Nicholas Begich Missing Person Case

Jun 09, 2015

Mar 13, 2024

Nicholas

Begich

93

40

White / Caucasian

Male

On October 16, 1972, a twin-engine Cessna 310 carrying Alaska Congressman Nicholas Begich, who was 40 years old at the time, vanished during a flight from Anchorage to Juneau. Accompanying Begich on the ill-fated journey were House Majority Leader Hale Boggs of Louisiana, Begich's aide Russell Brown, and the pilot, Don Jonz. The group was en route to a campaign fundraiser for Begich. The plane, operated by Pan Alaska Airways, departed from Anchorage and its last known communication was a routine check-in shortly after takeoff. The weather conditions that day were described as abysmal, with poor visibility and icy rain. The disappearance of the aircraft triggered what was, at the time, the largest search and rescue operation in American history. The extensive search involved 40 military aircraft and 50 civilian planes, covering a vast search grid of 325,000 square miles. Over a period of 39 days, search teams dedicated more than 3,600 hours looking for any sign of the plane or its occupants. Despite the massive effort, which included the use of a cutting-edge Air Force spy plane, no wreckage, debris, or the remains of the four men were ever discovered. On November 24, 1972, the official search was called off. In the years following the disappearance, the fate of the Cessna and its passengers has remained a persistent mystery. The National Transportation Safety Board's official report concluded that there was insufficient evidence to determine a probable cause for the accident. The lack of any emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal further complicated the search, as it was later discovered that the pilot's portable ELT was found in another aircraft in Fairbanks. Various theories have emerged over time, ranging from the plane icing up in the severe weather to more speculative ideas involving foul play, though none have been substantiated with concrete evidence. The case remains one of the most prominent unsolved aviation mysteries in the United States, leaving the families of Nicholas Begich, Hale Boggs, Russell Brown, and Don Jonz without definitive answers about the final moments of their loved ones.

Oct 16, 1972

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

No

31575

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

C72011519

1972-10-16

Alaska State Troopers

Brown

Brown

Brown

No

07/19/2026