1968 Plane Wreck Search in Lake Superior Yields No Results

A high-tech search operation is currently underway in Lake Superior, Michigan, aiming to locate a Beechcraft Queen Air plane that crashed in 1968. The aircraft was on a scientific research mission when it went down, resulting in the loss of three lives: pilot Robert Carew, co-pilot Gordon Jones, and graduate student Velayudh Krishna Menon. The search involves an autonomous vessel, the Armada 8, which is equipped to send sonar readings and data to researchers monitoring from nearby boats. Despite extensive efforts, the search team has not yet identified any aircraft wreckage. Travis White, a research engineer, noted that the findings so far have primarily consisted of large stones and unusual rock formations on the lakebed. The team has the capability to deploy a cylindrical device to capture images and gather more data from potential hotspots, but no definitive targets have been confirmed as aircraft wreckage. The plane disappeared on October 23, 1968, while collecting data on temperature and water radiation for the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Over the years, some debris, such as seat cushions and metal fragments, has washed ashore, but the main wreckage and the remains of the crew have never been recovered. The search area is notably deep, reaching depths of 400 feet. The mission is set to conclude this week, although further data analysis will continue in the following weeks. While the wreckage will not be raised if found, confirming its location would provide closure to the families involved, particularly Menon’s family, who expressed their support for the ongoing search efforts.