Northwest Airlines Flight 2501
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| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | June 23, 1950 |
| Type | Mysterious disappearance |
| Site | Lake Michigan |
| Fatalities | 58 missing, presumed dead |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | DC-4 |
| Operator | Northwest Airlines |
| Tail number | N95425 |
| Passengers | 55 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Northwest Flight 2501 (N95425) was operating its daily transcontinental service LaGuardia Airport-Minneapolis/St. Paul-Spokane-Seattle on the night of June 23, 1950. The flight, a DC-4 was carrying 58 persons (55 passengers and 3 crew members).
The plane was at around 3,500 feet (1070 m) over Lake Michigan about 20 miles NNW of Benton Harbor, Michigan when it vanished off the radar screens after requesting descent to 2,500 feet (760 m). A widespread search was commenced including searching and dragging the bottom of Lake Michigan with sonars and trawlers but to no avail. Other than some light debris found on the surface no trace of the plane or its occupants was ever found.
There were many suggestions as to what caused the plane to vanish from the radar. It is known that Flight 2501[1] was entering a squall line and turbulence but since no trace of the plane was found, the cause of the crash was never discovered.
The missing airliner is the subject of an annual search by Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates, a Michigan-based non-profit organisation. The search is funded by author Clive Cussler. Information about the search can be found at [2]
[edit] Note
The NWA 2501 designation now refers to a route from Richland, WA (PSC) to Portland, OR (PDX) with an intermediate stop in Pendelton, OR (PDT). The route is not operated by Northwest or one of its Airlink partners. Rather, it is a codeshare flight operated by Horizon Air.
