On 12 Dec 1941 the B-18 Bolo #36-306 he was piloting took off from Phoenix Arizona at 18:35 MST for Hamilton Field California which was expected to be a five hour flight. The last reported position of the aircraft was over Palmdale, California at 20:03 on 12 Dec 1941.

A telephone call came from a civilian in the vicinity of Bishop, California stating that at 9:30 pm on the night of the 12th, he heard a plane flying overhead and shortly thereafter saw a flash against the side of the mountains which was followed by a fire which lasted about ten minutes.

The wreckage of the plane was not sighted until 7 May 1942 by Al Bergen of Spokane and Norman Clyde. They brought down a belt to George B. Burns of Spokane, the 63 year old father of 1st Lt and co-pilot Homer C. Burns, who had climbed within three miles of the site to which he identified it as his son's. It bore his initials.

It took five hours to get to the airplane by horseback from the 35 member search party camp. The last 1.5 miles had to be covered on foot. Five feet of snow covered the wreckage site and it was noted that it would be necessary to shovel off about 25 acres if the bodies were to be recovered.

Captain James Gordon Leavitt body was recovered on 05 July 1942. He was found within 100 yards of the wreckage under the estimated five feet of snow.

James G Leavitt