In the late summer of 1999, a 57-year-old male pilot named Robert William Reid, Jr., who also went by the names Robert William Reid and Bill Reid, embarked on a flight that would leave his whereabouts an enduring mystery. On August 17, 1999, he departed from Merrill Field in Anchorage, Alaska, piloting an orange and white PA-28 aircraft with the tail number N56877. His destination was Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory of Canada. The flight was expected to be routine, but concern grew when he was reported overdue. The last known communication with Reid occurred when he was just 10 miles from the Canadian border, a detail that only deepens the questions surrounding his disappearance.
The circumstances of Robert Reid, Jr.'s disappearance are sparse, leaving a void of information for investigators and his loved ones. The official report filed with the Alaska State Troopers on August 19, 1999, notes that he was overdue on his flight. Despite this, there is a lack of public information regarding any specific clothing he was wearing or any distinctive physical features that could aid in his identification. The official record of his disappearance was not created in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System until nearly two decades later, on June 14, 2018. This significant passage of time highlights the cold nature of the case and the difficulties in maintaining momentum in such investigations.
The investigation into the disappearance of Robert Reid, Jr. has remained open, managed by the Alaska State Troopers. Over the years, DNA samples have been collected from his son and daughter and entered into national databases, a standard procedure in long-term missing person cases to aid in potential identification if remains are ever discovered. The case of Robert Reid, Jr. is a somber reminder of the unforgiving nature of the Alaskan wilderness and the inherent risks of aviation in such a vast and remote landscape. The lack of any wreckage or further radio contact has left a narrative with no clear ending, a story of a journey that began but, for all public knowledge, never concluded.
Last Seen: Aug 17, 1999
