Wreckage from a 1952 Pan Am plane crash that changed air safety has been found near Puerto Rico.

Searchers have found the wreckage of a Pan Am plane that crashed into the ocean near Puerto Rico in 1952. The accident killed 52 people and led to the passenger safety instructions we hear on flights today.

The plane, called the Clipper Endeavor, crashed when two of its engines stopped working soon after it took off. The 17 passengers and crew members who survived told investigators that everyone survived the initial crash into the water. However, problems started when many passengers had trouble finding life vests and the crew had difficulty getting the life rafts out.

The plane sank just minutes later. Sadly, the bodies of 39 passengers were never found.

In June, explorers discovered the wreckage of the DC-4 plane. A robotic sonar drone found the main body and tail of the aircraft about 600 metres underwater.

An aviation safety expert, John Cox, explained that this crash was a major turning point. He said it helped push for safety improvements, like better flotation devices and pre-flight safety talks. He added that it was a moment that brought people together to demand change and was an important step towards the aviation safety we have now.

This disaster resulted in important changes to air travel rules. Today, before a plane takes off, flight attendants explain where the emergency exits are and show passengers where to find life vests and how to use them.

The crash gained attention again in 2019 when Russ Matthews, president of the Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, saw an article about a luggage tag from the flight that had washed up on a beach in Florida. He decided the historical importance of the Clipper Endeavor meant he should investigate further.

This led to years of searching through archives from Pan Am and the Coast Guard for clues about where the crash happened. Reports from the Civil Aeronautics Board, a government group that came before the Federal Aviation Administration, were also helpful.

The key to finding the wreckage was discovered in old records from Puerto Rico. These records included a report from a meeting about the crash and a map made by air force pilots who were training nearby and saw the plane go down. This map gave an estimated location.

Tony Romeo, CEO of the company Deep Sea Vision, which specialises in underwater exploration, joined the search when one of his ships was near Puerto Rico. The ship carried an advanced underwater drone with the necessary equipment. Deep Sea Vision had previously searched for Amelia Earhart’s plane but was unsuccessful.

Matthews’ team combined their research with information about the weather at the time of the crash to create a map of the area where they should search, covering about 10 square nautical miles. The drone found the wreckage on its very first attempt.

This discovery might offer some comfort to families who have lost loved ones in similar ocean disasters, such as the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 twelve years ago, which had 269 people on board.

The search for the Clipper Endeavor will be shown in an upcoming episode of the TV show Expedition Unknown on the Discovery Channel.