Kinross Incident: F-89 Interceptor Vanishes Over Lake Superior
An F-89C Scorpion and its two-man crew vanished without a trace after being sent to intercept an unidentified radar return over Lake Superior.
Background
On November 23, 1953, an F-89C Scorpion interceptor from Kinross Air Force Base in Michigan vanished over Lake Superior while investigating an unidentified radar target. The incident, involving pilots First Lieutenant Felix Moncla Jr. and Second Lieutenant Robert Wilson, remains one of the most disturbing unsolved cases in military aviation history.
The Incident
An F-89C Scorpion interceptor was scrambled from Kinross Air Force Base to identify an unidentified radar return over Lake Superior.
The aircraft, piloted by First Lieutenant Felix Moncla Jr. with radar operator Second Lieutenant Robert Wilson, headed out under ground radar guidance.
Operators at Truax Field watched as the jet's radar blip merged with the unidentified target, then both disappeared from the scope.
Search and Rescue
An extensive search covered a large area of Lake Superior.
Neither the aircraft, crew, nor any wreckage was ever found.
Official Explanations
The Air Force initially attributed the loss to a vertigo-induced crash.
They later revised it to claim the jet had been identified as a Canadian C-47.
Canadian authorities denied this claim.
Significance
The Kinross incident remains one of the most disturbing unsolved cases in military aviation history.