B52 Crash Site

The wreckage and memorial. SiF (Atlas Obscura User)

Bits of a broken plane litter several acres of Elephant Mountain. They’ve been left in place to memorialize the people who tragically died in the crash.

On January 23, 1963, a B52 out of Westover Airforce Base was flying a low-level radar mission when the vertical stabilizer failed, sending the plane into the mountain. The pilot and navigator survived the crash, while the other seven people aboard died in the wreck.

Decorated with flags on the remaining wreckage, the crash site serves as a memorial to those who perished in the accident. The landing gear and large portions of the fuselage still remain, and salvage operations have been permanently ended to preserve the site. The size and amount of debris left in a quiet Maine forest is a humbling sight to see.

A large stone memorial bears the names of those aboard the plane and several signs have more information on the plane, crash, and rescue. Just a few feet from the parking area into the woods, twisted wreckage starts to appear more and more until you hit the main assemblies of the plane.

Know Before You Go

The memorial is 15 minutes northeast of Greenville, Maine. After leaving town head north on Lily Bay Road and take a right onto Prong Pond Road. There will be signs that point toward the memorial after that. The road to the crash site does close due to mud season, be sure to check before heading out.