Accidents
Missing Bizjet Wreckage Found in Lake Champlain
Jet's location has been a mystery since it crashed in 1971
N400CP missing jet crashed in Lake Champlain
A photo from the remotely operated vehicle that helped identify the wreckage of a jet that crashed into Lake Champlain in 1971. © Garry Kozak

The wreckage of an Aero Commander Jet Commander 1121A—registered as N400CP—that went missing shortly after takeoff from Burlington, Vermont, on Jan. 27, 1971, has been found by a team led by underwater sonar expert Garry Kozak. N400CP disappeared from the Burlington tower radar over Lake Champlain, and initial search efforts stopped when the lake froze over.

The NTSB accident report cites the jet's “missing location” and lists “undetermined” as the probable cause. The two pilots and three passengers onboard were presumed dead and the wreckage was “believed to be in Lake Champlain, New York,” the inconclusive NTSB report states.