What Really Happened to the US Air Force F-89 Fighter Jet and Crew Lost Over Lake Superior?

Investigation Report by Gord Heath, UFOBC

On November 23, 1953, a US Air Force F-89C jet fighter interceptor was dispatched from Kinross Air Force Base near Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, to identify an intruder that had appeared on radar. For thirty minutes, the jet raced out over Lake Superior under guidance from radar operators at a remote station on the Keweenaw Peninsula. Suddenly, the return from the jet merged with that of the bogie it was chasing. The IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) signal from the jet was lost. The radar blip from the F-89 never reappeared. An extensive search of the lake and shoreline over the next five days yielded no trace of the F-89 jet or its crew, pilot Lt. Felix Eugene Moncla Jr. and radar operator Lt. Robert L. Wilson.

The incident was documented as a UFO encounter throughout the book “The Flying Saucer Conspiracy” written by Major Donald Keyhoe and published in 1955.  The USAF officially stated that the "UFO" was an RCAF Dakota C-47 flying east over Lake Superior. Is this a true account or is this just a cover story for a fatal encounter with a UFO?

Since 2001, I have been investigating this incident and trying to find the truth behind this mystery. This report presents my findings which I hope will shed some light on the still unsolved mystery.

If anyone reads this who has information on this incident, or who knows someone who knows something about this, I would be most interested in hearing from you. Those who have questions or comments about the investigation may also contact me by email or postal mail. Please contact me at the following address:

Email:

Regular Postal Mail:

#33 - 14877 58th Ave.
Surrey, BC  V3S 8Y9
Canada

Residents of Wawa, Ontario converge on a USAF H19 Helicopter which made an emergency landing in a schoolyard in the fall of 1953. It is believed this helicopter is from Kinross Air Force Base and was engaged in a coastal search of Lake Superior for debris from the missing F-89. Photograph displayed with the permission of its owners, the Township of Michipicoten Heritage Committee and the Wawa Historical Photo Album website.  For more information on the history of the Wawa region, visit http://www.michiwawa.ca/.

Missing F-89 Found?
The Great Lakes Dive Company, a group of divers and engineers have reported they have found the wreck of the missing F-89 on the bottom of Lake Superior.

Opening Questions
The key questions which have perplexed investigators who looked into the mystery.

Incident Reconstructions
My reconstructions of the incident based on different scenarios.

Accident Report Documents
Read the original report documents from US Air Force Accident Investigation into the Kinross F-89 disappearance - including some startling testimony from the pilot who heard Lt. Moncla on radio, 40 minutes after his plane had disappeared!

Newspaper Articles
Original newspaper articles from Madison, Wisconsin, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and other cities.

Other Accounts in Disappearance
Some other accounts from the Kinross Incident which indicate this was probably not a routine plane crash.

Other Mysterious Plane Mishaps
A selection of other strange and unexplained plane crashes and disappearances.

Remaining Questions
The questions which I think are the most perplexing ones that have yet to be answered.

Persons Involved
Read about Lt. Moncla and other persons involved in the Kinross Incident.

Discussion
Some of my thoughts on the significance of the Kinross Incident. I'll leave it to you to draw your own conclusions.

My Story
Why I have spent the past five years investigating this incident...
The mysterious memories that haunt me.