Underwater Discovery Reveals Wreckage of 1971 Corporate Plane Crash in Lake Champlain

After decades of mystery, underwater explorers have located the wreckage of a corporate private jet that crashed into Lake Champlain in Vermont more than five decades ago, bringing closure to families of the victims and shedding new light on the fate of the ill-fated flight.

In a remarkable underwater discovery, experts have unearthed the long-lost wreckage of a corporate private jet that plummeted into Lake Champlain in Vermont on January 27, 1971. Experts believe the debris, located 200 feet below the surface, is the missing aircraft that vanished shortly after takeoff from Burlington, Rhode Island.

Underwater Discovery Reveals Wreckage of 1971 Corporate Plane Crash in Lake Champlain

Underwater searcher Garry Kozak captured footage of the suspected wreckage, providing tantalizing glimpses of the aircraft's remnants. The hazy glow of the debris revealed an aircraft engine and the distinctive bright red and cream stripes that adorned the plane's custom paintwork, despite being submerged for over five decades.

Kozak and a team of researchers uncovered the long-lost aircraft on May 19, after 17 separate attempts by other research groups over the decades had proved fruitless. Using a high-resolution side-scan sonar system, they meticulously scanned the vast 490-square-mile lake.

Underwater Discovery Reveals Wreckage of 1971 Corporate Plane Crash in Lake Champlain

"With all those pieces of evidence, we're 99% absolutely sure," Kozak declared following the discovery. The wreckage's proximity to the aircraft's last known coordinates and the matching registration number "N400CP" reinforced their confidence in the identification.

The historical find evoked a bittersweet symphony of emotions among family members. While grateful for the closure, they reckoned with the reopening of old wounds. Barbara Nikitas, niece of pilot George Nikita, expressed the conflicting sentiments: "We know what happened. We've seen a couple of photos. We're struggling, I think, with that now."

Underwater Discovery Reveals Wreckage of 1971 Corporate Plane Crash in Lake Champlain

Frank Wilder's father, also named Frank Wilder, was a passenger on the ill-fated flight. For 53 years, the uncertainty surrounding the plane's whereabouts had weighed heavily on his mind. "Spending 53 years not knowing if the plane was in the lake or maybe on a mountainside around there somewhere was distressing," he said. "I'm feeling relieved that I know where the plane is now, but unfortunately it's opening other questions, and we have to work on those now."

Debris from the plane had initially emerged in the spring of 1971 at Shelburne Point, Vermont, after the ice melted from the lake. However, the main wreckage remained elusive for decades.

Underwater Discovery Reveals Wreckage of 1971 Corporate Plane Crash in Lake Champlain

Kozak's team, including sonar expert Hans Hug, employed state-of-the-art technology to unravel the mystery of the missing plane. Their perseverance and meticulous approach ultimately led to the historic discovery.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has confirmed that it is investigating the information received from the team. The agency will endeavor to shed further light on the circumstances of the crash.

Underwater Discovery Reveals Wreckage of 1971 Corporate Plane Crash in Lake Champlain

The discovery of the wreckage not only provides closure but also serves as a poignant reminder of the lives lost in the tragedy. Pilots Donald Myers and George Nikita, along with passengers Richard Windsor, Robert Williams, and Frank Wilder, left behind an enduring legacy of memories.