18:34,546 --> 00:18:35,446 on this accident, 359 00:18:35,481 --> 00:18:36,581 now that I'm up here. 360 00:18:36,615 --> 00:18:38,549 We're searching for a lost Avenger, 361 00:18:38,584 --> 00:18:41,185 but we're also searching for these three individuals. 362 00:18:41,220 --> 00:18:42,553 To sit where they sat, 363 00:18:42,588 --> 00:18:45,323 in what is effectively an identical aircraft, 364 00:18:45,357 --> 00:18:46,991 it really brings it home. 365 00:18:49,595 --> 00:18:50,695 I now have a better sense 366 00:18:50,729 --> 00:18:52,563 of how the accident happened. 367 00:18:53,699 --> 00:18:56,534 After all, finding a wingman suddenly lost below you 368 00:18:56,568 --> 00:18:58,803 is nearly impossible. 369 00:18:58,837 --> 00:19:00,638 As for what happened inside Rules' cockpit, 370 00:19:00,672 --> 00:19:02,974 that I'm less certain of. 371 00:19:06,545 --> 00:19:08,379 To dive deeper into this cold case, 372 00:19:08,413 --> 00:19:09,547 I get back on the road 373 00:19:09,581 --> 00:19:12,583 and drive 200 miles north up the Pacific coast. 374 00:19:12,618 --> 00:19:15,419 From San Diego to Ventura, California. 375 00:19:16,655 --> 00:19:19,490 There, I take a ferry to Anacapa Island 376 00:19:19,525 --> 00:19:22,226 and paddle-out to the scene of the accident. 377 00:19:23,695 --> 00:19:26,531 Welcome to the Channel Islands. 378 00:19:26,565 --> 00:19:29,400 These eight lonely spits-of-land 379 00:19:29,434 --> 00:19:31,369 are perched just off the coast 380 00:19:31,403 --> 00:19:33,070 of Southern California. 381 00:19:34,506 --> 00:19:36,541 They're absolutely stunning. 382 00:19:36,575 --> 00:19:39,610 But this can also be a place of wild oceans 383 00:19:39,645 --> 00:19:41,546 and terrible storms, 384 00:19:41,580 --> 00:19:43,781 which is why these islands are home 385 00:19:43,815 --> 00:19:47,451 to more than 300 reported shipwrecks, 386 00:19:47,486 --> 00:19:48,853 and airplane crashes. 387 00:19:48,887 --> 00:19:52,123 I'm out here to meet Project Recover historian 388 00:19:52,157 --> 00:19:54,592 Colin Colbourn, who's asked me to meet him 389 00:19:54,626 --> 00:19:57,562 up there at the old lighthouse. 390 00:19:57,596 --> 00:20:00,731 Now all I need to do, is figure out how to get up there. 391 00:20:00,766 --> 00:20:03,000 There's probably an elevator out here. Right? 392 00:20:05,704 --> 00:20:08,739 Surrounded on all sides by 200-foot cliffs, 393 00:20:08,774 --> 00:20:11,409 the only way on or off the island 394 00:20:11,443 --> 00:20:14,245 is a steep and seemingly endless staircase. 395 00:20:17,449 --> 00:20:20,318 You got this. You got this. 396 00:20:20,352 --> 00:20:24,855 [panting] Okay. 397 00:20:24,890 --> 00:20:27,558 [exhaling] Okay, where's the lighthouse? 398 00:20:27,593 --> 00:20:30,428 [squawking birds] Ahh! Come on! 399 00:20:31,830 --> 00:20:35,766 Aside from tens of thousands of birds and a lonely ranger station, 400 00:20:35,801 --> 00:20:38,703 no permanent residents have called Anacapa home 401 00:20:38,737 --> 00:20:41,872 since the lighthouse was automated in 1966. 402 00:20:41,907 --> 00:20:45,943 Project Recover historian Colin Colbourn has asked me to meet him here 403 00:20:45,978 --> 00:20:49,847 to reveal new intel that could make or break our search. 404 00:20:49,881 --> 00:20:51,449 - Hey Josh, how's it going? - Good to see you. 405 00:20:51,483 --> 00:20:53,351 - Good to see you, as well. - You're a hard man to find. 406 00:20:53,385 --> 00:20:55,953 I know. I dragged you all the way up here to Anacapa Island 407 00:20:55,988 --> 00:20:58,789 because this is where the accident actually happened. 408 00:20:58,824 --> 00:21:02,426 - Right here, in this air space? - Absolutely. 409 00:21:02,461 --> 00:21:06,397 And I'm guessing that Anacapa today probably looks a lot like it looked in '45. 410 00:21:06,431 --> 00:21:07,431 It absolutely does. 411 00:21:07,466 --> 00:21:09,800 Most of these structures are exactly the same, 412 00:21:09,835 --> 00:21:10,835 including this lighthouse up here, 413 00:21:10,869 --> 00:21:12,903 which was the Coast Guard lookout station. 414 00:21:12,938 --> 00:21:15,840 Having had a chance now to fly in one of these planes, 415 00:21:15,874 --> 00:21:18,676 I have a sense of the way they were maneuvering up there. 416 00:21:18,710 --> 00:21:20,344 You're the historian, though. 417 00:21:20,379 --> 00:21:22,446 How does history help us unlock this case? 418 00:21:22,481 --> 00:21:23,581 I've made a pretty big break. 419 00:21:23,615 --> 00:21:26,717 Were able to actually locate the accident report. 420 00:21:27,286 --> 00:21:28,419 This is it, right here. 421 00:21:28,453 --> 00:21:29,754 So where was this? 422 00:21:29,788 --> 00:21:33,057 - These are actually held at the National Archives. - Wow! 423 00:21:33,091 --> 00:21:37,328 So the report actually reveals what happened to the two aircraft in the collision... 424 00:21:37,362 --> 00:21:38,462 from Ensign Buckley. 425 00:21:38,497 --> 00:21:40,231 - His own statement? - That's right. 426 00:21:40,265 --> 00:21:41,599 You don't get more eye-witness 427 00:21:41,633 --> 00:21:43,601 than a statement from the guy that was hit by the missing plane. 428 00:21:43,635 --> 00:21:44,969 Absolutely. 429 00:21:45,003 --> 00:21:48,806 Buckley's statement confirms the second-hand accounts of the crash. 430 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:51,575 Ruehle's propeller hit the tail of his plane, 431 00:21:51,610 --> 00:21:53,978 critically damaging both aircraft. 432 00:21:54,012 --> 00:21:57,581 But there's an even bigger revelation in the accident report. 433 00:21:57,616 --> 00:21:59,383 There were eye-witnesses. 434 00:21:59,418 --> 00:22:01,686 Coast Guard officers on duty in the lighthouse 435 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:03,854 watched as the stricken Avengers collided 436 00:22:03,889 --> 00:22:06,757 and went down on either side of the island. 437 00:22:06,792 --> 00:22:08,059 [suspenseful music playing] 438 00:22:08,093 --> 00:22:11,595 The other incredible thing that we get from this accident report 439 00:22:11,630 --> 00:22:15,166 are the actual compass bearings and distances off shore 440 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:16,400 where these Avengers crashed 441 00:22:16,435 --> 00:22:18,402 from the perspective of the Coast Guard in the lighthouse. 442 00:22:18,437 --> 00:22:19,970 - That's huge. - It's absolutely huge. 443 00:22:20,005 --> 00:22:24,275 Ensign Buckley's plane crashed 300 degrees from the lighthouse, 444 00:22:24,309 --> 00:22:25,609 about 100 yards offshore. 445 00:22:25,644 --> 00:22:27,645 - And so where is that? - So that's actually right out that way. 446 00:22:27,679 --> 00:22:28,946 - Right that way? - Yes. 447 00:22:28,980 --> 00:22:31,816 [bells ringing] Okay, so Buckley's plane goes down over there. 448 00:22:31,850 --> 00:22:33,084 That's a known wreck somewhere out there. 449 00:22:33,118 --> 00:22:35,130 [dramatic music playing] But when it comes to the lost Avenger, 450 00:22:35,154 --> 00:22:40,291 the accident report says, "Ensign Ruehle's plane did not recover in any manner 451 00:22:40,325 --> 00:22:44,395 and made a glide straight into the water about 400 yards, 452 00:22:44,429 --> 00:22:48,566 bearing 170 degrees true from Anacapa Island Lighthouse. 453 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:50,835 - That's actually right out that way. - That way. 454 00:22:50,869 --> 00:22:52,970 [dramatic music playing] This is kind of a smoking gun. 455 00:22:53,004 --> 00:22:56,774 If this is accurate, then 400 yards out, on that bearing, 456 00:22:56,808 --> 00:22:59,343 there should be a lost World War II plane. 457 00:22:59,378 --> 00:23:01,479 Right out there, 400 yards offshore. 458 00:23:01,513 --> 00:23:03,381 [dramatic music playing] 459 00:23:07,786 --> 00:23:10,554 I'm searching for an Avenger Torpedo Bomber 460 00:23:10,589 --> 00:23:12,456 that collided with its wingman 461 00:23:12,491 --> 00:23:14,892 and disappeared off of Anacapa Island. 462 00:23:14,926 --> 00:23:19,864 [exciting music playing] Historian Colin Colbourn just made a huge break in the case, 463 00:23:19,898 --> 00:23:23,868 unearthing an eye-witness account of where the lost Avenger went down. 464 00:23:23,902 --> 00:23:25,814 [dramatic music playing] This is kind of a smoking gun. 465 00:23:25,838 --> 00:23:29,607 If this is accurate, then 400 yards out, on that bearing, 466 00:23:29,641 --> 00:23:31,609 there should be a lost World War II plane. 467 00:23:31,643 --> 00:23:33,644 Right out there, 400 yards offshore. 468 00:23:33,678 --> 00:23:35,246 [symphonic final note] 469 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:35,613 So... 470 00:23:36,181 --> 00:23:37,681 Where does that leave us? 471 00:23:37,716 --> 00:23:40,818 Well, from here we can actually test accuracy of these eye-witness reports. 472 00:23:40,852 --> 00:23:43,754 And we can do that because we know where Buckley's plane is. 473 00:23:43,789 --> 00:23:46,724 - Right. We have a baseline sitting out there. - Absolutely. 474 00:23:46,758 --> 00:23:48,225 [dramatic music playing] 475 00:23:48,260 --> 00:23:52,062 Diving the known wreck may help us solve the mystery of the lost Avenger. 476 00:23:52,097 --> 00:23:56,734 Does the distance from shore and bearing off the lighthouse match the Coast Guard account. 477 00:23:56,768 --> 00:23:59,170 And is the damage to the tail of the plane 478 00:23:59,204 --> 00:24:02,406 consistent with Buckley's description of the collision 479 00:24:02,441 --> 00:24:03,541 [dramatic music playing] 480 00:24:03,575 --> 00:24:05,509 Okay, so we start with the known wreck, 481 00:24:05,544 --> 00:24:06,977 and then take that data... 482 00:24:07,012 --> 00:24:10,381 - and hopefully find the lost wreck. - That's the hope. 483 00:24:10,415 --> 00:24:11,282 All right. 484 00:24:11,316 --> 00:24:12,583 And to help with that, 485 00:24:12,617 --> 00:24:14,452 Project Recover has arranged a vessel to take you out there. 486 00:24:14,486 --> 00:24:17,388 - Bigger than my kayak? - Slightly bigger than your kayak. 487 00:24:17,422 --> 00:24:21,659 [dramatic music playing] 488 00:24:21,693 --> 00:24:23,060 [Josh] Colin wasn't kidding. 489 00:24:23,094 --> 00:24:27,598 Project Recover is working off of the research vessel Shearwater. 490 00:24:27,632 --> 00:24:29,133 [exciting music] This 62-foot catamaran 491 00:24:29,167 --> 00:24:33,771 was custom-built by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration 492 00:24:33,805 --> 00:24:37,608 to conduct mapping and research in the Channel Islands. 493 00:24:37,642 --> 00:24:40,811 We motor out to the coordinates of the known Avenger wreck, 494 00:24:40,846 --> 00:24:44,648 where I link back up with Project Recover co-founder Eric Terrill 495 00:24:44,683 --> 00:24:46,484 and his team on the top deck. 496 00:24:46,518 --> 00:24:48,486 [music rising and stopping] 497 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:49,553 Hey Josh, let me introduce you to Heidi, 498 00:24:49,588 --> 00:24:50,554 - Hey! - Our lead analyst 499 00:24:50,589 --> 00:24:51,833 - Nice to meet you. Pleasure. - Nice to meet you. 500 00:24:51,857 --> 00:24:53,891 - Andrew, our lead archaeologist. - Nice to meet you, as well. 501 00:24:53,925 --> 00:24:57,561 So, okay, directly underneath us should be an Avenger. 502 00:24:57,596 --> 00:24:58,696 That's correct. 503 00:24:58,730 --> 00:24:59,763 [adventurous music playing] 504 00:24:59,798 --> 00:25:01,799 Accidentally discovered by divers, 505 00:25:01,833 --> 00:25:06,403 the location of the wreck was officially catalogued by the National Park Service, 506 00:25:06,438 --> 00:25:09,006 in 1996. 507 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:11,408 Let's start by talking about where we are. 508 00:25:11,443 --> 00:25:13,143 You've got Anacapa Island right here. 509 00:25:13,178 --> 00:25:14,745 And there's our lighthouse. [birds chirping] 510 00:25:14,779 --> 00:25:18,816 So the report puts the wreck at 300 degree bearing. 511 00:25:18,850 --> 00:25:21,252 You can kinda take a look at where we are right here. 512 00:25:21,286 --> 00:25:23,687 We see that the bearing lines up almost perfectly 513 00:25:23,722 --> 00:25:26,390 to what the historical report is telling us. 514 00:25:26,424 --> 00:25:27,725 And the distance from the lighthouse? 515 00:25:27,759 --> 00:25:30,394 The distance in the record says 100 yards. 516 00:25:30,428 --> 00:25:31,795 Now, I'm no expert, 517 00:25:31,830 --> 00:25:34,265 but we are way more than 100 yards from that lighthouse. 518 00:25:34,299 --> 00:25:35,799 - That's more. - Way more. 519 00:25:35,834 --> 00:25:37,768 [cymbals resonating] We're sitting at about 1,800 yards from the lighthouse. 520 00:25:37,802 --> 00:25:40,337 - Okay. So it's off by a factor of 18. - Yes. 521 00:25:40,372 --> 00:25:41,672 - So that's hugely inaccurate. - Big time. 522 00:25:41,706 --> 00:25:42,907 This is really common, 523 00:25:42,941 --> 00:25:46,777 fog of war, chaos... The angles are often very accurate... 524 00:25:46,811 --> 00:25:50,514 distances are generally horribly wrong. 525 00:25:50,549 --> 00:25:53,918 So, what does this data tell us about the lost Avenger 526 00:25:53,952 --> 00:25:54,685 on the other side of this island? 527 00:25:54,719 --> 00:25:55,519 He's probably gonna be on... 528 00:25:55,554 --> 00:25:57,021 an accurate bearing on that side, 529 00:25:57,055 --> 00:25:59,823 but we probably want to think about moving a greater distance from shore 530 00:25:59,858 --> 00:26:01,792 than the one the historical record's telling us. 531 00:26:01,826 --> 00:26:03,694 Right. Because that distance may be just as inaccurate 532 00:26:03,728 --> 00:26:04,962 - over there. - Exactly. 533 00:26:04,996 --> 00:26:07,631 So, in terms of the known wreck underneath us, what's the plan? 534 00:26:07,666 --> 00:26:10,000 [wind blowing] Well, we'd love to get some imagery. 535 00:26:10,035 --> 00:26:12,603 And if we can get a lot of very high-resolution photographs 536 00:26:12,637 --> 00:26:14,405 that overlap in all directions, 537 00:26:14,439 --> 00:26:15,806 then we can use photogrammetry, 538 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:18,542 which is a technique which will allow us to align those photos 539 00:26:18,577 --> 00:26:20,477 and give us a 3D representation, 540 00:26:20,512 --> 00:26:22,112 - a model of what the wreck looks like today. - Got it. 541 00:26:22,147 --> 00:26:25,849 So, get lots of photos of the wreck, use that to build a 3D model. 542 00:26:25,884 --> 00:26:29,620 Exactly. And that information will allow us to be able to understand if the crash site 543 00:26:29,654 --> 00:26:31,655 really is consistent with the wreck reports. 544 00:26:31,690 --> 00:26:33,891 So, Heidi, you're diving down, or... 545 00:26:33,925 --> 00:26:36,727 -The water's a little cold. I think it's your turn. -Yup. 546 00:26:36,761 --> 00:26:37,962 We've only just met, Heidi, 547 00:26:37,996 --> 00:26:40,531 but you're really catching on to how this always goes for me. 548 00:26:40,565 --> 00:26:41,498 [cymbals echoing] 549 00:26:41,533 --> 00:26:44,501 [exciting music playing] 550 00:26:44,536 --> 00:26:48,339 I gear up... and dive in. 551 00:26:49,274 --> 00:26:51,408 [water splashing] 552 00:26:51,443 --> 00:26:52,710 [water bubbles sounding] 553 00:26:52,744 --> 00:26:54,812 [ominous music] [SCUBA breathing] 554 00:26:54,846 --> 00:26:57,514 The frigid water bites through my thick wetsuit. 555 00:26:57,549 --> 00:27:00,384 But the real danger of this dive is depth. 556 00:27:00,418 --> 00:27:02,620 The plane rests at nearly 120 feet, 557 00:27:02,654 --> 00:27:05,556 which means I only have a limited amount of bottom time 558 00:27:05,590 --> 00:27:08,659 before I have to surface to avoid Decompression Sickness. 559 00:27:08,693 --> 00:27:10,694 I've got to make every second count. 560 00:27:10,729 --> 00:27:12,529 [adventurous music playing] 561 00:27:12,564 --> 00:27:13,931 Josh, do you copy? 562 00:27:13,965 --> 00:27:17,801 Yes, I copy and I am following the anchor line down. 563 00:27:18,637 --> 00:27:20,838 How's the vis? How's the water temp? 564 00:27:20,872 --> 00:27:27,489 Water's freezing. Visibility's not great, maybe 10 or 15 feet tops. 565 00:27:27,513 --> 00:27:29,713 Not able to see the bottom at this point. 566 00:27:30,515 --> 00:27:32,082 Keep heading down the anchor line. 567 00:27:32,117 --> 00:27:34,551 We're really close to the wreck. You should see it right away. 568 00:27:34,586 --> 00:27:37,655 [exciting music] Topside, this is Josh. 569 00:27:37,689 --> 00:27:39,957 I am approaching the bottom. 570 00:27:41,326 --> 00:27:42,826 No sign of the wreck. 571 00:27:42,861 --> 00:27:45,896 Josh, we're about 10 yards from the wreck, uh, to the west. 572 00:27:45,930 --> 00:27:49,667 Just keep coming in that direction and you should find it. 573 00:27:49,701 --> 00:27:52,670 Copy that. I'll leave the anchor line and head over that way, 574 00:27:52,704 --> 00:27:54,805 Stand by. [exciting music playing] 575 00:27:54,839 --> 00:27:59,410 Besides a lone crab, who is definitely not happy to see me, 576 00:27:59,444 --> 00:28:01,011 this place is a desert. 577 00:28:01,046 --> 00:28:03,514 Did we anchor too far off the target? 578 00:28:03,548 --> 00:28:05,416 The clock is ticking. 579 00:28:05,450 --> 00:28:07,251 I have to find this plane. 580 00:28:10,355 --> 00:28:12,534 I got it. I see the wreck. 581 00:28:12,558 --> 00:28:18,128 [exciting music playing] 582 00:28:18,563 --> 00:28:20,431 [Josh speaking] 583 00:28:26,538 --> 00:28:28,138 [Eric speaking] 584 00:28:28,573 --> 00:28:30,174 [Josh speaking] 585 00:28:43,788 --> 00:28:46,523 All right. Good copy. Go ahead and take your photographs, 586 00:28:46,558 --> 00:28:48,292 we've got limited time at the bottom. 587 00:28:55,934 --> 00:28:59,803 [Josh] The thousands of photographs I take will be digitally stitched together. 588 00:28:59,838 --> 00:29:04,508 To create a 3-D model for detailed, forensic study, topside. 589 00:29:04,542 --> 00:29:06,176 [Josh speaking] 590 00:29:11,716 --> 00:29:13,751 Not surprising given it's a lot of aluminum 591 00:29:13,785 --> 00:29:16,320 and just natural degradation down there. 592 00:29:17,188 --> 00:29:18,188 [Josh speaking] 593 00:29:21,359 --> 00:29:23,127 [Heidi speaking] 594 00:29:23,561 --> 00:29:25,095 [Josh speaking] 595 00:29:27,866 --> 00:29:32,002 Copy that. Be sure to focus on the tail section if you can, that's where it was hit. 596 00:29:32,437 --> 00:29:33,403 [Josh speaking] 597 00:29:57,328 --> 00:29:58,495 [Josh] As I move in close, 598 00:29:58,530 --> 00:30:01,331 I'm struck that this is more than just a wreck. 599 00:30:01,366 --> 00:30:02,366 It's a memorial. 600 00:30:05,603 --> 00:30:08,405 The pilot and radio man survived the crash. 601 00:30:08,439 --> 00:30:11,208 But tail gunner Lawrence Works didn't make it. 602 00:30:12,644 --> 00:30:14,845 The round impression of the rear of the cockpit 603 00:30:14,879 --> 00:30:18,115 is all that's left of the turret where he sat. 604 00:30:21,553 --> 00:30:23,120 [Josh speaking] 605 00:30:26,324 --> 00:30:27,291 Copy that. 606 00:30:31,062 --> 00:30:34,431 [Josh] After a brief decompression stop on the anchor line. 607 00:30:34,465 --> 00:30:36,266 I make my way to the surface. 608 00:30:39,270 --> 00:30:41,171 Hey, Josh. How'd the dive go? 609 00:30:41,206 --> 00:30:42,206 [Josh] Oh, man. 610 00:30:43,274 --> 00:30:44,775 Spectacular. 611 00:30:44,809 --> 00:30:46,777 All these talk about these two Avengers, 612 00:30:46,811 --> 00:30:50,347 where they were, the men that were in them. 613 00:30:50,381 --> 00:30:52,049 To go down there and see one of them... 614 00:30:52,083 --> 00:30:57,654 Takes the whole thing from story to a piece of history, really. 615 00:30:57,689 --> 00:30:59,056 No, I get it, Josh. 616 00:30:59,090 --> 00:31:02,459 Seeing those wrecks in person just really connects you into the site. 617 00:31:02,493 --> 00:31:04,661 Really powerful to see it down there. 618 00:31:04,696 --> 00:31:07,931 Great, let's get you on board and let's start data processing. 619 00:31:09,601 --> 00:31:14,204 [Josh] While I dry off, Heidi begins rendering the photos of Buckley's Avenger. 620 00:31:15,707 --> 00:31:19,910 A few hours later, we head inside the cabin to take a look. 621 00:31:20,612 --> 00:31:22,579 Okay. Heidi. What have we got? 622 00:31:22,614 --> 00:31:25,482 Well you collected a whole bunch of data and they look amazing. 623 00:31:25,516 --> 00:31:26,984 We got good data? 624 00:31:27,018 --> 00:31:29,553 -We did. It looks really good. You wanna see it? -Yes. I'm dying to see it. 625 00:31:29,587 --> 00:31:30,621 [Josh] Okay, here we go. 626 00:31:30,655 --> 00:31:32,856 After nearly eight decades of silence, 627 00:31:32,891 --> 00:31:35,626 the known wreck has a knew story to tell. 628 00:31:35,660 --> 00:31:39,696 Revealing clues that could lead us to the lost Avenger. 629 00:31:40,832 --> 00:31:43,367 - [Eric] Oh, this is incredible. - Look at that! 630 00:31:48,606 --> 00:31:51,008 [Josh] I've joined forces with Project Recover. 631 00:31:51,042 --> 00:31:55,112 To hunt for a World War II Avenger Torpedo Bomber. 632 00:31:56,481 --> 00:31:57,414 [Josh speaking] 633 00:31:59,183 --> 00:32:02,085 After photographing the known wreck of the plane it crashed into. 634 00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:07,224 A forensic 3-D model has been constructed that might lead us to the missing plane. 635 00:32:07,659 --> 00:32:09,126 We got good data? 636 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:12,262 -We did. It looks really good. You wanna see it? -Yes. I'm dying to see it. 637 00:32:13,364 --> 00:32:14,865 [Josh] That is amazing! 638 00:32:15,700 --> 00:32:18,001 Look how much detail we have here. 639 00:32:18,536 --> 00:32:20,237 Like CSI World War II, 640 00:32:20,271 --> 00:32:25,809 this model allows Eric to reconstruct a play by play of the moment of impact. 641 00:32:25,843 --> 00:32:29,413 [Eric] Now take a look at the wing and we can see the damage where it hit the water. 642 00:32:29,447 --> 00:32:31,915 It's lost some of the aluminum skin along here, 643 00:32:31,950 --> 00:32:33,617 that might have been torn away during the accident. 644 00:32:33,651 --> 00:32:36,286 Probably cartwheeled in, probably hit... 645 00:32:36,321 --> 00:32:37,788 - port wing. - [Josh] Right. 646 00:32:37,822 --> 00:32:39,823 [Eric] And the plane's right side up. 647 00:32:39,857 --> 00:32:41,525 If you look at the action report, it calls out how 648 00:32:41,559 --> 00:32:43,927 it was an immediate water landing 649 00:32:43,962 --> 00:32:45,796 - and then called a water crash. - That's right. 650 00:32:45,830 --> 00:32:48,565 [Josh] And that's not the only new intel we gather 651 00:32:48,599 --> 00:32:50,934 that will aid our search for the lost avenger. 652 00:32:50,969 --> 00:32:53,804 The one thing that jumped out at me when I was down there is 653 00:32:53,838 --> 00:32:56,440 the tail section which is in a much worse shape. 654 00:32:57,475 --> 00:32:58,842 It's just almost completely gone. 655 00:32:58,876 --> 00:33:01,778 Because Ruehle's plane came up and his propellor 656 00:33:01,813 --> 00:33:04,247 - actually connected with that horizontal stabilizer. - Yep. 657 00:33:04,282 --> 00:33:07,684 [Josh] So that might have been destroyed in flight even. 658 00:33:07,719 --> 00:33:10,787 If the tail section of the known wreck was shredded in flight, 659 00:33:10,822 --> 00:33:13,590 one can only imagine the damage done to the 660 00:33:13,624 --> 00:33:16,159 propellor and canopy of the plane that hit it. 661 00:33:16,194 --> 00:33:21,198 There's a good chance that Pilot Dennis Ruehle was killed instantly. 662 00:33:21,232 --> 00:33:24,034 It's amazing to see this because it won't really be around forever. 663 00:33:24,068 --> 00:33:27,070 You know, I mean the actual wreck is eventually gonna be consumed by the ocean. 664 00:33:27,105 --> 00:33:31,875 Sure, I mean, we're seeing that hue, and it's very rapidly degrading now. 665 00:33:31,909 --> 00:33:34,611 If you look around the site, you see how the sediment 666 00:33:34,645 --> 00:33:37,280 has a really different texture to it. 667 00:33:37,315 --> 00:33:39,916 That's because lot of these sites have become artificial reefs. 668 00:33:39,951 --> 00:33:44,821 Life has sort of taken hold in this area. I call it the Halo effect. 669 00:33:44,856 --> 00:33:49,226 So let's talk about how this helps us moving forward looking for the lost Avenger. 670 00:33:50,495 --> 00:33:51,928 [Andrew] Look how flat this is to the sea floor, 671 00:33:51,963 --> 00:33:54,398 it's not very proud, so we need to keep that in mind when 672 00:33:54,432 --> 00:33:55,866 we're looking for different sonar targets. 673 00:33:55,900 --> 00:33:57,501 - Right, it's not really raised up. - Yeah. 674 00:33:57,535 --> 00:33:59,236 It's got a really, really-- 675 00:33:59,270 --> 00:34:03,373 [Eric] It's low elevation, it might be maybe at most three feet off the sea bed. 676 00:34:03,408 --> 00:34:04,908 So that's gonna tell us on the acoustic data 677 00:34:04,942 --> 00:34:08,011 how big of a shadow it might be throwing down on the sea floor when we're 678 00:34:08,046 --> 00:34:12,382 trying to discriminate rocks other debris from the airplane crash. 679 00:34:13,618 --> 00:34:16,353 [Josh] The lost Avenger which sustained heavy damage 680 00:34:16,387 --> 00:34:18,555 maybe in far worse shape. 681 00:34:18,589 --> 00:34:20,690 If all that's left is scattered debris 682 00:34:20,725 --> 00:34:23,794 the wreckage will blend in with the natural rock formations 683 00:34:23,828 --> 00:34:26,730 making it nearly impossible to find. 684 00:34:26,764 --> 00:34:29,366 - Now we've got another one to find. - Yeah. Absolutely. 685 00:34:30,701 --> 00:34:32,803 [Josh] Armed with intel from the known wreck. 686 00:34:32,837 --> 00:34:37,507 We reposition the Shearwater on the southside of Anacapa Island. 687 00:34:37,542 --> 00:34:39,276 The coast guard eye witnesses 688 00:34:39,310 --> 00:34:42,646 stated that the lost Avenger made a glide straight into the water 689 00:34:42,680 --> 00:34:44,915 at a bearing of 170 degrees 690 00:34:44,949 --> 00:34:48,685 and crashed roughly 400 yards from the lighthouse. 691 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:51,221 This will be the center of our search grid. 692 00:34:52,423 --> 00:34:53,523 - Time to scan. - Yep. 693 00:34:53,558 --> 00:34:55,592 We're now on the opposite side of the island. 694 00:34:55,626 --> 00:34:57,861 And we're roughly on that 170 degree bearing. 695 00:34:57,895 --> 00:35:00,430 We're about that bearing right now, so we really need to set up 696 00:35:00,465 --> 00:35:02,966 a scan area to look at that whole region 697 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:03,800 - Okay. - South of the lighthouse. 698 00:35:03,835 --> 00:35:05,635 So we got a lot of ocean to cover here. 699 00:35:05,670 --> 00:35:08,605 So the way to do that is we use the underwater robots. 700 00:35:08,639 --> 00:35:11,241 These are AUV's. Autonomous Underwater Vehicle. 701 00:35:11,275 --> 00:35:13,677 Our scans today, they're gonna be a four hour mission each. 702 00:35:13,711 --> 00:35:15,645 So if we get them all in the water, four hours later 703 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:17,481 they come back with data and hopefully-- 704 00:35:17,515 --> 00:35:18,648 Hopefully our target's in there. 705 00:35:18,683 --> 00:35:20,350 - Hopefully we've got a plane. - Yes. 706 00:35:20,384 --> 00:35:21,785 Okay. Let's do it. 707 00:35:21,819 --> 00:35:24,654 [Josh] Eric and I break out the big guns 708 00:35:24,689 --> 00:35:27,691 or more accurately torpedoes. 709 00:35:27,725 --> 00:35:29,059 - [Eric] Lower down. - [Josh] Okay. 710 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:30,694 [Josh] In the water. 711 00:35:30,728 --> 00:35:34,631 We gingerly lower Enzo and Magnum into the drink. 712 00:35:34,665 --> 00:35:36,299 Followed by Scout. 713 00:35:38,536 --> 00:35:41,404 Scout cost roughly half a million dollars to build. 714 00:35:41,439 --> 00:35:42,772 Godspeed! 715 00:35:42,807 --> 00:35:45,842 But according to her track record, she's worth every penny. 716 00:35:45,877 --> 00:35:48,445 Scout holds a record for the most number of aircraft found. 717 00:35:48,479 --> 00:35:49,579 - Which is how many? - Eight. 718 00:35:49,614 --> 00:35:51,715 Wow. Okay. Hopefully today nine. 719 00:35:51,749 --> 00:35:54,651 - I've sided him up. - All right, it's up to you Scout. 720 00:35:56,454 --> 00:36:01,424 [Josh] The distance in the accident report for the known wreck was widely inaccurate. 721 00:36:01,459 --> 00:36:06,696 So Eric's team has programmed the sonar equipped drones to cast a wide net. 722 00:36:06,731 --> 00:36:11,568 The AUV's will run four mile long tracks on the southside of the island 723 00:36:11,602 --> 00:36:14,037 and scan more than two miles offshore. 724 00:36:14,071 --> 00:36:18,608 Covering eight and a half square miles of ocean on this mission. 725 00:36:18,643 --> 00:36:21,545 Diving a search zone this size would take months. 726 00:36:21,579 --> 00:36:23,947 But the robots can do it in a day. 727 00:36:23,981 --> 00:36:29,052 Depth rated up to 2,000 feet and fully automated to avoid obstacles. 728 00:36:29,086 --> 00:36:33,523 The bots glide through the water blasting out sonar pings to map the bottom. 729 00:36:34,992 --> 00:36:39,596 Meanwhile we hunker down for the hardest part of this hunt, waiting. 730 00:36:39,630 --> 00:36:41,431 [serene music playing] 731 00:36:46,604 --> 00:36:48,371 [Josh] Four tedious hours later. 732 00:36:50,408 --> 00:36:54,144 We pull the AUV's back on deck 733 00:36:54,178 --> 00:36:57,047 and gather at Heidi's monitor to review the data. 734 00:36:57,715 --> 00:36:59,549 So, okay. How'd we do? 735 00:36:59,584 --> 00:37:02,719 [Eric] We can see the lands here as the vehicles mow the lawn 736 00:37:02,753 --> 00:37:06,256 and those vertical stripes are the vehicles driving back and forth underwater. 737 00:37:06,290 --> 00:37:07,958 Okay. So, what's in the data? 738 00:37:07,992 --> 00:37:11,394 - There's a couple of very interesting targets. Yes. - Really? Okay. 739 00:37:11,429 --> 00:37:12,862 What do we got? 740 00:37:12,897 --> 00:37:17,467 So here's one of the particular targets that's very high interest to us. 741 00:37:17,501 --> 00:37:20,637 You see very sharp sonar returns, 742 00:37:20,671 --> 00:37:23,840 very sharp angles return to the geometry of the target. 743 00:37:23,874 --> 00:37:26,509 [Josh] Yeah, I mean it's particularly interesting 744 00:37:26,544 --> 00:37:27,711 because if its sitting by itself 745 00:37:27,745 --> 00:37:29,713 in an otherwise barren place, right? 746 00:37:29,747 --> 00:37:31,815 - [Heidi] Yeah. - That's definitely something to check out. 747 00:37:31,849 --> 00:37:35,752 [Josh] We put a pin in our first target and run through more promising hits. 748 00:37:35,786 --> 00:37:39,489 I mean that looks a little more rock like, don't you think? 749 00:37:39,523 --> 00:37:40,790 [Andrew] Yeah, it does. 750 00:37:40,825 --> 00:37:44,327 But it's still sitting by itself out on an open plane, 751 00:37:44,362 --> 00:37:45,528 it's got some relief to it. 752 00:37:45,563 --> 00:37:47,597 [Eric] This certainly wouldn't be an entire aircraft. 753 00:37:47,632 --> 00:37:52,736 But if this airplane broke up, inflight this could be some portion of aviation debris. 754 00:37:52,770 --> 00:37:53,870 [Josh] Okay. Sure. Yeah. 755 00:37:53,904 --> 00:37:55,839 I mean anything that's out there, that's isolated like 756 00:37:55,873 --> 00:37:58,842 this feels like it's worth looking at, right? 757 00:37:58,876 --> 00:38:00,744 [Josh] Nothing screams, "I'm an airplane" 758 00:38:00,778 --> 00:38:03,947 with unmistakable features like wings or a tail. 759 00:38:03,981 --> 00:38:08,385 But to the trained eye, these sonar targets tell a story. 760 00:38:08,419 --> 00:38:12,022 [Heidi] We can see this really bright returns that looks almost white on the screen, 761 00:38:12,056 --> 00:38:14,724 that usually indicates, a certain kind of rock or metal. 762 00:38:14,759 --> 00:38:17,927 You got a nice, long linear feature that could be something like the fuselage. 763 00:38:17,962 --> 00:38:20,664 You have two smaller things just to the south of that. 764 00:38:20,698 --> 00:38:22,632 Maybe that's something like the engine that just-- 765 00:38:22,667 --> 00:38:24,434 That came apart off of the fuselage. 766 00:38:24,468 --> 00:38:26,770 - [Gates] Mm-hmm. - And we see fish around it. 767 00:38:26,804 --> 00:38:30,874 - So, which means it's been colonized by marine life. - [Gates] That's a good sign. 768 00:38:30,908 --> 00:38:34,644 Well, it reminds me of the existing wreck in that it's sort of low profile. 769 00:38:34,679 --> 00:38:36,079 - Yeah. - [Gates] There's not a lot showing. 770 00:38:36,113 --> 00:38:37,414 - Not a big shadow. - Lot of scatter there, 771 00:38:37,448 --> 00:38:38,581 [Gates] so it could be a debris field. 772 00:38:38,616 --> 00:38:39,949 I mean, that's huge. 773 00:38:39,984 --> 00:38:41,451 I think it's definitely worth taking a look. 774 00:38:41,485 --> 00:38:42,786 How deep are these targets? 775 00:38:42,820 --> 00:38:46,723 So, these targets range anywhere from 180 feet to about 220 feet. 776 00:38:46,757 --> 00:38:48,825 Okay, so too deep for us to dive. 777 00:38:48,859 --> 00:38:50,660 - We're gonna have to send the ROV down. - [Gates] Sure. 778 00:38:50,695 --> 00:38:52,395 Okay. Let's send a robot. 779 00:38:52,430 --> 00:38:53,830 [dramatic music playing] 780 00:38:53,864 --> 00:38:56,800 [Gates] Back on deck, Eric and I ready a remote underwater vehicle 781 00:38:56,834 --> 00:38:59,602 to take a closer look at the first target. 782 00:38:59,637 --> 00:39:02,672 Eric, I can't help but notice if this ROV is named Barry. 783 00:39:02,707 --> 00:39:05,508 Yeah, one of our favorite singers is Barry Manilow. 784 00:39:05,543 --> 00:39:08,378 So, in honor of Barry, we've, uh, named our robot. 785 00:39:08,412 --> 00:39:09,245 [comical music playing] 786 00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:10,680 [Gates] Why is it really named Barry? 787 00:39:10,715 --> 00:39:14,617 You know, we wanted, like, a really, like, kick-ass name. Barracuda... 788 00:39:14,652 --> 00:39:16,152 [Gates] Yeah, I could see that. 789 00:39:16,187 --> 00:39:17,387 Barry kind of was... 790 00:39:17,421 --> 00:39:18,855 - Oh, Barry-cuda. - Short for barracuda. 791 00:39:18,889 --> 00:39:21,624 How about, uh... ya know, I don't wanna tell your business, 792 00:39:21,659 --> 00:39:22,859 but how about just barracuda? 793 00:39:22,893 --> 00:39:25,528 - Well... - Which is a way cooler name than Barry. 794 00:39:25,563 --> 00:39:28,865 To be honest, I've lost all control of, uh, naming of these robots. 795 00:39:28,899 --> 00:39:31,401 - [Gates] Somebody else did this. Okay, fair enough. - Yes. 796 00:39:31,435 --> 00:39:33,336 Is Barry ready to go? 797 00:39:33,371 --> 00:39:34,404 I think Barry's ready to go. 798 00:39:34,438 --> 00:39:35,538 [exciting music playing] 799 00:39:35,573 --> 00:39:37,707 [Gates] To make sure Barry's voyage into the depths 800 00:39:37,742 --> 00:39:39,743 is as smooth as his crooner namesake, 801 00:39:39,777 --> 00:39:41,811 we rig a drop-weight to a cable. 802 00:39:41,846 --> 00:39:42,345 Winch down. 803 00:39:42,380 --> 00:39:44,013 [intense music playing] 804 00:39:44,048 --> 00:39:47,250 [Gates] This will help the ROV hold position against the currents on the bottom. 805 00:39:48,219 --> 00:39:49,886 Okay, weight's in the water. 806 00:39:50,454 --> 00:39:52,055 [Gates] Barry follows. 807 00:39:53,891 --> 00:39:55,625 All right. Lower your sound. 808 00:39:55,659 --> 00:39:57,560 Hey, our ROV is in. 809 00:39:57,595 --> 00:39:59,763 [Gates] And we carefully lower the ROV tether 810 00:39:59,797 --> 00:40:03,800 and weighted cable, securing the lines together as we go. 811 00:40:04,368 --> 00:40:06,069 - Here you go. - Okay. 812 00:40:06,637 --> 00:40:08,438 What's your depth, Bob? 813 00:40:08,472 --> 00:40:10,373 - 90. - You said 90? 814 00:40:10,408 --> 00:40:12,442 - Does he have bottom lock? - Yes. 815 00:40:12,476 --> 00:40:13,610 - He's on the bottom? - [Gates] Yeah. 816 00:40:13,644 --> 00:40:14,911 Let's go see with tether. 817 00:40:14,945 --> 00:40:17,113 [Gates] Once again, we gather around the monitor 818 00:40:17,148 --> 00:40:23,186 as ROV pilot Bob Hess closes in on the target nearly 200 ft below us. 819 00:40:31,395 --> 00:40:32,996 - I see something right there. - Yeah. 820 00:40:33,764 --> 00:40:35,999 [Bob] Yeah, let's go towards that. 821 00:40:37,535 --> 00:40:40,670 [Gates] A large man made object looms into view. 822 00:40:40,704 --> 00:40:43,173 Is this the lost avenger? 823 00:40:43,574 --> 00:40:45,074 Something there. 824 00:40:49,547 --> 00:40:52,348 [Bob] It's 10 meters in front of us, whatever it is. 825 00:40:52,383 --> 00:40:54,150 We got something, we got structure. 826 00:40:54,185 --> 00:40:56,319 Yeah. What are you? 827 00:40:58,155 --> 00:40:59,355 Look at that. 828 00:41:03,761 --> 00:41:06,930 [Gates] At the USS Midway aircraft carrier in San Diego, 829 00:41:06,964 --> 00:41:11,000 I got a chance to kick the tires and light the fires. 830 00:41:12,436 --> 00:41:14,404 Mustang, this is Maverick. 831 00:41:14,438 --> 00:41:16,105 I gotta bogey on my tail. 832 00:41:16,574 --> 00:41:18,241 I can't shake him. 833 00:41:18,275 --> 00:41:19,442 Goose, I can't shake him. 834 00:41:20,444 --> 00:41:22,479 Woah, we're caught in the jet wash! 835 00:41:22,513 --> 00:41:24,514 Ah, Goose, I'm losing control. 836 00:41:24,548 --> 00:41:26,382 I'm losing control. 837 00:41:26,417 --> 00:41:28,117 Ah! Ah! 838 00:41:33,624 --> 00:41:35,625 Sir, I apologize. But the museum is closing. 839 00:41:35,659 --> 00:41:38,328 Sorry, Goose. It's time to buzz the tower. 840 00:41:39,563 --> 00:41:41,231 Sir, that's a mannequin. 841 00:41:41,265 --> 00:41:43,233 - Talk to me, Goose. - Sir? 842 00:41:43,267 --> 00:41:47,136 [screaming and crying] 843 00:41:47,171 --> 00:41:49,973 Goose, no! 844 00:41:54,044 --> 00:41:57,680 [Gates] We're searching for a missing Avenger and its three man crew 845 00:41:57,715 --> 00:42:00,483 lost in the waters off of Anacapa Island 846 00:42:00,551 --> 00:42:02,986 during a World War 2 training mission. 847 00:42:05,422 --> 00:42:07,590 We've sent an ROV named Barry 848 00:42:07,625 --> 00:42:09,626 200 feet beneath the waves 849 00:42:09,660 --> 00:42:12,962 to lay eyes on a promising SONAR target. 850 00:42:14,798 --> 00:42:16,466 We got something, we got structure. 851 00:42:16,500 --> 00:42:18,001 Yeah. 852 00:42:19,603 --> 00:42:21,104 What are you? 853 00:42:22,373 --> 00:42:23,206 [speaking] 854 00:42:23,607 --> 00:42:24,908 Look at that! 855 00:42:24,942 --> 00:42:28,278 [Gates] With the lights cranked up, we can see our target 856 00:42:28,312 --> 00:42:29,879 in stunning detail. 857 00:42:30,247 --> 00:42:31,281 It's a boat. 858 00:42:31,315 --> 00:42:32,482 [Gates] It is not an airplane, 859 00:42:32,516 --> 00:42:33,783 but that looks like a shipwreck. 860 00:42:34,585 --> 00:42:36,319 Okay, so what are we looking at here? 861 00:42:36,353 --> 00:42:38,187 It's fiber glass, yeah? 862 00:42:38,222 --> 00:42:39,389 - Yeah? - Okay. 863 00:42:39,423 --> 00:42:40,490 10 meters in length. 864 00:42:40,524 --> 00:42:42,025 [Gates] And so what do you think? 865 00:42:42,059 --> 00:42:43,927 Not new new, it's got a lot of growth on it, 866 00:42:43,961 --> 00:42:47,397 - lot of corrosion. - How long do you think that's been down there? 867 00:42:47,431 --> 00:42:49,899 Uh, I'd say probably about 20 or 30 years. 868 00:42:50,768 --> 00:42:53,503 [Gates] An old fishing boat? Yeah? 869 00:42:53,537 --> 00:42:55,405 - Is that the engine? - Yeah. 870 00:42:55,439 --> 00:42:56,639 That might have been a window, 871 00:42:56,674 --> 00:42:59,509 might have been like a forward cabin that's collapsed in. 872 00:42:59,543 --> 00:43:01,244 - Is there a writing on there? - There is. 873 00:43:02,479 --> 00:43:03,413 See, it's upside down. 874 00:43:05,082 --> 00:43:09,686 That's awesome, guys. We have a $30,00030 megapixels stills camera 875 00:43:09,720 --> 00:43:12,589 and you just play with your cell phone. 876 00:43:12,623 --> 00:43:16,359 - J-e-f-f-r-i-e-s. - Jeffries. 877 00:43:16,393 --> 00:43:17,827 The great sailing vessel Jeffries. 878 00:43:17,861 --> 00:43:20,430 Well, it's being looked at by Barry the ROV. 879 00:43:20,464 --> 00:43:21,598 That's true. Fair. 880 00:43:21,632 --> 00:43:24,667 - So don't be hard on Jeffries. - [all laughing] 881 00:43:24,702 --> 00:43:26,636 [Gates] It turns out, Jeffries boat company 882 00:43:26,670 --> 00:43:28,504 built custom sport fishers. 883 00:43:28,539 --> 00:43:30,873 And if you're interested in a gently used model, 884 00:43:30,908 --> 00:43:34,477 I've got one for you just off of Anacapa Island. 885 00:43:34,511 --> 00:43:37,513 One target down, a half a dozen more to go. 886 00:43:37,548 --> 00:43:39,482 We pull up the ROV, 887 00:43:39,516 --> 00:43:41,484 motor to our second site, 888 00:43:41,518 --> 00:43:44,153 release Barry back into the briny depths... 889 00:43:44,555 --> 00:43:46,489 Okay, ROV is in. 890 00:43:46,523 --> 00:43:48,491 ...and glue our faces to the monitor 891 00:43:48,525 --> 00:43:51,227 as we approach the next object of interest. 892 00:43:55,566 --> 00:43:56,733 Oh, oh. Something there. 893 00:43:56,767 --> 00:44:00,370 - What is it? - Something coming out of the darkness there. 894 00:44:00,404 --> 00:44:02,705 All right, looks like the target is to the left here. 895 00:44:03,574 --> 00:44:05,541 - Well, there it is. - [Gates] Yeah. 896 00:44:05,576 --> 00:44:08,745 Finally, we home in on something man made. 897 00:44:08,779 --> 00:44:11,414 - It's long, whatever it is. - Yeah. 898 00:44:11,448 --> 00:44:13,016 That could be a fuselage. 899 00:44:13,050 --> 00:44:16,219 [Gates] It's hard to tell because it does look like whatever's here 900 00:44:16,253 --> 00:44:19,122 just encrusted and buried, but you would expect to see some debris 901 00:44:19,156 --> 00:44:22,892 - that jumps out. - Typically, especially with the aluminum on the aircraft. 902 00:44:22,926 --> 00:44:26,796 They don't have a full encrustation like this. 903 00:44:26,830 --> 00:44:30,299 God, you think there should be one thing poking through somewhere. 904 00:44:30,334 --> 00:44:31,768 To give you a hint as to what it is. 905 00:44:31,802 --> 00:44:34,704 If this was a fuselage, it's like, where are the wings, where's... 906 00:44:34,738 --> 00:44:37,473 I mean, it feels like there could be more of a debris field around it. 907 00:44:37,508 --> 00:44:39,042 - Agreed. - Is that just rope? 908 00:44:39,076 --> 00:44:42,211 [Gates] If that's rope, that's probably not a good sign. 909 00:44:42,246 --> 00:44:43,479 Agreed. 910 00:44:43,514 --> 00:44:45,581 I think this is a ghost net sunken area. 911 00:44:45,616 --> 00:44:47,483 And we're seeing structure to it as it's all just clumped up 912 00:44:47,518 --> 00:44:48,785 in the bottom, you think? 913 00:44:48,819 --> 00:44:50,153 I don't think this is our airplane, guys. 914 00:44:50,187 --> 00:44:54,691 I don't either. I'd just love to see one piece of manmade something 915 00:44:54,725 --> 00:44:57,694 other than that piece of line down there, you know? 916 00:44:57,728 --> 00:44:59,595 - Do we want to move on to the next target? - Yeah. 917 00:44:59,630 --> 00:45:01,831 All right, It's do this. 918 00:45:01,865 --> 00:45:05,601 [Gates] We repeat the same process all afternoon. 919 00:45:05,636 --> 00:45:06,836 All right, let's go to target four. 920 00:45:07,671 --> 00:45:10,540 [Gates] Reposition boat. ROV is going in. 921 00:45:10,574 --> 00:45:14,210 Drop ROV and anxiously watch the monitor. 922 00:45:14,244 --> 00:45:16,279 - Should be comin' up on it. - Oh, there's some fish on it. 923 00:45:18,215 --> 00:45:19,649 [Gates] But ultimately, the results are the same. 924 00:45:19,683 --> 00:45:22,318 If the avenger broke up on impact, 925 00:45:22,352 --> 00:45:24,620 finding bits of debris in these rocks is like finding 926 00:45:24,655 --> 00:45:27,023 a needle in a haystack. 927 00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:31,627 To rule out every possibility, 928 00:45:31,662 --> 00:45:34,497 we even run the AUVs on the north side of the Island, 929 00:45:34,531 --> 00:45:36,899 near the known avenger wreck site. 930 00:45:36,934 --> 00:45:40,770 All told, we scan more than eight sq. miles of ocean, 931 00:45:40,804 --> 00:45:43,773 investigating targets everywhere we go. 932 00:45:43,807 --> 00:45:47,176 - It's a lot like rocks. - Very similar to the other rock. 933 00:45:48,412 --> 00:45:49,612 Yup. 934 00:45:49,646 --> 00:45:52,014 [Gates] But the lost plane remains a phantom. 935 00:45:52,649 --> 00:45:54,717 Exhausted and frustrated, 936 00:45:54,752 --> 00:45:57,120 e have run out of places to look. 937 00:46:00,057 --> 00:46:03,326 All right, we've scanned the south and we've scanned the north. 938 00:46:03,360 --> 00:46:04,660 No sign of an avenger. 939 00:46:04,695 --> 00:46:06,596 - This is the way it goes sometimes. - Yeah. 940 00:46:06,630 --> 00:46:08,231 You exhaust all your options, 941 00:46:08,265 --> 00:46:11,768 you do a thorough job and you still don't turn up the target you're looking for. 942 00:46:11,802 --> 00:46:14,837 We have one example where, after a large 943 00:46:14,872 --> 00:46:16,773 survey, much just like what we've done here, 944 00:46:16,807 --> 00:46:19,709 a year later we found some anomalies in the data 945 00:46:19,743 --> 00:46:21,978 - and ended up finding an aircraft in it. - [Gates] Really? 946 00:46:22,012 --> 00:46:25,314 Missing aircraft could actually be in our data set right now, 947 00:46:25,349 --> 00:46:26,616 and we just haven't exhausted it. 948 00:46:26,650 --> 00:46:27,784 - We never give up. - Right. 949 00:46:27,818 --> 00:46:29,786 We're gonna keep going back, we're gonna keep looking 950 00:46:29,820 --> 00:46:30,820 at the data, 951 00:46:30,888 --> 00:46:32,755 and if we have to come back with more vehicles 952 00:46:32,790 --> 00:46:35,291 and different technology, then that's what we'll do. 953 00:46:37,427 --> 00:46:40,062 It's easy to think about these as airplanes, 954 00:46:40,097 --> 00:46:41,497 - but this is really a story about people. - Yeah. 955 00:46:41,532 --> 00:46:44,133 And there are three guys that are somewhere 956 00:46:44,168 --> 00:46:48,171 out off of this island waiting to be brought home. 957 00:46:48,205 --> 00:46:49,939 Guys, it's been an absolute pleasure, really has. 958 00:46:49,973 --> 00:46:52,742 Thank you so much for letting us come out here and see what you do. 959 00:46:52,776 --> 00:46:56,879 It's a ton of work and it's really important work, though, so... 960 00:46:56,914 --> 00:46:57,780 - I appreciate it. - Yeah. 961 00:46:57,815 --> 00:47:00,349 Unfinished business, we gotta keep at it. 962 00:47:00,384 --> 00:47:01,317 Absolutely. 963 00:47:04,855 --> 00:47:08,191 [Gates] Dennis Rule, Ernest Williams and Russel Gusetta 964 00:47:08,225 --> 00:47:12,795 are still missing. But they are no longer forgotten. 965 00:47:12,830 --> 00:47:14,931 In depth research and cutting edge forensics 966 00:47:14,965 --> 00:47:19,035 revealed the details of what happened that fateful day 967 00:47:19,069 --> 00:47:20,336 in1945. 968 00:47:21,872 --> 00:47:24,974 And with Project Recover working the case, 969 00:47:25,008 --> 00:47:26,976 the lost avenger may take flight again soon. 970 00:47:27,010 --> 00:47:31,414 But this story is bigger than the crew of just one plane. 971 00:47:31,448 --> 00:47:33,916 It is estimated that more than 18000 souls 972 00:47:33,951 --> 00:47:37,787 were lost in training accidents during World War 2. 973 00:47:37,821 --> 00:47:42,592 Because they never saw combat, they are not officially considered MIAs. 974 00:47:42,626 --> 00:47:45,962 And an effort to find them is long overdue. 975 00:47:45,996 --> 00:47:49,432 It is my hope that more searches will be carried out 976 00:47:49,466 --> 00:47:52,568 So that the soldiers who gave their lives for this country 977 00:47:52,603 --> 00:47:55,238 will no longer be left behind.