After over five decades of mystery surrounding the disappearance of a private plane carrying five men over Lake Champlain in Vermont, experts believe they have finally found the wreckage in the lake. The jet, a 10-seat Jet Commander, vanished on a snowy night in January 1971 shortly after departing from Burlington airport for Providence, Rhode Island. The onboard passengers included two crew members and three employees of a Georgia development company working on a project in Burlington. Despite multiple search efforts at the time of the disappearance, no wreckage was ever found, and the lake eventually froze over, halting search efforts.
Following the recent discovery of the wreckage in 200 feet of water near Juniper Island, the families of the victims are experiencing mixed emotions. While they are grateful for the closure and answers that the discovery brings, it also reopens old wounds and raises new questions. Barbara Nikitas, the niece of pilot George Nikita, expressed conflicting feelings of peace and sadness upon learning about the find. Frank Wilder, son of another passenger on the ill-fated flight, shared in these sentiments, noting the relief of finally knowing the plane’s whereabouts but also the challenges of dealing with the new information.
The discovery of the wreckage was the result of a dedicated effort by underwater searcher Garry Kozak and his team, who used a remotely operated vehicle to find the jet with a matching custom paint scheme to the missing aircraft. Previous searches over the years, including in 1971 and as recently as 2014, had been unsuccessful in finding any trace of the plane. The families of the victims, including relatives such as Barbara Nikitas and Charles Williams, who lost his father in the crash, came together to spearhead the recent search efforts and share information.
The 2014 search effort was triggered by the curiosity surrounding the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight that year, but it was not successful in locating the wreckage. Kozak’s dedication to finding answers led him to uncover anomalies on the lake floor using sonar surveys, ultimately leading to the discovery of the plane wreckage last month. The National Transportation Safety Board is now investigating to confirm if the found wreckage is indeed that of the missing Jet Commander, as the families grapple with the decision of how to proceed further, as salvage operations would be costly and potentially disturbing.
The discovery of the long-lost plane in Lake Champlain has provided closure and answers for the families of the victims, who have spent over five decades grappling with the uncertainty surrounding the fate of their loved ones. The recent efforts of underwater searcher Garry Kozak and his team have shed light on a decades-old mystery and brought a sense of resolution to the families, albeit accompanied by a mix of emotions and lingering questions. The NTSB’s investigation into the wreckage will hopefully provide further clarity and closure for the families as they process this significant development in the longstanding mystery of the missing private plane.
