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209 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Donald Schaller

Missing
Case Description
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On July 3, 1998, Donald Schaller, a 49-year-old veteran pilot from Illinois, disappeared while piloting a two-seat Aero L-39 Albatros jet over Lake Michigan. Schaller, accompanied by co-pilot Donovan Rodriguez, was conducting a practice flight in preparation for the National Cherry Festival air show in Traverse City, Michigan. The jet took off from Cherry Capital Airport at 6:30 pm but vanished from radar 17 minutes later, near the Fox Islands. Despite extensive air and water searches covering n ...Read More
Last Seen: Jul 03, 1998
Links to Additional Sources (2)
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  • Quincy man missing for 15 years after plane went down - Herald-Whig
  • Lake Mich. hunt for missing jet widens - UPI Archives
    • Victim Details

    Oct 31, 2013

    Jul 09, 2019

    Donald

    Schaller

    75

    49

    68 inches

    165 lbs

    White / Caucasian

    Male

    Jul 03, 1998

    Fox Islands

    Michigan

    Leelanau County

    290

    14463

    Michigan State Police - Cadillac Post

    Cadillac

    Michigan

    Wexford County

    49601

    Mike Fink

    D/Sgt.

    7711 U.S. 131, Michigan

    2317796040

    State

    Law Enforcement

    www.michigan.gov/msp

    71-2315-98

    1998-07-03

    Michigan State Police - Cadillac Post

    Brown

    Brown

    Brown

    No

    12/08/2025


    Area Last Seen:
    Forum Posts (2)
    Has anyone else heard about the strange explosion sound witnesses mentioned in the Schaller case? Iâ... ...Read More
    08/03/2023
    Has anyone else looked into the witness reports about the explosion in the sky? I find it puzzling t... ...Read More
    07/10/2023
    Other Missing Cases from Fox Islands, Michigan

    Donovan Rodriguez

    Missing: Jul 03, 1998
    Donovan Rodriguez, a 57-year-old flight instructor from Michigan, was last seen on July 3, 1998, whe ...Read More