This is a great post, Nancy. You have provided a wealth of links to information about this particular crash. The "Lost Flights blog" is full of information about other planes missing in the Sierra. Thanks for the great job.

From the blog:

MARK CROSSE / THE FRESNO BEE
Mount Mendel and Mendel Glacier meet the sky in Kings Canyon National Park. Four young airmen died at the glacier in a storm in 1942.

Quote:

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Looking for answers, The Bee hiked last week with Seattle writer Peter Stekel to the glacier as he continued researching a book on the crash. Stekel, who last year found the second ice mummy at Mendel Glacier, said there is more to this story than military accident and search reports show.

During the four-day hike to Mendel, Stekel said letters from the airmen mention destinations east of the Sierra. He said he believes they may have been flying a route that the military did not report.

He also said the pilot, 2nd Lt. William Gamber, probably was an elite aviator-instructor, not just another young flier.

Weather appears to be the biggest factor in the crash. Fresno meteorologist Steve Johnson said the wind in this storm probably peaked at 150 miles per hour, creating an epic blizzard as Gamber's plane approached.

Said Stekel, "Bill Gamber was a good pilot who was caught in a very bad situation."

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The complete article...

Also, take a look at this interactive map from the Fresno Bee blog.

Here is a link to author Peter Stekel's blog highlighting the latest entries.

Video of the search area.