What happened
The aircraft departed Fort Wainwright (Ladd Field) on a classified reconnaissance mission intended to last between twelve and twenty hours. During the return leg, while flying over Greenland at an altitude of 24,000 feet, the crew encountered deteriorating weather conditions that resulted in a loss of situational awareness. The pilot was unable to determine the aircraft's exact position and reported to base that fuel reserves were critically low, with only four minutes remaining.
Consequently, the crew initiated an emergency landing procedure. The aircraft made contact with an icy surface located approximately 280 nautical miles north of Thule Airbase. All personnel on board survived the impact. Rescue teams reached the site three days after the incident and evacuated the crew. The airframe, which had been designated "Kee Bird," was left at the crash site.
Findings
In the 1990s, a recovery team was assembled to retrieve the wreckage from the remote location. However, on May 21, 1995, a fuel leak caused the abandoned aircraft to catch fire. The resulting blaze completely destroyed the remaining structure of the plane.