The Ghost Bomber of the Monongahela

About this episode

The episode explores the mysterious disappearance of a B-25 bomber in 1956 over the Monongahela River.

In January 1956, rush-hour drivers crossing Pittsburgh’s icy Homestead High Level Bridge watched a nightmare descend from the sky: a silent B-25 bomber gliding just feet above the roadway with both engines dead. Veteran Air Force pilot Major William Dotson pulled off a flawless emergency landing on the freezing Monongahela River, saving all six men from the crash itself. But within minutes, two crew members vanished into the current, and the bomber sank beneath only 25 feet of water… never to be seen again. How does an entire military aircraft disappear in shallow water, in front of hundreds of witnesses, and stay missing for nearly seventy years? Visit our website for a lot more information on this episode.

Topics covered

• aviation history
• mystery
• disappearances
• military incidents
• Pittsburgh history

Keywords

• B-25 bomber
• Monongahela River
• Pittsburgh
• Major William Dotson
• aircraft disappearance
• 1956 incident
• military history

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Pittsburgh, Homestead High Level Bridge, Monongahela River

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