Lt. Vernon Arnett, at the helm of the B-29 nicknamed “Kee Bird,” embarked from Ladd Field alongside an eleven-member crew on February 20, 1947. Their mission entailed circumnavigating the North Pole before heading back to base. Navigators of that era lacked the convenience of modern GPS systems, and the polar expanse offered scant geographical landmarks for reference. Thus, maintaining course during polar flights presented a formidable challenge.

During the initial phase of the flight, proceedings transpired in a customary and unremarkable manner. However, as the aircraft commenced its return journey towards Alaska after encircling the North Pole, Navigator Lt. Burl Cowan conceded his inability to ascertain their precise location. Despite persistent endeavors utilizing radar and radio compass to realign with the course toward Ladd Field proving futile, their fuel reserves dwindled alarmingly.

Confronted with no alternative but to execute an emergency landing, the crew surveyed the terrain below for a suitable spot, eventually opting to touch down the aircraft without deploying the landing gear, owing to uncertainty regarding snow depth and surface conditions.

With Captain Arnett and co-pilot Lt. Russell Jordan skillfully guiding the descent, the aircraft safely touched ground, ensuring all crew members emerged unscathed and the radio equipment remained intact. Their rescue, orchestrated by a Douglas C-54 Skymaster on February 24, concluded with the crew boarding the rescue aircraft, leaving behind the Kee Bird, slightly impaired, resting atop what later revealed itself to be a frozen lake in Greenland.

Capt. Setterich, aboard a C-54, conducted aerial reconnaissance and photography of the stranded B-29, while the Kee Bird’s crew, now safely aboard, departed from the frozen expanse with the aid of JATO rockets. “Following departure,” noted Lt. Pope, Medical Officer from BW-8, “examinations revealed no signs of frostbite among the survivors, albeit mild cases of shock and exposure were observed.” Thereafter, all survivors reclined on sleeping bags and kapok mattresses, endeavoring to rest during the return flight.

Upon landing at Thule, survivors and the rescue crew indulged in a hearty steak dinner, prior to the C-54s embarking on a nonstop voyage to Westover Field, Massachusetts, with all personnel onboard. The B-29, rendered inoperable and abandoned, was expunged from Air Force inventory records.

Nearly fifty years later, a celebrated aviator by the name of Darryl Greenamyer spearheaded an ambitious endeavor aimed at salvaging the Kee Bird, a relic that had dwindled to a rarity, one among the scant few remaining Superfortresses. Greenamyer’s cadre established a base camp amidst the icy expanse, diligently restoring the B-29 with new engines and propellers. By the onset of spring in 1995, their efforts culminated in the readiness of the Kee Bird to take flight once more.

In the summer of 1994, a consortium of aircraft aficionados operating under the banner of Kee Bird, LLC, embarked on a mission led by Darryl Greenamyer to the site of the emergency landing. The aircraft had executed a successful touchdown on the frozen lake and had endured relatively unscathed in its resting place ever since.

The jurisdiction over the B-29 had been relinquished by the USAF. It was believed that the aircraft could be rehabilitated to airworthiness, airlifted from the site, and transported to Thule AB, Greenland, for further refurbishment before embarking on its journey back to the United States.

An impromptu airstrip was fashioned with the aid of a bulldozer transported via an antiquated de Havilland C-7A Caribou. However, a tragic mishap thwarted their aspirations. As the Kee Bird taxied across the terrain, a spillage of fuel from a canister ignited upon contact with the auxiliary generator, triggering a conflagration of considerable magnitude. Though the crew evacuated unharmed, the structural integrity of the B-29 was irreparably compromised. Thus, the fate of the Kee Bird was sealed amidst the icy confines of Greenland, where its remnants endure to this very day.