Historic Lake Mead B-29

Title frame of video shows a diver swimming up to submerged B-29 plane resting on the bottom of the lake. The diver is illuminating the propellers of the plane with a headlamp. A second diver is illuminating the tail of the plane in the distance.
.
 

A Piece of American History

At 9:51 a.m. July 21, 1948, a B-29 Superfortress, weighing in at 104,556 pounds, took off from China Lake, California. It traveled to a test area near Lake Mead to conduct high-altitude atmospheric research. After the last measurements were taken, the pilot took the plane a little lower. Both the pilot and co-pilot thought they were around 400 feet above the lake’s surface, but the altimeter was reportedly off. Around 12:30 p.m. traveling at 230 miles per hour, the B-29 struck the water and sank to the bottom of Lake Mead where it still lies today.
 
B-29 Site Plan
 

The History of the Lake Mead B-29

 

Last updated: December 15, 2022

Park footer

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

601 Nevada Way
Boulder City, NV 89005

Phone:

702 293-8990
Emergency: Dial 911 (24 hours); Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988 (24 hours); Visitor and Recreation Information: Dial 702-293-8990; Park Business and Administration: Dial 702-293-8906.

Contact Us