Found Footage of B-29 Kee Bird Wreck Site

[@mathewriccio]

My Dad was on that plane, he was the last survivor when he passed away in 2016. He talked about the Keebird his whole life and we were so sad when it caught on fire the day they tried to fly it out. The guys who rescued them were heroes. They went up there with what was, at that time, experimental jet engines to get back off the ice. They had to give the Keebird crew sleeping pills so they would get on the plane equipped with experimental engines. Thank you for your video!

[@mathewriccio]

I'm Ernie's daughter Karin.

[@Sjaakie_K]

⁠@@mathewricciohello Karin

[@geese5170]

Thank you for your rich insight. I truly am lucky to be able to hear that story so close to the source

[@jinmo2821]

​​@@mathewriccio I think you are making it up. Film footage from the rescue shows it was another B29 that went up there to rescue the crew. Also, if they took the sleeping pills (and fell asleep), how could they have climbed aboard the "experimental" plane???

[@rockymountainlifeprospecti4423]

Thanks for sharing Ken, wishing you all the best 🇺🇸

[@flyingfortressrc1794]

That's awesome Ken. I'd be really afraid to try to crank over engines with bent props like that.

[@timmanboy1]

Those engines were dangerous enough on their own during WWII. Requiring constant overhaul and causing engine fires that couldn't be controlled. In a way. I'm glad they didn't try to overhaul the original engines. Instead opting for a mix of hybrid Wright 3350s from later commercial and military planes. The same engines led FIFI to be grounded for a long time until they turned to hybrid models as well

[@KlingbergWingMkII]

And then they cut corners and accidentally burned it to the ground! Unique aircraft lost forever and cost the life of one of the rebuild crew. What a shame.

[@toweroftrollgaming]

Still sad that after all the hard work she would up being destroyed by a electrical fire

[@BasedF-15Pilot]

It was destroyed by idiocy, not electricity. They put a gravity fed fuel tank above the APU and taxi'd around and the fuel sloshed all over the hot APU and started a fire.

[@OlesonMD]

@@BasedF-15Pilot Correct. Pure carelessness on their part. They were in too big a hurry to follow safe procedures.

[@hoppinonabronzeleg9477]

And one of the engineers ended up dying in a hospital in Canada! Yes it was sad how all their hard work went up in flames, but would have been worse if it had happened mid-air!

[@RoyJNg]

Hoping we'll see more unseen footage then what was shown in NOVA.

[@jacksemporiumofstuff]

What a tragic event.

[@brianamerica]

You never posted the rest of the videos.

[@DanMaverick22]

See, there's more to the story than the Nova documentary shows, like this Beaver at 1:42. More content of the Kee Bird please!

[@turkey0165]

That's sad about the unprofessional. EVENTS that happened to the Kee Wee Bird especially all the work to get it Airborne! But there hope once again about a ditched Mythical B29 bomber. Residing in Lake Mead or Powell ! Preserved in beautiful, clean, freshwater.! That is all !

[@NoTimeForThatNow]

Sometime in 2281, a brave courier will put ballasts under structural parts of the wings and bring it to the surface of Lake Mead to be rebuilt by skilled historians at Nellis AFB.

[@user-xm9ft7ks7y]

This is it? What’s the rest of the story?

[@getoffenit7827]

Theres an entire documentary on youtube about the Kee Bird

[@jimmiles33]

Caught fire. Never flew again. Everybody went home sad.

[@stejer211]

'B-29 Frozen in Time' is the name of the full Nova documentary. It's on KZbin. Shame on te uploader for not mentioning it.

[@crazyleyland5106]

Disappointing. I thought that this would show what remains today. I wonder if any parts could be salvaged out of what's left, although it would be a long way to go to get them.

[@olsonspeed]

So much money and effort expended, so close to success...

[@JONNIE_ROCKER]

Stolen video