Sean Hayes Missing Person Case

Mar 10, 2021

Jun 21, 2024

Sean

Hayes

43

38

67 inches

160 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

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.

Jan 26, 2021

Ketchikan

Alaska

Ketchikan Gateway Borough

No

101383

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

AK21008900

2021-01-26

Alaska State Troopers

6077

Brown

Brown

Brown

07/28/2026