Latest news with #MichiganShipwreckResearchAssociation
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Search Has Ended for Plane That Disappeared Over Lake Michigan in 1950 — Worst Airline Disaster in U.S. History at the Time
A 20-year search for a flight that disappeared over Lake Michigan in 1950 has been called off Northwest Orient Flight 2501 was carrying 58 people and was the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster to date at the time While researchers did not find the plane, they believe they have uncovered new details about the cause of the crash and its aftermathThe decades-long search for a passenger plane carrying 58 people that disappeared over Lake Michigan 75 years ago has been called off. Northwest Orient Flight 2501 took off from La Guardia Airport in New York the evening of June 23, 1950. The plane was scheduled to make two stops — Minneapolis and Spokane, Wash. — before reaching its final destination in Seattle. However, the plane lost contact with air traffic control after encountering rough weather and never made its scheduled flyover near Milwaukee's Mitchell Field, according to The Detroit News. The tragedy was the worst aviation disaster in U.S. history at the time. Michigan's South Beach was closed for nine days as body parts and plane debris washed ashore, but no victims were ever positively identified, and the ensuing investigation did not yield a cause for the crash. No further investigation was done into the matter until 2004, when adventure writer Clive Cussler became interested in the crash. Cussler reached out to the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association and offered to fund an investigation into the cause of the disaster, per The Detroit News. Researchers with the organization scanned 700 miles of Lake Michigan using sonar technology and used models to recreate the weather patterns that Flight 2501 would have encountered the night of the crash. "With all of our research and by connecting with Northwest personnel, we came up with information never publicly shared," said the organization's executive director, Valerie van Heest, while talking to The Detroit News. She added, "We feel quite confident the plane entered the storm front, unaware the storm front had shifted south. We feel quite confident that a downdraft, also called a microburst, hit the plane. And we say that based on the debris that came ashore and that the Coast Guard collected ... We know this plane hit the water with great force, and we know there was no way to survive this." Researchers additionally believe that the plane was ultimately destroyed into many pieces of debris, much of which has since sunk to the depths of the lake floor. Van Heest — who has since authored a book and curated a traveling museum exhibit about the crash — said that family members of the victims have reached out to her over the years, making her realize that the tragedy was still alive for many. "I had heartbreaking conversations with seniors who would cry over [the] phone talking about this, so it was still so raw," she told The Detroit News, adding, 'My interest was a feeling of responsibility of bringing closure to the families, and I feel like I've done it with the book, the exhibit and knowing details that they didn't have in 1950." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Van Heest also told the outlet that she has mixed emotions about officially calling off the 20-year search effort. "It's a hard thing to have to say because part of me feels like we have failed, but we have done so much to keep [the] memory of this accident and these victims at [the] forefront … I feel like we've done better for them than if we'd found the wreckage," she said. The organization also helped locate two unmarked mass grave sites at Michigan cemeteries that contained the remains of flight victims. Stone markers commemorating the victims and the crash have since been placed at both sites. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Search Has Ended for Plane That Disappeared Over Lake Michigan in 1950 — Worst Airline Disaster in U.S. History at the Time
A 20-year search for a flight that disappeared over Lake Michigan in 1950 has been called off Northwest Orient Flight 2501 was carrying 58 people and was the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster to date at the time While researchers did not find the plane, they believe they have uncovered new details about the cause of the crash and its aftermathThe decades-long search for a passenger plane carrying 58 people that disappeared over Lake Michigan 75 years ago has been called off. Northwest Orient Flight 2501 took off from La Guardia Airport in New York the evening of June 23, 1950. The plane was scheduled to make two stops — Minneapolis and Spokane, Wash. — before reaching its final destination in Seattle. However, the plane lost contact with air traffic control after encountering rough weather and never made its scheduled flyover near Milwaukee's Mitchell Field, according to The Detroit News. The tragedy was the worst aviation disaster in U.S. history at the time. Michigan's South Beach was closed for nine days as body parts and plane debris washed ashore, but no victims were ever positively identified, and the ensuing investigation did not yield a cause for the crash. No further investigation was done into the matter until 2004, when adventure writer Clive Cussler became interested in the crash. Cussler reached out to the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association and offered to fund an investigation into the cause of the disaster, per The Detroit News. Researchers with the organization scanned 700 miles of Lake Michigan using sonar technology and used models to recreate the weather patterns that Flight 2501 would have encountered the night of the crash. "With all of our research and by connecting with Northwest personnel, we came up with information never publicly shared," said the organization's executive director, Valerie van Heest, while talking to The Detroit News. She added, "We feel quite confident the plane entered the storm front, unaware the storm front had shifted south. We feel quite confident that a downdraft, also called a microburst, hit the plane. And we say that based on the debris that came ashore and that the Coast Guard collected ... We know this plane hit the water with great force, and we know there was no way to survive this." Researchers additionally believe that the plane was ultimately destroyed into many pieces of debris, much of which has since sunk to the depths of the lake floor. Van Heest — who has since authored a book and curated a traveling museum exhibit about the crash — said that family members of the victims have reached out to her over the years, making her realize that the tragedy was still alive for many. "I had heartbreaking conversations with seniors who would cry over [the] phone talking about this, so it was still so raw," she told The Detroit News, adding, 'My interest was a feeling of responsibility of bringing closure to the families, and I feel like I've done it with the book, the exhibit and knowing details that they didn't have in 1950." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Van Heest also told the outlet that she has mixed emotions about officially calling off the 20-year search effort. "It's a hard thing to have to say because part of me feels like we have failed, but we have done so much to keep [the] memory of this accident and these victims at [the] forefront … I feel like we've done better for them than if we'd found the wreckage," she said. The organization also helped locate two unmarked mass grave sites at Michigan cemeteries that contained the remains of flight victims. Stone markers commemorating the victims and the crash have since been placed at both sites. Read the original article on People
Time of India
02-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
160-year-old historic gold watch discovered from Lake Michigan returns to its hometown in England
Source: BBC A touching relic from one of the most fatal maritime disasters on Lake Michigan has finally made its way back home. The gold pocket watch of Herbert Ingram, a well-known British journalist and politician, went missing when the steamship Lady Elgin sank in 1860. It has been brought back to Ingram's hometown in England after spending over a century and a half at the bottom of the lake's cold waters, linking history, tragedy, and legacy. Beyond being a mere timepiece, the gold pocket watch symbolises the endurance of memory and the bridging of continents through shared history. Source: BBC Herbert Ingram's gold pocket watch went missing in 1860s On September 8, 1860, the Lady Elgin, a steamship with hundreds of passengers aboard, sailed into a violent storm close to Winnetka, Illinois. During the tempest, it rammed into a schooner, and the ship went down quickly in the icy waters of Lake Michigan. More than 300 people died in the disaster, among them Herbert Ingram and his son, who both lost their lives before they could be rescued. The disaster is still one of the worst maritime tragedies in the region's history. Herbert Ingram was not a typical passenger, but he was a historical figure of prominence. As the creator of the London Illustrated News, Ingram transformed journalism by adding pictures to words, establishing the world's first pictorial newspaper. He was also a Member of Parliament, thus being a powerful voice in British politics and media during the 19th century. His work earned him a renowned name in his birthplace, Boston, Lincolnshire, where a statue honors his memory. Gold pocket watch discovered and brought back to his hometown The gold pocket watch was discovered in 1992 by scuba divers surveying the strewn wreckage of the Lady Elgin, which rests out on a mile-long stretch of lake bottom. Valerie Van Heest, a maritime historian and founder of the Michigan Shipwreck Research Association, called the watch an 'extraordinary find'. Strangely, the cold and oxygen-starved environment of Lake Michigan also kept the watch's sensitive mechanisms and case intact for more than 160 years, rendering it an irreplaceable piece of history. Source: BBC Although the watch was discovered in the United States, it had been inaccessible to the public for decades before being transferred to a historian in May 2025 for research. John Van Fleet, realizing the historical and emotional significance of the watch, bought and donated the watch to the Boston Guildhall Museum. This gift was well-timed, as the museum was in the process of preparing an exhibit in honor of Herbert Ingram. The watch gave a physical link to Ingram's existence and the devastating sinking, adding depth to the exhibit with an intimate artifact. According to New York Post reports, the watch's return was commemorated by the people of Boston on May 24, 2025, through activities celebrating Ingram's life and legacy. Councilor Sarah Sharpe called the event "special and important," given the emotional and historical importance of the repatriation of the watch. The museum honour took the form of ceremonies at the graveside and at the memorial statue of Ingram, and storytelling sessions that celebrated his accomplishments and the human toll of the Lady Elgin disaster. Also Read | 8 beautiful snakes you can spot in California's wildlands
