Looking for "Old Timer" Contacts at Wisconsin Wing

[KASSRCrashResearch]

Actually, one is a general request.  The second is more of a "Anyone know this guy?" request.

Does anyone happen to know anyone who might have been kicking around the Wisconsin Wing in the summer of 1972? I have a question about a case that happened back then off Milwaukee.  Standard issues with old cases- purged files, etc- so I am trying to find anyone who might have been around, kept notes, etc.  Plane went off radar hit the water off Milwaukee July 21, 1972.  I've got zilch on whether ANYTHING was ever found. 

The other request involves a William Reese who was the public affairs officer on a search in January 1971 in Door County.  Trying to do some followup, I actually found a retired reporter who had covered the case and told me that if I wanted to find more information on the case to "...find Reese. He was like a man possessed about this case.  He gave the impression that he would keep after it".  Last mention of him I have been able to find was as a major in 1975 when he was credited with a save in a CAP publication.  I realize the odds are pretty slim of finding him but I have to try.

Any assistance would be appreciated. 

[Eclipse]

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/keyword/washington-island

Llewellyn, William Reese

December 29, 2006
William Reese Llewellyn, 65, Prospect, IL/Washington Island, WI, passed Dec. 24, 2006. Surviving son David; grandchildren, Tanya and Wyatt; sister, Nancy; brother, David; daughter-in-law, Gina; girlfriend, Shelia. Funeral services at Trinity Church, 1765 Townline Road, Washington Island WI 920-847-2341 at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2006.

[Spaceman3750]

PM Sarkid, he may be able to help.

[KASSRCrashResearch]

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/keyword/washington-island

Llewellyn, William Reese

December 29, 2006
William Reese Llewellyn, 65, Prospect, IL/Washington Island, WI, passed Dec. 24, 2006. Surviving son David; grandchildren, Tanya and Wyatt; sister, Nancy; brother, David; daughter-in-law, Gina; girlfriend, Shelia. Funeral services at Trinity Church, 1765 Townline Road, Washington Island WI 920-847-2341 at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2006.

Thanks.  I kind of expected finding that he would had passed away.

[Eclipse]

I don't know for sure that's him, but he sure fits the profile you offered.

[♠SARKID♠]

I'll poke around, I have a couple guys in my unit that were around then. You remember any specifics? Type of aircraft? Info on pilot?

I'll see if they know anything about Reese, too.

[AirAux]

I was a cadet at Truax Field in 1962-1964, went to encampment at Chanute AFB on a C-119.  Got 10 minutes stick time in a C-47..  Other than that, I got nothing.  We met in an F-89 Scorpion All Weather Interceptor squadron hanger on the base.  Wore khaki's...  Good old days.

[Live2Learn]

Plane went off radar hit the water off Milwaukee July 21, 1972. 

If you ever make it to D.C., drop into the National Archives.  I don't know what the FAA's record retention rules were then for accident reports, however...  I know of a couple of teams from USDA and USDI that visited the archives and made some amazing "finds .  Maps, photos, personal accounts, field notes, records, etc. from the turn of the century (early 1900's), and onward through the 50's (they weren't interested in more recent records).

You might contact the FAA Historian at the national headquarters.  I spoke with the 'then' FAA historian about ten years ago.  She was pretty helpful.  I don't recall her name.  Good luck.

[KASSRCrashResearch]

I'll poke around, I have a couple guys in my unit that were around then. You remember any specifics? Type of aircraft? Info on pilot?

I'll see if they know anything about Reese, too.

The only information I have been able to glean on the case in January 1971 is as follows: Pilot was Donald Triplett; passenger was his wife Kathie Triplett.  Last heard from at Wausau, WI; While the Coast Guard reported that Tripplett's flight plan called for circling Lake Michigan by a northern route, no flight plan had been filed.  Search was apparently centered upon an area south of Sturgeon Bay, WI (per Holland Evening Sentinel 1/6/1971); same report cite CPT William Reese of CAP of saying that they had received 'reliable' sightings of the craft in Door County at Egg Harbor, north of Sturgeon Bay and at Algoma; a later interview with Reese in the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune (4/15/1971) included a statement that he believed the aircraft was to be found inland and not along the lake shore.

Aircraft was Cessna 172 N8342L

The case off Milwaukee (7/21/1972) was a Piper PA-31 N212AD.  Basically, the plane went off radar, nothing was found (so far as I am aware) and the family had the victim (Anderson Duggar Jr) declared dead shortly after in court due to a rarely used loophole in the law in Michigan.

The summary case notes:
Lake Michigan; pilot declared dead in September 1972 in Muskegon County, MI; all the news reports regarding that state the pilot was "approaching a Milwaukee airport" when he disappeared; Per Ironwood Daily Globe 7/21/1972: "Coast Guard ships and helicopters were searching Lake Michigan about 12 miles east of Milwaukee today for a twin-engine plane which disappeared from the radar screen at Mitchell Field"

[♠SARKID♠]

I talked to my guys that have been around a while, they don't remember anything in particular about either the case or Reese. Sorry I couldn't be of help this time.

[KASSRCrashResearch]

I talked to my guys that have been around a while, they don't remember anything in particular about either the case or Reese. Sorry I couldn't be of help this time.

No worries.  I appreciate the effort.  Sorry for the delay in replying.  It's been a very long and tiring few weeks on my end.

[Brad]

I'm sure you've read all this already, but here's the NTSB file on the first one:

https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=58237&key=0

and I also found this:

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=6613 What is interesting there is that it eventually was found in the 90's by a commercial fisherman. Possibly another lead to pursue?


In regards to the second case, all I found is:

https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=65786&key=0

and:

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=13629