On September 30, 1974, 31-year-old Robert Bergman, along with three other men, boarded a white and red trimmed Grumman Mallard Amphibian aircraft, registration N2965, in Anchorage, Alaska. The group was scheduled to fly to Kodiak as part of a seabird survey mission. The flight, however, never reached its intended destination and was reported overdue, prompting the initiation of search and rescue operations.
Also on board the aircraft and subsequently reported missing were Robert Johnson, Jay Haddock, and Leonard Boughton. Despite extensive search efforts, no trace of the aircraft or its four occupants was ever found.
The Grumman G-73 Mallard, the type of aircraft involved, was developed by Grumman Aircraft after the success of their smaller Goose and Widgeon models and was manufactured between 1946 and 1951. The particular aircraft in this incident, N2965, was operated by the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management Office of Aircraft Services based in Anchorage. The flight was classified as a survey or patrol mission. The pilot was experienced, with over 15,000 hours of total flight time. The plane departed from Anchorage for Kodiak, but at some point during its journey over the north Pacific Ocean, it is believed to have crashed into the sea. No distress call was ever received from the pilot.
The official investigation into the disappearance of the aircraft and its occupants was unable to determine a probable cause for the incident. Due to the fact that the aircraft was never recovered from the Pacific Ocean, investigators were left without the physical evidence needed to analyze what might have gone wrong during the flight. Search and rescue operations were eventually suspended after several days yielded no findings. The case remains a painful mystery for the families of the four men who vanished that day. The disappearance of Robert Bergman, Robert Johnson, Jay Haddock, and Leonard Boughton serves as a somber reminder of the unforgiving nature of the Alaskan wilderness and the inherent risks of aviation, leaving behind a legacy of unanswered questions and enduring loss.Last Seen: Sep 30, 1974
