Felix Moncla
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| Felix Moncla, Jr | |
|---|---|
| October 21, 1926 - 1953 (?) | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Air Force |
Felix Moncla, Jr (born October 21, 1926 - presumably died 1953) was a United States Air Force pilot who disappeared while pursuing an unidentified flying object over Lake Superior in 1953.
The U.S. Air Force reported that Moncla had crashed and that the "unknown" object was a misidentified Canadian Air Force airplane, but the RCAF disputed this solution, reporting that none of their craft were near the area in question.
This is not the only aircraft disappearance associated with a UFO; over two decades later, Australian Frederick Valentich vanished after reporting an unusual object near his small plane.
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[edit] Overview
[edit] Jet scrambled to investigate a radar blip
On the evening of November 23, 1953, Air Defense Command Ground Intercept radar operators at Truax Air Force Base identified an unusual target near the Soo Locks. An F-89C Scorpion jet from Kinross Air Force Base was scrambled to investigate the radar return; the Scorpion was piloted by Lieutenant Felix Moncla, Jr., with Lieutenant Robert L. Wilson acting as the Scorpion's radar operator.
Wilson had problems tracking the object on the Scorpion's radar, so ground radar operators gave Moncla directions towards the object as he flew. Flying at some 500 miles per hour, Moncla eventually closed in on the object at about 8000 feet in altitude.
[edit] Two blips appear to merge, then both vanish
Ground Control tracked the Scorpion and the unidentified object as two "blips" on the radar screen. The two blips on the radar screen grew closer and closer, until they seemed to merge as one return. Assuming that Moncla had flown either under or over the target, Ground Crontrol thought that moments later, the Scorpion and the object would again appear as two separate blips. Donald Keyhoe reported that there was a fear that the two objects had struck one another "as if in a smashing collision."[1]
Rather, the single blip disappeared from the radar screen, then there was no return at all.
Attempts were made to contact Moncla via radio, but this was unsuccessful. A search and rescue operation was quickly mounted, but found not a trace of the plane or the pilots.
[edit] Conflicting explanations
The USAF issued conflicting explanations for the F-89 disappearance. The official USAF Accident Investigation Report states the F-89 was sent to investigate an RCAF Dakota C-47 which was travelling off course. The Canadian Air Force stated the C-47 was not involved in the encounter.
The pilot of the C-47 also states that he was never off course. The F-89 was flying at an elevation of 8000 feet when it merged with the other mystery radar return. Its IFF signal also disappeared after the two returns merged on the radar scope. Although efforts to contact the crew on radio were unsuccessful, the pilot of another F-89 sent on the search stated in testimony to the accident board that he believed that he had heard a brief radio transmission from the pilot about forty minutes after the plane disappeared.
[edit] The F89 Scorpion Found?
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This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses. |
[edit] Claimed discovery of the F-89
In 2006, news articles reported the discovery of an aircraft, apparently an F-89, on the bottom of Lake Superior, in roughly the same area where Moncla was last known to be [2]. The discovery was made in Canadian waters by the Great Lakes Dive Company (GLDC). As of October, 2006, the GLDC website was not on-line.
According to Adam Jimenez of GLDC, there are several curious facts about the discovery:
- The F-89 was in remarkably good condition, suggesting that it had not crashed into the lake from its last known altitude of about 7000 feet;
- An unidentified "teardrop" shaped object is on the lake bed about 200 feet from the F-89. The visible portion of the object measures about 8 by 15 feet, though Jimenez suspects that object might be partially covered by silt.
- The F-89 and the teardrop-shaped object both have matching gouges or scratches, leading Jimenez to "speculate that the F-89 did collide with this object in some manner."
- Jimenez reports that, when trying to observe the teardrop shaped object more clearly on sonar, there was a repeated distortion of the sonar signal, reminiscent of an active cellular telephone distorting a nearby computer monitor.
As the discovery was made in Canadian territory, Jimenez planned to seek Canadian governmental permission for further expeditions. Ideally, he plans to use a remotely-operated underwater vehicle to photograph the wreck and to determine if the bodies of Moncla and Wilson are aboard.
[edit] Criticisms of the discovery claim
The discovery has been criticized as a possible hoax. An investigation conducted by James Carrion of MUFON failed to corroborate any major details.[3] The website run by Great Lakes Dive Company remains inoperative (as of March 2007).
[edit] Parts Found in 1968?
It is possible that aircraft parts found near the eastern shore of Lake Superior in late October 1968 were from the missing F-89. A U.S. Air Force officer confirmed the parts were from a military jet aircraft and the news report speculated these might be from the F-89 missing from Kinross AFB in 1953. The identity of the parts was never published and the Canadian government says they have no record of the find.
[edit] See also
- UFO
- MUFON
- United States Air Force
- Royal Canadian Air Force
- Frederick Valentich disappearance (a similar case)
- Missing person
- List of people who have disappeared
[edit] External links
- What Happened to Felix Moncla? from UfoCasebook
- The Kinross Incident investigative report by Gord Heath of UFO*BC
- MUFON Investigation summary of James Carrion's investigation into GLDC's claims of F-89 discovery
