Joseph Leblanc, Jr Missing Person Case

Mar 17, 2020

Sep 15, 2023

Joseph

Leblanc, Jr

89

60

69 inches

180 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

On a summer day in Alaska, on July 3, 1997, 60-year-old Joseph J. Leblanc, Jr. boarded a sightseeing airplane for what should have been a memorable tour of the stunning glacial landscape. He was one of five passengers on a Piper PA-32 aircraft that took off from Haines, operated by Haines Airways Inc. The flight was part of an eagle-viewing and glacier tour offered to cruise ship passengers docked in nearby Skagway. The plane soared over magnificent glaciers before heading north into the Taiya Inlet, on its return to Skagway. However, the scenic flight turned to tragedy when the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of engine power as it approached the airport, leaving the pilot with no choice but to ditch the plane into the frigid ocean waters. The plane came down approximately one and a half miles southwest of Skagway, forever changing the lives of everyone on board. The aircraft, having been ditched about 100 feet from a shore lined with near-vertical rocks, quickly sank into the depths of the inlet. The passengers and pilot were plunged into the 39-degree water. A helicopter that had been flying about a mile behind the tour plane witnessed the event and immediately flew over the scene, with its occupants dropping life vests into the water to aid the victims. A second rescue helicopter was dispatched from Skagway and arrived within 10 minutes. The crew of the second helicopter was able to pull two survivors from the water, the pilot and one passenger. Tragically, two other passengers were found floating face-down and did not survive. An investigation later revealed that a mechanical failure involving the left magneto impulse coupling led to the engine failure. The investigation also noted that passengers may not have been aware of how to access life vests, which were stored in seat-back pouches that were obscured by slip-covers. Despite the swift response from rescue teams, Joseph Leblanc, Jr. and another passenger, John L. Blanda, were not seen by the initial helicopter crew that arrived on the scene. An extensive search was launched in the waters of the Taiya Inlet, but neither Mr. Leblanc nor Mr. Blanda were ever located. The wreckage of the airplane was eventually located by recovery divers and hoisted from a depth of about 153 feet on the night of July 9, 1997. The case remains a sorrowful mystery for the families of the two missing men. The official investigation concluded the probable cause of the accident was the engine failure, but for the loved ones of Joseph J. Leblanc, Jr. and John L. Blanda, the lack of resolution continues. Their disappearance is a heartbreaking reminder of the suddenness of tragedy and the unforgiving nature of the Alaskan wilderness.

Jul 03, 1997

Juneau

Alaska

Juneau Borough

No

77575

Alaska State Troopers

Anchorage

Alaska

Anchorage Borough

99507

Malia Miller

Missing Persons Clearinghouse Manager

5700 East Tudor Road, Alaska

9072695511

State

Law Enforcement

970044518

1997-07-03

Alaska State Troopers

Gray or Partially Gray

Brown

Brown

07/08/2026