SEATTLE — It was 61 years ago that 101 souls - men, women and children boarded a flight to Alaska. Flight 293 left McChord Air Base in Tacoma at 8:30am on June 3rd 1963... but it never arrived. Something went wrong and at some point the plane plunged and crashed into the Pacific Ocean. No survivors were ever located and searchers only recovered minimal human remains and wreckage. The mystery of flight 293 has never been solved – at least as far as the public knows.
7-year-old army private Bruce Barrowman from Renton was on that flight. His brother Greg, was only 9 when he said goodbye to his big brother. Later that day he was watching his favorite entertainer, JP Patches, when breaking news came across the screen. News of a missing plane, and then his brother’s name scrolling across the screen along with the other 100 crew and passengers.
Years later, Historian Feliks Banel would find Greg and start researching the flight and what family members went thru, as they waited for answers.
Banel’s new podcast on KSL, "Unsolved Histories," launches today, October 1st with more of the story of Flight 293 and new details of what happened.
A memorial for the victims of Flight 293 is at the Tahoma National Cemetery. It was finally dedicated on June 3, 2023 – 60 years after the plane crashed.
Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest at 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.