Parts of plane found in Midway's lagoon The Honolulu Star-
Advertiser HONOLULU — Divers with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration were doing routine marine cleanup
work in Midway Atoll's lagoon in June when they came upon
something startling in 10 feet of water. A big three-bladed
propeller was sitting on the sandy bottom next to an engine and
some landing gear. Nearly 70 aircraft are known to have gone
down around the famous World War II battle site, where the U.S.
turned the tide of the Pacific war against Japan in 1942, but
most remain undiscovered, said Kelly Gleason, a NOAA maritime
archaeologist with the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National
Monument. Here was a doozy right in Midway's front yard. Some
follow-up dives in July and subsequent research pointed to the
plane wreck being a Brewster Buffalo — only one of which is
known to still be in existence, Gleason said. Nicknamed the
"Flying Coffin" by Marines who flew it, the Buffalo had an
inglorious history at the Battle of Midway, June 4-7,