Maury Island Incident -- The B-25 Crash at Kelso: August 1, 1947
Maury Island Incident -- The B-25 Crash at Kelso: August 1, 1947
The Crash
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | August 1, 1947 |
| Aircraft | B-25 Mitchell bomber (military twin-engine medium bomber; the type used to bomb Tokyo in the Doolittle Raid) |
| Departure point | McChord Army Air Force Base (now Joint Base Lewis-McChord), near Tacoma, Washington |
| Departure time | Approximately 2:30 AM, August 1, 1947 |
| Destination | Hamilton Field, California |
| Crash location | Near Kelso, Washington; east of Kelso |
| Crash time | Approximately one to two hours after takeoff |
| Official cause | Engine fire; the Army and survivors confirmed the crash resulted from an in-flight engine fire |
| Fatalities | Lt. Frank Brown; Capt. William L. Davidson; also killed: a third crew member (accounts vary; the primary sources confirm the two intelligence officers) |
| Survivors | At least one crew member parachuted to safety before the crash |
| Cargo | The debris samples collected from Crisman at the Winthrop Hotel; the officers' notes and investigation materials |
| Crash site rediscovery | In April 2007, the crash site was reported as having been rediscovered; some material was recovered from the site |
The Timeline of Events
- July 31, evening: The Winthrop Hotel meeting concludes; Crisman provides debris to Brown and Davidson
- August 1, approximately 2:30 AM: Brown and Davidson depart McChord Field
- August 1, morning: The plane catches fire and crashes east of Kelso, Washington
- August 1: The Tacoma Times publishes a story suggesting the plane was "sabotaged or shot down" to prevent inspection of its UFO cargo
- August 1: Anonymous phone calls are received at the Tacoma Times and at McChord Field claiming the plane was shot down
- August 1: The FBI begins a formal investigation into Dahl and Crisman's claims
The Anonymous Telephone Calls
The most conspiratorial element of the crash is the anonymous calls. On the day of the crash, three anonymous phone calls were received:
- At the Tacoma Times
- At McChord Field
- Reportedly to one other party
The calls claimed that the plane had been "intentionally shot down" to hide UFO material it was carrying. The caller apparently knew that Brown and Davidson had been carrying Maury Island debris. No source for the calls was ever identified.
The Tacoma Times published a story based on these calls suggesting deliberate destruction of the aircraft. This headline was widely noted and contributed to the conspiracy dimension of the case.
The Official Investigation
The Army conducted an investigation of the crash. Findings:
- The crash resulted from an in-flight engine fire -- consistent with mechanical failure
- The aircraft involved was a World War II-era B-25, an aircraft with an operational history of engine problems
- No evidence of external damage consistent with being shot down was found
- A surviving crew member's account confirmed the engine fire scenario
- The debris recovered from the crash site was analyzed and found to be ordinary material
In April 2007
In April 2007, it was reported that the crash site had been rediscovered, and some material was recovered. The initial military investigation decades earlier had recovered the officers' remains and exhibits. The 2007 discovery attracted interest from UFO researchers hoping that original debris samples might be recovered and analyzed with modern techniques. The specific findings from the 2007 investigation were not widely published.
