Akutan Zero Approximate Crash Zone

 Second World War 1939-1945, aircraft crash site

The Akutan Zero, also known as Koga's Zero and the Aleutian Zero, was a type 0 model 21 Mitsubishi A6M Zero #4593 that crash-landed June 4 1942, half a mile inland from Broad Bight on Akutan Island, Alaska Territory, during World War II. It was captured relatively intact by the Americans in July 1942 and became the first flyable Zero acquired by the United States during the war. It was taken to NAS North Island in San Diego, CA where it was repaired and flown by American test pilots. As a result of information gained from these tests, American tacticians were able to devise ways to defeat the Zero, which was the Imperial Japanese Navy's primary fighter plane throughout the war.

The body of pilot Tadayoshi Koga was buried on a nearby knoll 100 yards from the crash site after it was extracted from the plane. It was later exhumed in 1947 by an American Graves Registration Service team and reburied in Post Cemetery No. 2 on Adak, in grave 1082 marked as Unknown Japanese Flyer. His body was part of the 236 Japanese remains that were exhumed on Adak in 1953 and reburied in Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery in Japan.

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