Howland Island




Plane wreckage on Howland Island (1944)
On 10 June 1944, a U.S. Navy Martin "Mariner" flying boat, PBM-3-D BuNo 48199, had an engine fire and made a forced landing just offshore from Howland. The pilot intentionally beached the aircraft and the crew escaped unharmed before the aircraft burned. The crew was rescued by the USCG Balsam (the same ship that later took Unit 92 to Gardner Island) and transferred to a sub chaser which took them to Canton Island.
Problems seeing Howland from the air
The Waitt Institute for Discovery has an excellent video on this page that demonstrates how difficult it is to spot Howland Island from the air.