Lost Plane Found 17 Years Later Near Mackinac Island: Remains of Missing Passenger Recovered

After 17 long years of uncertainty, the remnants of a lost plane as well as the remains of a missing passenger have been discovered near Mackinac Island. The sustained effort of a private search and recovery company operating in Michigan brought to an end a painful wait for closure faced by the family of those who perished in the 2007 plane crash.

Fateful Journey that Ended in Mystery

The plane, a small single-engine aircraft known as a SOCATA TB-20 Trinidad, embarked on its journey on the afternoon of August 24, 2007. The pilot, a 52-year-old woman and her 56-year-old fiancé embarked on a flight from Mackinac Island to Bad Axe. It was an otherwise calm day, with mild temperatures, cloudy skies, and wind speeds not exceeding 5-10 mph. The flight was supposed to be a simple trip to visit the parents of the pilot as well as for admiring the scenic beauty of the coastline. However, soon after take-off, the craft disappeared, and nothing was heard from the occupants again.

Years of Continuous Search

Witnesses in the region directed the search teams towards an area where they claimed to have heard what sounded like a plane crashing into the water. Despite these leads, there were no substantial findings for several months. It wasn’t until October 2007 that human remains matching the pilot and cushions from the plane washed ashore. Yet, the wreckage of the plane remained elusive for the next 17 years, leaving the fate of the missing passenger unconfirmed.

Discovery of Missing Wreckage and Passenger’s Remains

Finally, in August of 2024, the search team spotted a plane submerged in Lake Huron near Bois Blanc Island. Michigan State Police Divers were called in and they confirmed that the wreck was indeed the missing Trinidad. Along with the wreckage, a set of skeletal remains was located, which, upon examination by forensic anthropologists, was identified as belonging to the 56-year-old passenger who was onboard the flight.

The Investigation and Its Findings

While the discovery has provided a much-needed closure to the families, the question remains of what caused the crash. Detailed investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration did not succeed in pinpointing a definite reason for the crash. However, there are speculations that low visibility due to low ceilings could have been a contributing factor. A fellow pilot, who was leaving around the same time and who had the last radio communication with the Trinidad pilot, reported discrepancies between the readings of the Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) and the actual weather conditions. The Trinidad pilot reported that the ceiling was about 1,000 ft. However, according to Federal Aviation Administration regulations, it is hazardous to fly under Visual Flight Rules when the ceiling is below 1,000 ft.

Whether this miscalculation of the weather conditions led to the catastrophe remains unconfirmed. The National Transportation Safety Board’s 2022 report stated that “low ceilings/visibility conditions is the highest weather cause of fatal weather-related accidents and account for 53% of weather-related fatalities.”

As the saga of the lost plane finally reaches its closure, it serves as a sombre reminder of the inexplicable tragedies and enduring mysteries of aviation history.