Christopher Bailey Missing Person Case

Apr 24, 2018

Apr 25, 2024

Christopher

Bailey

75

37

77 inches

210 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

On May 18, 1988, a then 37-year-old man named Christopher Frank Bailey was aboard a flight that departed from Anchorage, Alaska, with an intended destination of McGrath. He was a white male, standing at 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing approximately 210 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. Nicknamed Chris, he was one of three individuals on the Piper PA32 aircraft, which tragically never reached its destination. The last point of contact with Bailey and the others on board was on this day, marking the beginning of a long-standing and unresolved case. The aircraft, with tail number N8978, was later found to have crashed on Mount Gerdine, a formidable peak located to the west of Anchorage. The wreckage was discovered at an elevation of approximately 8,700 feet, a location that speaks to the unforgiving and challenging nature of the Alaskan wilderness. Traveling with Christopher Bailey were two other men, Jerry Melin and William Newman. The flight was a journey that should have been routine, but instead, it ended in a devastating accident that would leave their families with unanswered questions for decades to come. Due to the extremely difficult and treacherous terrain where the plane went down, recovery efforts were severely hampered. The remote and rugged landscape of Mount Gerdine made it impossible to retrieve the occupants of the aircraft. Consequently, Christopher Bailey, along with Jerry Melin and William Newman, were never recovered from the crash site. The case remains a poignant reminder of the power of nature and the inherent risks of aviation in such a wild and untamed environment. The official circumstances surrounding their disappearance point to this tragic accident, a somber conclusion to a flight that began with the simple aim of reaching another Alaskan town.

May 18, 1988

Wasilla

Alaska

Matanuska-Susitna Borough

No

32656

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

880030128

1988-05-18

Alaska State Troopers

10598

Brown

Hazel

Hazel

No

07/09/2026