The Kee Bird was a United States Army Air Forces Boeing B-29 Superfortress, serial 45-21768, of the 46th Reconnaissance Squadron, that became marooned after making an emergency landing in northwest Greenland during a secret Cold War spying mission on 21 February 1947.

While the entire crew was safely evacuated after spending three days in the isolated Arctic tundra, the aircraft itself was left at the landing site.

Nineteen B-29s were assigned to the 46th RS, and at that time, 768 was one of six squadron aircraft that was fitted with special camera installations for photo-reconnaissance work.

[2][3] With growing tensions in US-Soviet relations, SAC explored the possibility of attacking Soviet targets via great circle routes over the North Pole as part of "Project Nanook".

The 46th was engaged in mapping the northern section of Greenland and also to search for any Soviet military activity in this uninhabited area.

The squadron was assigned to Ladd Field, near Fairbanks, Alaska, in June 1946, and began operational missions later that month.

Its flights were used to develop accurate polar navigation, survey and map the Arctic, perform comprehensive weather studies, test its men and equipment in Arctic conditions, train in polar navigation and operations, and fly long-range photographic intelligence flights with B-29/F-13A Superfortresses.

"From this information, it was obvious that an emergency existed and plans were immediately made for starting a search-and-rescue mission if the need developed.

From all the information available, it was reasonable to assume that the airplane had landed somewhere along the northern coast of Alaska on their return flight from the Pole".

The pilot became disoriented over the polar icepack just north of 85°N, then began to fly to the south, then east until turning west over northern Greenland, where an emergency landing was successful.

Also available was an Air Transport Command C-74 Globemaster, which was at Ladd in temporary status from Morrison Field, Florida, performing cold-weather testing.

As the Kee Bird's navigators were constantly making celestial observations to aid the search planes in locating them, the mission was much easier, since more information was received as to the lost airplane's approximate position.

The crew was instructed to destroy the radar, Loran, and the IFF sets, and to bring back, when they were evacuated, all exposed film, airplane files, and maps.

[5] Around 1900Z, 22 February 1947, Headquarters, Air Transport Command received notification that a SAC B-29 very long range reconnaissance aircraft had made a crash landing in Greenland, at position 80°N, 61°W, about 280 miles (450 km) north of Thule (Bluie West Six).

The first aircraft, 2640, carried JATO rockets and was ordered to proceed directly to Thule via Goose Bay Airfield, Labrador, with whatever survival equipment and Arctic kits were available at Westover and pick up any additional equipment at Goose Bay flown there from Stephenville by Newfoundland Base Command aircraft.

Further information from the B-29 indicated the lake was covered with smooth-rolling snow drifts varying from two (2) to ten (10) inches [50–250 mm] in depth with a hard wind crust top".

"The B-29 was easily located due to the fact that the B-29 crew had built a fire of engine oil and rubber rafts which threw off a column of black smoke.

The crew of the Kee Bird boarded the C-54 and took off at 1625 from the frozen lake assisted by the JATO rockets with all survivors aboard.

"After take-off, Lt Pope, Medical Officer from BW-8, examined the survivors but found no frozen parts, but did find mild cases of shock and exposure."

At 2200, the C-54s departed Thule for nonstop flight to Westover Field, Massachusetts, with all survivors and crew members aboard, arriving at 1243 24 February.

[6] Using a 1962 De Havilland Caribou as a shuttle plane, the team departed the U.S. Armed Services base at Thule and flew in tools and equipment to the Kee Bird.

As the winter snows began to fall, the chief engineer, Rick Kriege, fell ill and was transported to a hospital in Iqaluit, Canada, where he died from a blood clot two weeks later.

As Darryl Greenamyer was taxiing the aircraft onto the frozen lake, the jury-rigged fuel tank of the B-29's "putt-putt" auxiliary power unit began to leak gasoline into the rear fuselage.

The cockpit crew escaped unharmed, but cook/mechanic Bob Vanderveen, who was visually monitoring the engines from the rear of the aircraft, suffered smoke inhalation and flash burns.

The restoration team were: This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency