Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP66846)
On May 3, 1992, a twin-engine Cessna 340 aircraft with the tail number N69469 departed from Yakutat, Alaska, destined for Anchorage. Onboard were 44-year-old Scott Frances Roth and four other individuals: Jeffrey Roth, Timothy Thornton, Kent Roth, and Brian Barber. The flight was intended to be a routine trip. The last communication received from the aircraft by FAA air-traffic controllers indicated the plane was at an altitude of 12,000 feet and was proceeding towards Anchorage using
instrument flight rules. After this final report, all contact with the plane and its five occupants was lost.
The disappearance of the Cessna 340 prompted an investigation, but no trace of the aircraft or the men on board was ever found. According to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board, the airplane went missing while flying in instrument conditions. There were no further radio communications after the pilot reported their assigned altitude. An interesting but unconfirmed piece of information came from the pilot's wife, who, after listening to air traffic control tapes, believed she heard her husband mention '6,000' and 'icing conditions' several minutes after the FAA's recorded last transmission. However, an enhancement of the tapes by the FBI laboratory could not confirm this statement.
The official probable cause of the incident is listed as a missing aircraft due to undetermined causes, with the aircraft presumed to be destroyed and the five occupants fatally injured. The case remains a painful mystery for the families of Scott Roth, Jeffrey Roth, Timothy Thornton, Kent Roth, and Brian Barber. Without any wreckage or further evidence, the exact circumstances of what happened to the flight on that day in May 1992 are unknown. The disappearance serves as a somber reminder of the unforgiving nature of Alaska's vast and wild landscape. The case is a lasting tragedy, leaving behind unanswered questions and a profound sense of loss for the loved ones of the five men who vanished without a trace.Last Seen: May 3, 1992
