Great Lakes Aviation Detectives

06/08/2026

The documents from the 1973 civil suit, Reuther Estate v. Emmett County Airport, are now available to researchers.
Abstract:
Court documents from the Reuther estate civil action. Newly located documents, including 1,286 pages of court documents from a civil suit filed by the Reuther Estate against the Emmett County Airport in 1973. Also includes a 61-page report on the technical examination of the altimeter on the Learjet that crashed with Reuther and his party.
Walter Reuther Plane Crash Investigation Records, 1973
University of Michigan Finding Aids
https://findingaids.lib.umich.edu/catalog/umich-scl-ams0326

Rob McKenzie
https://robmckenzie.net/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578100289663

06/08/2026

06/06/2026

The heroic final resting place of US Army Air Force Second Lieutenant Ernest Vienneau has been revealed after his B-17 Flying Fortress was discovered at the bottom of the Adriatic Sea. On November 6, 1944, the 25-year-old pilot was hit by anti-aircraft fire and bravely ditched his crippled bomber off the coast of Vis, Croatia, saving his entire crew before sinking with the aircraft. ✈️🌊 Decades later, underwater photographer Steve located the wreckage, capturing haunting images that reveal the legendary plane and the pilot's final resting place. Click to view the incredible underwater gallery and read the moving story of this WWII hero's sacrifice: https://dailytopis.com/haunting-wreckage-brit.../

06/06/2026

The skeletal remains of two US Navy F6F-5 Hellcat fighter planes still sit scattered across the rugged terrain of Mount Woodrow Wilson in California, 77 years after crashing simultaneously during a 1949 training flight. Flying in heavy fog and poor visibility, the two young naval aviators lost orientation and slammed directly into the mountainside, losing their lives instantly. Today, hikers can still find highly recognizable wreckage, including intact landing gear, structural wing panels, and heavily weathered engine blocks resting among the rocks. 👉 Click to see the jaw-dropping, authentic photos of this hidden mountain crash site here: https://dailytopis.com/a-mountain-that-still-has-remains.../

06/05/2026

Forever in our memory.

Nineteen years ago today, we lost six members of the Survival Flight team during an organ procurement mission to help one of our patients:

💙David Ashburn, M.D.: A young husband and father, and fellow in cardiothoracic surgery

💛Richard Chenault II: Father, husband, coach and gifted organ donation specialist

💙Dennis Hoyes: Father, husband, grandfather and experienced pilot for Marlin Air and Survival Flight

💛Rick LaPensee: Father, husband, firefighter and organ donation specialist being trained by Chenault to procure lungs that day

💙Bill Serra: Father, husband, veteran and pilot for Marlin Air

💛Martin Spoor, M.D.: Husband, father, critical care physician and cardiac surgeon

06/03/2026

05/27/2026

An elite underwater archaeology team has successfully located the heavily mangled wreckage of a U.S. Army Air Forces B-24 Liberator bomber that was shot down by intense enemy anti-aircraft fire exactly 74 years ago over the Pacific. Operating at a depth of over 200 feet, deep-sea divers used advanced sonar scanning to positively identify the massive four-engine heavy bomber, which vanished with its entire 11-man crew during a high-stakes bombing raid against a strategic Japanese stronghold. While military historians have already cross-referenced the aircraft's distinctive serial numbers to confirm its identity, a specialized remote-operated vehicle examining the main fuselage suddenly detected a structural anomaly within the heavily silted nose compartment. Discover what startling physical evidence the recovery team uncovered deep inside the bomber's final resting place and view the exclusive underwater sonar images right here: https://dailytopis.com/wreckage-of-wwii-b-24-bomber-discovered-74-years-after-it-was-shot-down/

05/26/2026