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Dominated by actively shifting sand dunes that reach heights of 350 ft. The Kansu sand sea covers over 23,000 square miles of desert in eastern Libya. A sand sea or URG as it's known in Arabic is an area consisting of at least 20% windblown sand and receiving no more than 6 in of annual precipitation. So the resulting climate in active ergs like the Kalen shio is dry, hot and windy, making this part of eastern Libya particularly treacherous and inhospitable. While the intense sandstorms create significant challenges for settlement, underneath all that sand, Libya holds massive oil reserves. Drilling for oil
was first authorized in 1955. And in recent years, that country has been producing over a million barrels per day, creating billions of dollars in annual revenue. Geologists prospecting for an oil company are flying over eastern Libya when they spy something unusual on the ground below. They were conducting a survey of an area that included the Kalanchu sand sea and they spotted something that from the plane looked like a huge damaged vehicle of some kind half buried in the sand.
The geologists alert the authorities and a ground crew is dispatched to investigate. What they find astounds them. It's an airplane from World War II. An American B24D Liberator bomber. These planes measured roughly 65 ft long and 18 ft high. had a high cruise speed, long range, and the ability to carry a heavy payload. But in comparison with its contemporaries, the B-24 was difficult to fly and had poor low-speed performance. Despite this, at around 18,500 units, it held the record for the world's most produced bomber. On first inspection, it was clear the plane had not been shot down. It appears to have made a controlled descent, then
skidded across a flat stretch of sand and gravel for over 2,000 ft when it landed. The stress of the crash broke the main body of the plane just behind the wings, but aside from that, it was largely intact, including the propellers. So, what plane is this? And how did it end up in the middle of the Libyan desert? Searching for answers, the team examines the bombers's wreckage. Eerily, the plane's interior contained the crew's belongings, rations, even flasks of water and coffee. The dry desert conditions had preserved almost everything from the aircraft's last mission.
All of the plane's 50 caliber machine guns and ammo were still there. One of the machine guns was even still working. The bombers's radio also working. But although the airplane's engines did not work anymore, it was clear from analyses that the engine was running when the plane crashed. The rear escape hatch doors were open and all of the plane's parachutes and life preservers were missing. All these findings support a mostly functional airplane abandoned by its crew rather than a terrible crash with all on board. We know that during World War II there was an Allied base in Suluch, Libya. So, it's reasonable to assume that this plane originated there. But that still doesn't tell us the identity of the mystery wreck.
Military records show that on April 4th, 1943, 25 American Air Force bomber planes took off from the base at Saluch. Their mission was a high alitude attack on the Axis held port of Naples, Italy. The strategic importance of their Naples assignment cannot be overstated. By 1943, the fate of North Africa had become critical to the outcome of the war, as control of the region meant access to Mediterranean sea routes and a launchpad for invasions into southern Europe. At 2:50 p.m., the bomb group took off for Italy. Unfortunately, sandstorms created poor visibility. So, all the planes aborted the mission and returned safely to the base at Soluch that night. That is all
of them but one. The lone exception was the Lady Be Good. The Lady Be Good carried on until she was almost at her target, at which point she turned around and headed home alone. And that was the last known detail about the plane's movements. But the assumption was that it went down somewhere over the Mediterranean Sea. For several years following the war, neither the plane nor its crew had been located, making it one of the most famous lost airplanes of World War II. So the big question is, is the aircraft in the desert the wreck of the Lady Be Good? A full inspection of the crash site reveals the plane's identity, but the mystery of its fate only deepens. They found the flight logs and
two notebooks containing the names of each of the nine crew members. And the interior of the plane also contained identifying marks of the Lady Be Good. So without a doubt, this was the famous missing airplane discovered, recovered, and parts of it in remarkably good working condition. We know that the rear escape hatch doors were open and all of the life preservers and parachutes were gone. So it's safe to assume that the crew bailed out of the Ladyb Good at some point before the crash. But where? And where are their bodies? An international search team is assembled and dispatched both on the ground and as a groundcontrolled air search. During the initial search, several items were found in the sand, confirming the crew had
survived their jump from the plane. Improvised arrowheads had been created from used parachutes, all pointing north. A pair of servicemen's rubber boots were also discovered almost 20 miles north of the crash site. It was believed the crew placed these items as directional markers to lead air and sea rescue teams to their location. But despite months of searching, no remains were found. A year later, oil surveyors discovered the first five bodies of the Lady Begun crew. They were on a plateau under the sand sea along with equipment, cantens, flashlights, pieces of parachute, and flight jackets. They had treked 85 miles
before finally succumbing to the brutal desert heat. Three more bodies were eventually recovered at various distances from the first five, indicating they had the strength to continue, but ultimately they too collapsed from dehydration and exposure. The remains of the ninth crew member has still not been found. Tragically, if the airmen had walked south instead of north after their parachute escape, they would have arrived at the plane wreck with a working radio and plenty of rations. The Ladyb Good crashed hundreds of miles from its intended flight path and over 400 miles from the Mediterranean Sea, where it was believed to have disappeared. So, what went so horribly wrong?
Is it possible the rookie crew couldn't handle a bomber with a reputation for being challenging to fly?
