Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2501
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| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | June 23, 1950 |
| Type | Mysterious disappearance |
| Site | Coordinates: , in Lake Michigan |
| Passengers | 55 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Fatalities | 58 missing, presumed dead |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | DC-4 |
| Operator | Northwest Orient Airlines |
| Tail number | N95425 |
| Flight origin | LaGuardia Airport, New York, New York |
| First stopover | Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota |
| Second stopover | Spokane, Washington |
| Destination | Seattle, Washington |
Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2501 was operating its daily transcontinental service between New York City and Seattle on the night of June 23, 1950. The flight, a DC-4, was carrying 58 people (55 passengers and 3 crew members).
The plane was at approximately 3,500 feet (1070 m) over Lake Michigan 29 km (18.1 mi)[1] NNW of Benton Harbor, Michigan when it vanished off the radar screens after requesting descent to 2,500 feet (760 m). A widespread search was commenced including searching with sonars and and dragging the bottom of Lake Michigan trawlers but to no avail. Considerable light debris, upholstery, and human body fragments were found floating on the surface, but divers were unable to locate the plane's wreckage.[2]
There were many suggestions as to what caused the plane to vanish from the radar. It is known that Flight 2501 was entering a squall line and turbulence but since the plane's wreckage was not found, the cause of the crash was never discovered.[2]
The missing airliner is the subject of an annual search by Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates, a Michigan-based non-profit organization. The search is funded by author Clive Cussler. Valerie van Heest who serves as a director of MSRA is conducting an independent search for the families of victims of Flight 2501. Her purpose is to keep these families personally apprised of the search effort and to create a private forum for the families. She is planning a memorial service to be held in the fall of 2008 in St. Joseph, Michigan. Flight 2501 family members are encourage to contact her through the official site for the accident: www.northwestflight2501.org.
[edit] References
- ^ Northwest Flight 2501. Aviation Safety Network / Flight Safety Foundation (2004-03-19). Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
- ^ a b The Disappearance of Flight 2501. Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
[edit] External links
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