Disappearance of Thomas Hale Boggs Sr. (Arkansas)
Thomas Hale Boggs Sr., then House Majority Leader, disappeared on October 16, 1972, along with Congressman Nick Begich, Begich's aide Russell Brown, and pilot Don Jonz, during a flight from Anchorage to Juneau, Alaska. Despite an extensive 39-day search, no trace of the twin-engine Cessna 310 plane or its occupants was ever found. The cause is widely believed to be an accidental crash due to bad weather, though conspiracy theories have persisted. Boggs and Begich were posthumously re-elected, and Boggs was officially declared dead in absentia on December 29, 1972. The case remains unsolved, with no wreckage or remains ever recovered.
Timeline
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Track this story2025
1 update
2025
1 updateA new series, 'Hunting History with Steven Rinella,' is set to premiere on The HISTORY Channel, with an episode investigating the 1972 disappearance of the Begich/Boggs flight.
via spartacus-educational.com·charleyproject.org·youtube.com·reddit.com·youtube.com
2024
2 updates
2024
2 updatesA Search and Rescue pilot proposed a new hypothesis suggesting that the plane's pilot, Don Jonz, may have taken an alternate route not covered in the original search efforts.
via cessnaowner.org
A 1972 KH-9 Hexagon spy satellite photo inadvertently captured parts of the aerial search efforts for Boggs' plane. Additionally, a new conspiracy theory alleges Boggs was targeted by J. Edgar Hoover and the 'Deep State' due to his investigation into a surveillance program, with a supposed confession from a former CIA pilot.
2022
2 updates
2022
2 updatesOn the 50th anniversary of the disappearance, an opinion piece in the Juneau Empire, written by Boggs's grandson, calls for a renewed military search for the missing plane, citing new technology and the possibility of wreckage being exposed by climate warming.
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Journalist Jon Walczak, creator of the 'Missing in Alaska' podcast, suggests he has uncovered new information regarding the disappearance and is considering a second season of the podcast.
via 221bpartners.com
2021
1 update
2021
1 updateA Doe Network entry, updated in November 2021, noted a 2012 investigation by the Seattle Weekly that used Freedom of Information Act requests to uncover documents related to Thomas Hale Boggs Sr.'s disappearance.
via doenetwork.org
2020
2 updates
2020
2 updatesA Reddit discussion from 2020 highlights the 'Missing in Alaska' podcast's exploration of a theory that a bomb may have been planted on the plane by a mobster who later married Begich's widow. This provides a specific example of the new information the podcast is investigating.
via reddit.com
The disappearance is investigated in a podcast produced by iHeartMedia called 'Missing in Alaska.'
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1973
3 updates
1973
3 updatesLindy Boggs, Thomas Hale Boggs Sr.'s wife, is elected in a special election to fill her husband's vacant congressional seat.
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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its report on the incident, noting that neither the pilot nor the aircraft had an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) and that a portable ELT was found in another aircraft. This accident influenced the adoption of the ELT requirement in 1973.
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House Resolution 1 officially recognizes Boggs's presumed death, paving the way for a special election to fill his vacant seat.
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1972
5 updates
1972
5 updatesThomas Hale Boggs Sr. is officially declared dead in absentia after a hearing and jury deliberation.
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After 39 days, the extensive search for the missing aircraft and its occupants is suspended. Neither the wreckage nor any remains are found.
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Despite being missing, both Thomas Hale Boggs Sr. and Nick Begich are posthumously re-elected in the November elections.
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A massive search operation was launched involving the Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, Civil Air Patrol, and civilian aircraft.
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The US Coast Guard reports the plane overdue, and the Air Force diverts an 8C130 aircraft to begin a search.
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Story began · 54 years, 2 mo ago