Case study · CASE-066 · Military aircraft loss during intercept
Kinross F-89 disappearance
OpenOpen / unexplainedWhere Lake Superior near Kinross AFB, MichiganWhen 1953-11-23
Case
- Overview
- An F-89C crewed by Lt. Felix Moncla and Lt. Robert Wilson was vectored to an unidentified radar target; ground radar showed the returns merge and the F-89 vanished. The USAF accident report concluded the crash cause was unknown; no wreckage or crew were recovered.
- Investigative phases
- USAF accident investigation; search operations; later researcher inquiry
- Reported phenomena
- Radar target over the lake
- Public evidence status
- Accident report transcript public
- Alternative explanations / caveats
- Official target an off-course RCAF C-47 (RCAF records reportedly show no such incident); spatial disorientation in poor weather
- Next research tasks
- Obtain original accident report and RCAF records
- Last reviewed
- 2026-11-11
Assessment
- Event date
- 1953-11-23
- Source category
- USAF accident report
- Original data accessibility
- Partial
- Witness / instrument basis
- Ground radar
- Corroboration limitations
- No wreckage; RCAF records disputed
- Extraordinary claim assessment
- Loss unexplained; no evidence of exotic cause
- Current status
- Open / unexplained
- Priority research task
- Obtain original report
- Lead source ID
- SRC-V86-35
- Last reviewed
- 2026-11-11
Evidence (1)
Documents gathered (1 line of evidence)
- USAF accident investigation report on missing F-89C (crash cause unknown) Primary record linked