How did they land here? Survey of a 1942 Catalina OA-10 US military aircraft lost in Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, Québec, Canada

Summary

This paper presents fieldwork undertaken by Parks Canada’s Underwater Archaeology Service (UAS) in 2012 on the wreck of a fairly intact 1942 Catalina OA-10 US military aircraft situated in Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, Québec, near Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve of Canada. This non intrusive survey documented the aircraft on the seabed, its general state of preservation, as well as the extent of sediment levels and the presentation of archaeological remains inside the aircraft. It confirmed the archaeological potential of the site and consequently the survival of human remains inside the fuselage. This paper aims to present the results of this survey while trying to understand the site formation process using historical, archaeological and environmental data in relation. The project took place in close collaboration with the US Joint POW-MIA (Prisoner of War - Missing in Action) Accounting Command (JPAC), that proceeded later on to the full excavation of the site.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Is the Pattern Really Full?: Asking Questions That Count In The Archaeology of Sunken Aircraft   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-60,05