World War II plane found in Papua New Guinea 80 years after shot down by Japanese, leaving two missing

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Locals in Papua New Guinea found the SBD Dauntless, a World War II plane, in the jungle last month, according to SWNS, the British news service. 

The plane, which went down on Jan. 14, 1944, was reportedly carrying pilot Lt. Billy Ray Ramsey and gunner Sgt. Charlie J. Sciara. 

U.S. authorities have been made aware of the wreck, SWNS said. 

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Both passengers were officially declared dead within a year after the crash — and locals noted that a skull was spotted near the site, although no identity has been confirmed. 

Civilian Kilala Kindau told SWNS that he led the group of people who found the plane — and said it broke into three pieces. 

The propeller of the Dauntless plane was one of the items found in the jungle in Papua New Guinea.  (SWNS)

"[In] early January, we went up to the jungle and were trying to search for the plane," he said.

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The story of a plane crash on the island, Kindau said, was something he and the others on the hunt had heard for years from their grandparents. 

The transcribed plane ID that was found in the jungle of Papua New Guinea helped to identify if the parts found were from a U.S. plane.  (SWNS)

"They did not know where exactly it crashed," he said. 

After searching for many days, Kindau said the group of civilians found an engine, propeller and shrapnel before spotting a serial number.

From there, the group sent the information to the U.S. embassy — where it was confirmed that the plane belonged to Ramsey, per SWNS. 

Other parts of the Dauntless plane were found after civilians from Papua New Guinea went looking for the aircraft.  (SWNS)

Ramsey is thought to have died in the crash.

Sciara is thought to have survived and been taken prisoner by the Japanese at the Tunnel Hill POW camp. He later died. 

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The Dauntless plane was shot down by the Japanese after the plane’s tail was broken off, said SWNS.

A World War II plane was found in Papua New Guinea 80 years after it was shot down and went missing.  (SWNS)

A spokesperson for an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense told SWNS that the agency received reports of potential wreckage spotted in Papua New Guinea. 

"We are working to get a team of investigators to the site as soon as we can," the agency noted.

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The Dept. of Defense also confirmed to Fox News Digital that the agency "has received multiple reports that wreckage potentially associated with missing personnel was recently discovered on New Ireland, Papua New Guinea."

It also said there were no further updates at this time. 

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