On January 26, 2021, 38-year-old Sean Matthew Hayes embarked on a flight from Ketchikan, Alaska, in his 1949 Cessna 170A with tail number N9114A. His intended destination was Lake Havasu, Arizona, a trip he had successfully made multiple times before. Hayes, a resident of Kodiak, Alaska, with over 600 hours of flight time, planned to make a refueling stop in Port Angeles, Washington. He departed from Ketchikan around midday, beginning a journey that would tragically be his last.
As Hayes flew towards Port Angeles, he encountered challenging weather conditions, including strong headwinds and dense cloud cover over the Inside Passage. These conditions slowed his progress and caused him to worry about his fuel levels, a concern he expressed in text messages to his mother. His estimated time of arrival kept fluctuating on his GPS due to the turbulent weather and the need to navigate around clouds. At approximately 4:40 p.m., as he neared his refueling destination, Hayes broadcasted a mayday call, stating he was 'going down in the water' near a boat pulling a barge in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, roughly 20 miles south of Victoria, B.C.
The U.S. Coast Guard, along with the Royal Canadian Air Force and local fishing vessels, immediately launched an extensive search and rescue operation. For two days, searchers scoured nearly 1,200 square miles of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, using infrared cameras and radar in their efforts. Despite their exhaustive search, they were unable to locate any sign of Sean Hayes or his Cessna. The National Transportation Safety Board later released a preliminary report suggesting that the aircraft had likely run out of fuel. The disappearance of Sean Hayes remains a painful mystery for his family and friends, who remember him as a man whose heart was always in his plane. The case serves as a somber reminder of the unforgiving nature of the sea and the inherent risks of aviation, leaving behind a legacy of unanswered questions and a profound sense of loss.
Last Seen: Jan 26, 2021
