Lost WWII American Fighter Bell P-63 Kingcobra Recovered from Kamchatka Lake and Sent to Moscow

An American WWII fighter Bell P-63 Kingcobra, submerged in a Kamchatka lake since 1945, has been lifted and flown to Moscow for restoration and museum display.

Recovered After Eight Decades Underwater

The aircraft was transported from Petropavlovsk–Kamchatsky to Moscow by a military transport plane. It was recovered from the bottom of Lake Vitaminnoe by a joint expedition of the Russian Geographical Society and the Expedition Center of Russia’s Ministry of Defense. The operation is part of a long-term project dedicated to studying crash sites of American aircraft that operated in the Pacific during World War II.

According to the expedition’s findings, the discovered plane turned out to be a Lend-Lease-era P-63 “Kingcobra”, which crashed in October 1945. The model was supplied to the Soviet Union from the United States via the Alaska–Siberia route. Between 1944 and 1945, the USSR received a total of 2,333 such aircraft.

A Unique Find for Russian Aviation History

Today, only three preserved examples of this fighter remain in Russia — located in Moscow, Monino, and Verkhnyaya Pyshma. However, all are static museum exhibits, none airworthy due to the lack of authentic parts. The Kamchatka aircraft, though damaged, was found largely intact after nearly 80 years underwater, raising hopes that it could one day be restored to flying condition.

Investigators from the wartime commission concluded that the pilot likely lost consciousness due to high g-forces during flight. No body was recovered at the crash site. Initially, experts believed the pilot — identified as Mustafaev — remained trapped in the cockpit, but divers found neither remains nor the parachute system. This suggests he may have ejected but drowned in the lake. Further underwater surveys are planned to confirm or disprove this theory.

“Though the aircraft lay shattered at the bottom, its completeness gives us hope — perhaps, one day, the Kingcobra will rise into the sky again,” said a member of the expedition team.