In this episode of Conspiracy Theories, the 1953 incident near Lake Superior in Kinross, Michigan is examined, where an F-89 jet and its two crew members disappeared during a routine intercept mission. The initial UFO theory, proposed by NICAP director Donald Kehoe, suggested that a flying saucer struck the aircraft, while the Air Force maintained that engine trouble led to the crash.
Recent research by the Open Skies Project, including analysis of declassified accident reports and radar data, sheds new light on the incident. The episode explores technical aspects of 1950s radar systems, documented mechanical issues with F-89C Scorpion jets, and various theories about what might have caused the aircraft's disappearance—from structural failure to engine icing—providing context for both the UFO theory and official explanations.
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The mysterious disappearance of an F-89 jet near Lake Superior, known as the Kinross incident, has generated significant debate between UFO theorists and official investigators.
Donald Kehoe, a former Marine Corps major and director of NICAP (National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena), proposed in his 1955 book that the jet was struck by a UFO. His theory stemmed from a phone call received on the night of the incident, claiming a flying saucer had hit the aircraft. The Air Force, however, maintained that engine trouble caused the crash.
According to radar data from Calumet Air Force Station, First Lieutenant Felix Moncla and Second Lieutenant Robert Wilson were pursuing an unidentified aircraft over Lake Superior when their radar blips merged before the F-89 disappeared. While Kehoe claimed both aircraft vanished, the Air Force stated they never actually collided, suggesting the radar controller had made a mistake.
The Open Skies Project, after purchasing the Calumet Air Force Station, has conducted extensive research into the incident. Kyle Kary and Zach Garner have accessed declassified accident reports, revealing that the merging of radar blips was actually a normal part of intercept procedures. Their research contradicts the UFO theory, showing that only the F-89 disappeared from radar while the other aircraft continued its flight path.
Zach Garner explains that the radar system's half-mile range resolution meant that any objects within that distance would appear as a single blip, regardless of altitude differences. The F-89C Scorpion jet itself had documented mechanical issues, including problems with engine debris intake and structural weaknesses that could cause mid-air disintegration. The squadron commander suggested that the jet might have stalled while matching the speed of the unidentified aircraft, while a Brigadier General speculated that icing on the engine intake could have caused mechanical failures.
1-Page Summary
The mysterious disappearance of a jet near Lake Superior, known as the Kinross incident, has sparked theories ranging from a UFO encounter to a simple crash due to mechanical issues.
Donald Kehoe's theory and his work with NICAP have played a significant role in the discussion on UFO phenomena, especially in relation to the Kinross incident.
Donald Kehoe, in his 1955 book "The Flying Saucer Conspiracy," suggests that UFOs are a real phenomenon and claims hundreds of them are kept secret by the US government. Specifically for the Kinross incident, Kehoe alleges a jet was hit by a UFO, leading to its disappearance. However, the Air Force has stated that the jet crashed into Lake Superior due to engine trouble.
Kehoe, leveraging his position as a former Marine Corps major and his high-ranking contacts, received a phone call on the night of the F-89's disappearance that spurred his UFO theory. This call claimed the jet was hit by a flying saucer. Despite skepticism rooted in past investigations, Kehoe pursued answers, becoming a pivotal figure in popularizing the UFO theory and serving as the long-serving director of the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP).
The original incident, as well as subsequent explanations and investigation by the Air Force, contribute further details to the perplexing case.
First Lieutenant Felix Moncla and Second Lieutenant Robert Wilson scrambled in their F-89 jet to intercept an unidentified aircraft detected by radar over Lake Superior. During their pursuit, radar data from Calumet Air Force Sta ...
Kinross Incident Theories, Including Ufo and Crash Explanations
Members of the Open Skies Project have been amassing research about the Kinross incident, suggesting there's more to the story than originally thought.
The Calumet Air Force Station, once a state-of-the-art radar base involved in the Kinross incident, was purchased by the Open Skies Project.
Kyle Kary mentions the station was central to the Kinross incident, having guided Monclaw and Wilson's aircraft. The group discovered that the Calumet Air Force Station was the radar station in control of the interceptor when it disappeared. They aimed to restore the grounds to create a heritage museum.
Carter Roy notes that Zach and Kyle have secured a copy of the official accident report, which is mostly declassified, with fewer redactions, providing a clearer timeline of the disappearance. However, there are still loose ends related to the Kinross incident that the Open Skies Project is trying to resolve.
Zach Garner and Kyle Cary, involved in restoring the Calumet Air Force Station, were thanked for their expertise and the research conducted on the history of Calumet and the Kinross incident. The group is also trying to obtain Canadian records to add to their collection of evidence.
The Open Skies Project offers summer tours of the restored Calumet Air Force Station, and they have assembled extensive research on the incident available at openskiesproject.org.
Zach and Kyle point out that the dots merging on the radar scope were a normal part of an intercept process, not indicative of a co ...
Open Skies Project's Incident Research and Findings
The discussion of the disappearance of First Lieutenant Felix Moncla and Second Lieutenant Robert Wilson while pursuing an unidentified aircraft involves an examination of radar capabilities and aircraft mechanical issues.
Zach Garner explains that the radar used had a half-mile range resolution, meaning that it can only distinguish between two objects if they are more than a half-mile apart. If objects came within this distance of each other, they would appear as a single blip on the radar, regardless of any altitude differences.
The incident in which the radar blips of the F-89 and the unidentified aircraft merged is cited as a normal occurrence during an intercept, suggesting that such merging is not necessarily indicative of a collision. It's a common misinterpretation to assume that merged blips indicate that two aircraft have collided.
The F-89C Scorpion jet had known mechanical issues, some carried over from earlier models. In particular, the engine, which was mounted low, would commonly pick up debris. To resolve this issue, a screen was installed over the engine's intake. However, this screen presented another problem as it could collect ice at high altitudes or during bad weather, which could have catastrophic effects.
Further complicating the F-89C's performance were structural issues. The aircraft was known to have wings that could detach during tight or high-speed maneuvers, leading to the jet disintegrating mid-air. There were six incidents involving F-89 models between February and September of 1952, most of them being F-89C jets, which disintegrated mid-air.
The F-89C that Moncla and Wilson were flying had experienced such a catastrophic structural failure before, disintegrating in front of a crowd of spectators, resulting in the grounding of all F-89s for extensive modifications.
In discussing this incident just two days before Christmas in 1953, the commander of Moncla and Wilson's squadron suggested that the F-89 stalled as it slowe ...
Technical Details of Radar, Jet, and Other Crashes For Incident Context
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