Crash
Alaska, the most glacier-covered state in the country, has been experiencing warming temperatures not unlike the rest of the world. What that means for the last frontier state, however, is very different from the rest of the country. When glaciers melt, what is buried under thousands of years of thick ice begins to expose itself one day at a time.
- Related: Alaska, A Place Known for Massive Snow Totals, Records Snowiest January in Recorded History
One such secret that the glaciers have released is the remains of some of the 52 US servicemen, who were lost during a 1952 military plane crash. The crash occurred at Mt. Gannet, a large peak in the Chugach mountain range in south-central Alaska. The plane was enroute to Elmendorf Air Force Base, near Anchorage, from Washington state when the fateful accident occurred. Strong winds, swirling snow, and near-zero visibility are factors thought to contribute to the crash.
Terris Moore, a mountaineer and pilot as well as former president of the University of Alaska, was one of the first to discover the downed aircraft. He told local reporters that the plane “obviously was flying at full speed” and appeared to have slid down the cliffs of Mount Gannett and exploded. Wreckage was spread across several acres of the glacier. Moore suggested that the aircraft had narrowly avoided other large mountain peaks during its descent. “From this, I conclude he was on instrument, flying blind, and probably crashed without any warning whatsoever to him directly into the southerly face of Mt. Gannett.” Moore went on to say.
Though initially discovered only days after the accident, the rugged nature of the glacier led many of the 52 deceased servicemen’s bodies to remain lost for decades. The story resurfaced, however, in June of 2012, when melting glaciers revealed a yellow raft some 14 miles from the original crash site. The national guard sent troops to investigate on foot, and it was found to be from the 1952 incident. Remains of several deceased troops were discovered, preserved in nearly identical condition due to the cold temperatures of the glacier ice.
After the discovery of the crash site and remnants of the plane, Operation Colony Glacier was established for the recovery of remains and personal connections associated with the event. With the warming temperatures across the world, the retreating glaciers have made it easier to recover the deceased servicemen. As of 2014, the Department of Defense announced that the remains of 17 of the servicemen had been identified. The bodies were returned to their families for burial. By 2022, that number was up to 40. As of the summer of 2025, that number had risen to an astounding 49 of the 52 servicemen identified and returned to their families.
While the window to search for the remains is a small one in the height of the short Alaska summer, the qualified Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command continues an annual search. With the continued warming conditions and Alaska’s glaciers reducing, hopefully all 52 service members will be returned to their families to be laid to rest. There are three members still lost in the glacier—hopefully Operation Colony Glacier can finally give closure to the remaining families this summer.
