Gone Without a Trace

Ben Eielson Russ Merrill Airplanes first disappeared in Alaska as soon as they glided over the mountains, glaciers, oceans, tundra, and forests here. The rugged ocean and landscape of Alaska offer an abundance of places for a plane to vanish. Over the years, many planes have gone missing in Alaska, but not all the outcomes were bad, especially in the early years of aviation in the territory. Often, days or even weeks after a plane disappeared in a remote region and the pilot was assumed dead, he would wander out of the brush and into a village. Sources: Leon Crane Mondor, Colleen. 2012. The Map of My Dead Pilots. Lyons Press. Gilford, CT. Coppock, Mike. Flying on the Edge: Alaska’s Legendary Bush Pilots. History.net. https://www.historynet.com/flying-on-the-edge-alaskas-legendary-bush-pilots.htm Wien, Noel. Pioneer/Entrepreneur. Aviation Hall of Fame. https://www.nationalaviation.org/our-enshrinees/wien-noel/ A WWII Survival story from the Charley River. National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/yuch/learn/historyculture/leon-crane-survival-story.htm Davis Joy. 9-4-1979. Rhode plane wreckage in Alaska found by hikers after 21 years. Fish and Wildlife Service. Department of the Interior. https://www.fws.gov/news/Historic/NewsReleases/1979/19790904a.pdf Ian Mackintosh Ian Mackintosh MacLeod, Calum. 2013. Did spy writer's disappearance mirror his fiction? https://www.whatson-north.co.uk/whats-on/books/did-spy-writers-disappearance-mirror-his-fiction-112358/ Folsom, Robert G. 2012. The Life and Mysterious Death of Ian Mackintosh. Potomac Books Eric Johnson 9-20-04. AKfatal.net. https://www.akfatal.net/Johnson%2009-20-04.htm Search for missing aircraft continues in Katmai National Park. Katmai. National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/katm/learn/news/katmai-missing-plane-3.htm Mondor, Colleen. 7-8-2015. Aircraft missing in Alaska Bush remain among state’s Rhode's Grumman       unsolved mysteries. Anchorage Daily News. https://www.adn.com/bush-pilot/article/missing-aircraft-alaska/2015/07/08/ ______________________________________ If you would like to support Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier? Become a patron and join The Last Frontier Club. Each month I will provide one or more of the following to club members. · An extra episode of Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier available only for club members. · Behind the scenes glimpses of life and wildlife in the Kodiak wilderness. · Breaking news about ongoing murder cases and new crimes in Alaska · Merchandise or discounts on MMLF merchandise or handmade glass jewelry. Become a Patron! _______________________________________________________________________________________ Check out the store: Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier merchandise. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to my free, monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter for more stories about true crime and mystery from Alaska. Join me on: Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Visit my website at http://robinbarefield.com Check out my books at Author Masterminds ___________________________________________________________________________________ Recent Book Release __________________________________________________________________________________ If you would like to check out one of my novels, visit The Readers and Writers Book Club, where you can read Murder Over Kodiak - Free! While you are there, take a look at some of the other free book seri...