The U.S. Government is still negotiating with the Portuguese Government for the return of the B-17 being held in Santa Maria airport, in the Azores, by Portuguese officials, a State Department spokesman said today. The U.S. has asked that the nine-man crew, allegedly bound for Israel, be returned to this country.
The plane, which was impounded by Canadian authorities, took off from Halifax last week with instructions to return directly to the United States, Instead, its Pilot, Capt. Irwin Schindler, braved the flight to the Azores. The State Department spokesman said that a press report that the plane was carrying 18 persons and a load of bombs had been officially denied by dispatches from the American consul at Ponta Del Geda.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
