On February 12, 1945 a PB2Y-5R 'Coronado' made its approach to the seadrome at Naval Air Base Ebeye Island. It was the end of a transport flight that originated in Honolulu the previous afternoon. Crew and passengers totaled 18.

On landing, the plane hit the water hard, bouncing up three times on swells. On the fourth contact with the water the plane nosed in and the nose was torn from the fuselage. Rescue boats were on scene in three minutes and began picking up survivors from the water. The main portion of the aircraft remained afloat, but appeared in danger of sinking, so it was taken under tow and grounded near the small seaplane ramp on Ebeye.

The two MIA's associated with this crash are Lt. Harold A. Bowman, USNR, a member of the flight crew, and Lt. Cdr. Samuel O. Givens, Jr., USNR who was a passenger. The area where the plane was reported to have crashed was swept with side-scan sonar, and in October 2015 the nose section of the plane was identified by the Kwajalein MIA Project team.

The GPS coordinates of the nose section are a strictly-guarded secret, and they have been provided to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) for further action.