Missing Aircraft

Even in these days of GPS, ELTs and SPOT devices (personal GPS-based ELTs for people) planes still go missing in the US.
A couple of years ago, a L-39 departed Boeing Field en route to Boise, Idaho. It went down just a few miles from a busy motorway (I-90) in the Cascade mountains. They didn’t find it until the spring.

For more info on the Triangle;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhubarb_Triangle

I live in Lofthouse BTW.

Maybe in the Wakefield Triangle?

I live in the Triangle:p

Without wanting to drag the thread off its interesting course the chances are that the vast majority of ‘missing’ aircraft went down in the seas around Britain. That being the case then there are many opportunities for inclusion in this thread listed on the Runnymede memorial.

It was specifically civil aircraft I asked about for that very reason Snafu. I figured that to include military would indeed open the floodgates!

Without wanting to drag the thread off its interesting course the chances are that the vast majority of ‘missing’ aircraft went down in the seas around Britain. That being the case then there are many opportunities for inclusion in this thread listed on the Runnymede memorial.

Not forgetting the Duchess of Bedford who went missing in 1937-wreckage never found and various stories/theories etc
as to what happened? Wreckage found off the Norfolk coast at about the same time but as far as I know not positively identified as coming from her aircraft?

What an interesting history she had. I hadn’t heard of her at all but her biography is now on my book list too. Thank you.
Amused by the Wikipedia article which states that she found flying helpful for her tinnitus. I think I’ve got a touch of that myself – hoping the Doc will prescribe flying lessons on the NHS 🙂

Not forgetting the Duchess of Bedford who went missing in 1937-wreckage never found and various stories/theories etc
as to what happened? Wreckage found off the Norfolk coast at about the same time but as far as I know not positively identified as coming from her aircraft?

Bentine’s book is very interesting, though I won’t comment on his belief in spiritualism. Perhaps the most interesting bit is his role in WW2 (eventually, having been nearly arrested for desertion by the same military who refused him as a Peruvian citizen, and then being nearly killed by a dodgy batch of antitoxin) as an Intelligence Officer on a bomber squadron.

If you do find a copy, do please refresh us on the Elsan story therein!

Adrian

I’ll do that, Adrian. It really does sound quite a fascinating read!

There was the so called “Mull Air Mystery” when a Cessna 150 disappeared after taking of from Glenforsa airfield on the island in 1975 leaving its dead pilot on a hillside to be found several months later, but with no sign of the plane until divers found it in 1986 – See: http://www.glenforsaairfield.co.uk/3.html and several other sources no doubt with the aid of Google.

Yes, that was the one! The fact I couldn’t recall who, when, where or what didn’t help with the googling bit! Must admit I thought the incident was earlier than that but that was obviously a memory glitch ( along with all the other details). Thanks for that.

Thanks to all who are posting replies. Still interested to hear other stories too.

It was Belsen – near to where 125 Wing was operating from Celle, he was one of their Intelligence Officers

Michael Bentine wrote this on his encounter with Belsen:

We were headed for an airstrip outside Celle, a small town, just past Hanover. We had barely cranked to a halt and started to set up the ‘ops’ tent, when the Typhoons thundered into the circuit and broke formation for their approach. As they landed on the hastily repaired strip – a ‘Jock’ [Scottish] doctor raced up to us in his jeep.

‘Got any medical orderlies?’ he shouted above the roar of the aircraft engines. ‘Any K rations or vitaminised chocolate?
’
‘What’s up?’ I asked for I could see his face was grey with shock.

‘Concentration camp up the road,’ he said shakily, lighting a cigarette. ‘It’s dreadful – just dreadful.’ He threw the cigarette away untouched. ‘I’ve never seen anything so awful in my life. You just won’t believe it ’til you see it – for God’s sake come and help them!’

‘What’s it called?’ I asked, reaching for the operations map to mark the concentration camp safely out of the danger area near the bomb line.

‘Belsen,’ he said, simply.

Millions of words have been written about these horror camps, many of them by inmates of those unbelievable places. I’ve tried, without success, to describe it from my own point of view, but the words won’t come. To me Belsen was the ultimate blasphemy.

After VE. Day I flew up to Denmark with Kelly, a West Indian pilot who was a close friend. As we climbed over Belsen, we saw the flame-throwing Bren carriers trundling through the camp – burning it to the ground. Our light Bf 108 rocked in the superheated air, as we sped above the curling smoke, and Kelly had the last words on it.

‘Thank Christ for that,’ he said, fervently.

And his words sounded like a benediction.

Allan

Perhaps the most interesting bit is his role in WW2 (

Adrian

I believe he was also one of the first allied troops to enter Dachau (or possibly Belsen – memory fails). Having grown up with the Goons and later “Michael Bentine’s Potty Time” I was always struck by the extreme contrast of that.

Bentine’s book is very interesting, though I won’t comment on his belief in spiritualism. Perhaps the most interesting bit is his role in WW2 (eventually, having been nearly arrested for desertion by the same military who refused him as a Peruvian citizen, and then being nearly killed by a dodgy batch of antitoxin) as an Intelligence Officer on a bomber squadron.

If you do find a copy, do please refresh us on the Elsan story therein!

Adrian

Thanks N.Wotherspoon for reminding me about the Peter Gibbs Cessna 150 accident.

Having been to the Glenforsa Rally for three years running from 1977 onwards the bare bones of the story were well known to me but over time I had forgotten many of the details of his fateful flight and mysterious end.

Incidentally you have uncovered a fascinating site but at the same time produced another mystery.

What is the aircraft seen sticking out of the water?

Wicked Willip

There was the so called “Mull Air Mystery” when a Cessna 150 disappeared after taking of from Glenforsa airfield on the island in 1975 leaving its dead pilot on a hillside to be found several months later, but with no sign of the plane until divers found it in 1986 – See: http://www.glenforsaairfield.co.uk/3.html and several other sources no doubt with the aid of Google.

Sorry!!!

Is it just coincidence that Propstrike posted the story of Michael Bentine of Goons fame while you posted about Rhubarb (Rhubarb, Rhubarb)? Apology accepted nevertheless!

A really interesting story, Propstrike. I wasn’t aware of Michael Bentine’s history other than him being a comedian. Must get a copy of his book.

The main reason I asked the question was that I have a vague memory of an aircraft taking off from one of the Hebrides islands and never reaching its destination. It was featured years later on a tv programme about mysteries at which time it was still missing. Unfortunately can’t remember much more than that! But it set me wondering about other planes that may have had similar fates over the years.

Sorry!!!

Maybe in the Wakefield Triangle?

I actually just Googled that to find out more! Gullible eh 🙂

The son of comedian Michael Bentine was sadly killed in the crash of a Super Cub, which was lost without trace , and not found for some months

”The aircraft was on a private local flight from Lasham aerodrome. After takeoff it completed a circuit before flying away in a southerly direction. It was two days before it was realised that the aircraft had failed to return from this flight and had not landed elsewhere. The wreckage was eventually discovered in a wood 15nm south of the aerodrome on 31 October 1971. The aircraft had dived into the tops of the trees at a very steep angle and both occupants had been killed instantly.

The report concludes that the pilot, flying low in turbulent conditions and poor visibility , was forced to enter cloud to avoid overhead power cables and that he became unable to control the aircraft in cloud because it lacked blind flying instruments. The report notes that the delays in recognising the aircraft’s disappearance and in discovering the wreckage stemmed from the circumstances that the accident was not heard or seen by anyone and that the aircraft’s movements were not logged at the point of departure. The search and rescue authorities were thus hindered by a lack of reliable information about the activities of the aircraft or the pilot’s intentions. Technical examination of the wreckage revealed a fatigue crack in the cabin heat exchanger but the evidence was insufficient to indicate whether or not toxic fumes were present in the aircraft cabin.

The passenger of this aircraft, who was killed, was Stuart “Gus” Bentine, eldest son of the famous comedian Michael Bentine. Bentine’s subsequent investigation into regulations governing private airfields resulted in his writing a report for the Special Branch of the British police into the use of personal aircraft in smuggling operations. He fictionalised much of the material in his novel Lords of the Levels.

According to some sources, the aircraft crashed into woodland, and was obscured from view by the density of the leaves on the trees. It was only when the aircraft was noticed as not having landed anywhere that a search was initiated, and the falling leaves revealed the crash site. ”

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=18924

A Super Cub went missing for several weeks before being found in Queen Elizabeth County Park, Hampshire in 1971. Not sure of the exact details.