Missing Air Crew Reports (MACRs)
What's in these records?
Typically a MACR gives some or all of the following kinds of information about each crew member:
- Name
- Rank
- Service number
- Crew position
- name and address of next of kin
The report also usually indicates the following:
- Army Air Forces organization to which the aircraft was assigned
- Place of departure and destination of the flight plan
- Weather conditions and visibility at the time of loss
- Cause of crash
- Type, model, and serial number of the aircraft and its engines
- Kinds of weapons installed and their serial numbers
Some reports include the names of persons with some knowledge of the aircraft's last flight. In some cases these are rescued or returned crew members. Most reports do not contain all of the above information, especially those prepared in 1943 and in 1947. The National Archives holds digitized copies of the MACR name index and the many of the air crew reports, both of which are available on NARA's online Catalog. The name index is available in Record Group 92, Entry A1 2109-A, Series: Card Index to Missing Air Crew Reports. The air crew reports are available in Record Group 92, Entry A1 2109-B, Series: Missing Aircrew Reports (MACRs).
Need assistance with researching and accessing MACRs?
We may be able to find the report for you. Provide us with as much information as you have relating to the missing air crew. The most important information to include is:
- Date of loss of the aircraft
- Tail number of lost aircraft
- First and last name of the crew member
Send your request with the above information to archives2reference@nara.gov.
Additional Resources:
-
Records Relating to Personal Participation in World War II: American Military Casualties and Burials (Reference Information Paper 82)
- Missing Air Crew Reports (MACRs) of the U.S. Army Air Forces, 1942-1947, descriptive pamphlet of NARA's microfilm holdings (M1380)
