On August 26, 1986, 37-year-old Linda Blackwell and Terry Field departed from Lost Nation Airport, located east of Cleveland, Ohio, in a small aircraft. Their destination was the Brantford Municipal Airport in Brantford, Ontario, a journey that should have been a routine flight across Lake Erie. However, what began as a standard trip soon turned into a desperate situation. Eighteen minutes into the flight, the pilot, Terry Field, contacted Cleveland Air Traffic Control to report that they were encountering severe turbulence. In that final communication, he requested a new heading to navigate away from the turbulent conditions. Air traffic controllers advised the pilot to turn west, but shortly after this instruction was given, both radio and radar contact with the aircraft were lost.
The sudden and complete loss of communication left the fate of Linda Blackwell and Terry Field unknown, marking the beginning of a long and painful period of uncertainty for their families.
The day following the plane's disappearance, on August 27, 1986, debris from the aircraft was discovered in the waters of Lake Erie. The wreckage was located approximately 32 nautical miles south of the St. Thomas Airport, drifting in a southeasterly direction. The recovery of the debris took place about one to three nautical miles on the Canadian side of the international boundary line. This discovery was a heartbreaking confirmation of the fears that had begun to mount since the plane vanished from radar. The debris was positively identified by Terry Field's brother, Bud Field, as belonging to the missing aircraft, a devastating blow to any hope that the two might be found alive. The recovered items painted a somber picture of the final moments of the flight.
The search and rescue efforts, which had been launched with the hope of finding survivors, were officially terminated by the Trenton Rescue Co-ordination Centre on August 27, 1986, after the debris was identified. Among the items recovered were personal effects and pieces of the plane itself, including a Brant Aero baseball cap, a section of aluminum with foam flooring still attached, fabric and foam from the aircraft's seats, and an intact headrest. A particularly poignant discovery was a landing and after-landing checklist, which had been typed by Bud Field and was attached to a piece of the plane's sun visor. The case of Linda Blackwell and Terry Field is a tragic story that highlights the unforgiving nature of the Great Lakes and the inherent risks of aviation. The swift disappearance of their aircraft after a report of severe turbulence, followed by the discovery of debris the next day, provides a grim but incomplete narrative of their final flight. While the finding of wreckage confirmed the crash, the absence of the plane's main fuselage and the occupants themselves has left their families with unanswered questions and a sense of profound loss that has endured for decades.Last Seen: Aug 26, 1986
