On May 3, 1992, 45-year-old Timothy Thornton, along with four other men, boarded a twin-engine Cessna 340 in Yakutat, Alaska, for a flight to Anchorage. The other passengers were Jeffrey Roth, Kent Roth, Brian Barber, and Scott Roth. The journey was expected to be a routine flight. The last communication received from the aircraft reported that the plane was flying at an altitude of 12,000 feet and was proceeding on instruments toward its destination.
After this final transmission, all contact with the Cessna, tail number N69469, was lost.
Following the plane's disappearance, an extensive search was launched, but no trace of the aircraft or the five men on board was ever found. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain shrouded in mystery. One account suggests that the wife of the pilot, Jeffrey Roth, believed she heard him mention '6,000' and 'icing conditions' on the air traffic control tapes several minutes after the last official communication. However, an enhancement of the tapes by the FBI laboratory could not confirm this information. The terrain between Yakutat and Anchorage is remote and challenging, which would have complicated search and rescue efforts.
The official investigation into the disappearance of the Cessna 340 and its occupants concluded with an undetermined cause. The National Transportation Safety Board's final report classifies the incident as a missing aircraft with the cause of its disappearance remaining unknown. The case of Timothy Thornton and the four other men is a somber reminder of the unforgiving nature of Alaskan aviation. With no wreckage or any further evidence ever surfacing, the fate of the five individuals remains a painful and unanswered question for their families and the community. The complete absence of any sign of the plane or its passengers has left a void and a lingering sense of uncertainty.Last Seen: May 3, 1992
