Exploring the 1963 Boeing B-52C Stratofortress Plane Crash (Northeast Piscataquis, ME)

J-MASS INSTAGRAM: @jmassofficial The official theme song for my channel, “City of Steam”, was originally composed by my friend, Jesse Walsh! Check out the full song here on his YouTube channel:    • [J-MASS THEME] City of Steam   A few miles east of Moosehead Lake, nestled deep within the untamed Maine wilderness in the unorganized territory of Northeast Piscataquis, the ruins of a devastating plane crash can be found sprawled out across the forest floor. On January 24th, 1963, nine service members departed from Westover Air Force Base near Springfield, Massachusetts. This was during the height of the Cold War, and their mission was to conduct a training exercise, practicing methods to bypass Soviet air defenses at low altitudes. After departing from the base in a Boeing B-52C Stratofortress (a strategic heavy bomber), the crew flew northeast towards Maine, eventually flying at a low level as they began their training exercise. However, while flying at this low level, they encountered turbulence, and the vertical stabilizer broke off, forcing the plane into a 40-degree right turn. As the aircraft hurled towards the ground, only three of the nine crew members escaped; six were killed upon impact as the B-52 slammed into the west side of Elephant Mountain in Northeast Piscataquis. Furthermore, one of the three who escaped was killed after hitting a tree, and another sustained serious injuries. Fortunately, of the nine, two survived, and were later rescued after being airlifted by helicopter. To this day, the wreckage site of this 1963 Boeing B-52C Stratofortress plane crash can still be seen, with hundreds of metal debris scattered across the Maine wilderness. While staying in the Moosehead Lake region of Maine, I knew that I had to check out this plane crash site, as it had been on my list for ages. The site is only accessible by driving along narrow gravel-and-dirt logging roads--and even then, it's clear that these roads are geared towards ATVs and heavy-duty trucks. My Toyota Corolla could not handle them, so I had to walk for the remaining mile-and-a-half. Still, this was a truly fascinating historical relic to witness--but also one of the most tragic. Truly, this was by far one of the most powerful sites I've ever visited, due to the sheer scale of the impact site. Hundreds of pieces of aircraft debris, ranging from wings, to tires, to the fuselage, can be found scattered across the forest floor, covered in American flags. Ultimately, it is crucial to note that seven people perished at this site, with only two survivors. Of all the abandoned plane crash sites I've visited, this one is by far the most haunting. Still, if you ever find yourself in this remote part of Maine, definitely give it a visit! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1963_El... 00:00 J-MASS Intro 00:41 Introduction to the B-52 Plane Crash 02:47 Journey to the Crash Site 04:31 History of the B-52 Plane Crash 10:40 My Thoughts on the Site 12:23 The Crash Site Itself 14:08 Outro