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Lake Mead National Recreation Area
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Until recent years, the primary interest the SRC had in Lake Mead was documentation of prehistoric sites in the 1970s related to the National Reservoir Inundation Study--also an historic boat sunk in the area of Ringbolt Rapids just below Hoover Dam. Because this park has traditionally had a very active operational dive program, it has been the locus of joint training efforts involving the SRC and parks in the Pacific West Region. Starting in 2000, the focus of SRC involvement has been around the site of a cold-war era B-29 Superfortress lost in the Overton Arm of the lake.
In July 1948, an Army Air Force B-29 Superfortress bomber was on a scientific mission to study variations in the transmissivity of light with altitude as part of Upper Air Research Project Number 288. The mission profile called for the pilot to fly to 30,000 ft. and back to almost ground level again while an onboard scientist took measurements with an instrument known as a sun tracker. At approximately 11:30 am, pilot Robert Madison flew southwards down the Overton Arm of the lake. Instructed by scientist John Simeroth to fly as low as possible over the lake, Madison misjudged his height and hit the lake traveling at approximately 230 mph. |
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| On initial impact three of the four engines (numbers 2, 3, and 4) were torn off the plane and sank. The plane then skipped back into the air and traveled an estimated 30 seconds before touching down with its tail and ditching in the lake. After the crash, the plane stayed afloat long enough for the five-man crew to escape safely. The only injury was scanner Frank Rico who broke his arm on impact. The plane lay undiscovered until 2001 when it was found by a group of sport divers led by Greg Mikolasek. In 2002 the SRC began assessing the site with ROVs and plan to return in 2003 to initiate diving operations to continue documenting the site. |
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- October 2002 VideoRay ROV reconnaissance of submerged B-29 for initial site survey and condition assessment. David Conlin, Project Director.
- Late 1970s to mid 1980s - did occasional spot surveys of submerged sites with park staff in context of dive training programs.
- 1976-1977 Target of underwater reconnaissance operations by NPS-SRC for purposed National Inundation Studies.
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Related Links
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Lake Mead NRA B29 updates
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