May 2005 Vol I

The Explorer is a regular publication of MSRA and is distributed via email. For more information visit www.michiganshipwrecks.org

The Search Begins.....As the search for Northwest Airlines Flight 2501begins again in 2005, historical research has beencrit ical in establishing the search area anddetermining what type of wreckage we hope to find.Dozens of newspaper art ic les and severalinterviews have narrowed down the search grid toa specific area of Lake Michigan off the shores ofSouth Haven.

Flight 2501 was a DouglasDC-4 airliner thattook off from NewYork’s LaGuardiaairport at 7:30 PMon Friday June 23,1950 with a crew ofthree and 55passengers, andheaded west underclear skies. Theuneventful f l ightpassed safely overCleveland, Ohio andcontinued west towardMinneapolis, Minnesota— a major hub forNorthwest Airlines. TheDC-4 reached the SouthHaven, Michiganlakeshore at 12:13 AM EST when CaptainRobert Lind, knowing of storms over Lake Michigan,requested clearance from air traffic control to 2,500feet. He was denied due to other traffic in the area.That was the last communication from Flight 2501.Her disappearance marked the largest aviationdisaster in U.S. history up to that point.

At daybreak, the search and rescue teams beganan intense search on the fog-covered lake. TheUS Navy, US Coast Guard and State Police fromIllinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana were onsite. At the time, authorities wanted to determinewhether the plane suffered a mid-air explosion, orwhether it struck the water intact. Small pieces

would be the only cluesthey had. The officialinvestigation ended withno major wreckagefound and no officialreason for the loss.

55 years later, MSRAhas made it a goal toresearch, discoverand document theloss of Flight 2501.While the story wasburied deep in thelost history of WestMichigan for half acentury, MSRA’splans reachedauthor Clive

Cussler who had,himself, become fascinated by the

loss of Flight 2501.

While Mr. Cussler had discovered over 80shipwrecks around the world, including the famedcivil war submarine, the CSS Hunley, he had neverattempted a project in the Great Lakes. Heimmediately suggested that h is Nat ionalUnderwater and Marine Agency – NUMA — team

The Search Begins.....

Letter From the BoardMembers and Friends,

MSRA is entering an exciting period oftime. We are a small organization with agrowing membership, focusing onrenewing and developing interest inlocal maritime history through the studyof our shipwrecks and other maritimeresources. One result of our growth isthe development of a quarterlynewsletter of which this is our firstinstallment. Another is the updating ofour web page, which can be viewed atwww.michiganshipwrecks.org

Another exciting development is thatour local organization has captured theattention of a nationally recognizedindividual, who shares similar interestsand goals with MSRA. That man isnone-other-than Clive Cussler,acclaimed author.

With Mr. Cussler’s backing anddirection, MSRA is launching into a jointventure search for the remnants of atragic local accident- the disappear-ance of Northwest Airlines Flight 2501in 1950, which was the worst UScommercial airplane disaster at thattime. Thedisaster did not receive muchnews coverage at the time, perhapsdue to the media’s attention to eventstaking place in Korea at the beginning ofthat war.

The possible discovery of portions ofthe plane, may help experts determine acause for the disaster that happened55 years ago, and serve as a memorialto those who were lost but notforgotten.

This year MSRA will also continue ourpursuits in discovering the SS Michigan,lost in 1883 off Holland.

This is what MSRA is all about- findinganswers to long unsolved mysteries.The challenge of the research - findingthe pieces of the puzzle that may leadto a discovery and ultimately to solvethe mystery, is what fuels us andkeeps us going. We hope that you willbe equally infused with this challenge.

Get on board and join the exploration!

Valerie van Heest

MSRA Board of Directors

Jan MillerValerie Olson van HeestCraig RichRoss RichardsonJack van HeestGeoffrey Reynolds

M i c h i g a n S h i p w r e c k R e s e a r c hAssociates , is a Michigan non-prof i tcorporation, whose mission is to PreserveMichigan’s submerged maritime history.To that end, the organization’s work includesresearch, exploration, documentation andeducation regarding historic shipwrecks withinMichigan waters, with an initial emphasis onthe area off West Michigan. MSRA works incooperat ion with State Agencies. As aHolland-based volunteer-driven organization,MSRA relies on memberships, fundraisingevents and grants to continue its work.

Join MSRA$25 Annual Individual MembershipIncludes 1 free admission to Mysteries and Histories event,daily search emails and MSRA newsletters.$50 Annual Family MembershipIncludes 2 free admissions to Mysteries and Historiesevent, daily search emails and MSRA newsletters.$100 Supporting MembershipIncludes 2 free admissions to Mysteries and Historiesevent, daily search emails and MSRA newsletters,plus a complimentary documentary in video or DVD.$250 Supporting MembershipIncludes 2 free admissions to Mysteries and Historiesevent each year, daily search emails and MSRAnewsletters, plus two complimentary documentaries invideo or DVD.$500 Sustaining MembershipIncludes the above plus the opportunity for you to join theMSRA search crew on a side scan expedition for one dayduring the June 2005 “Wreck Quest”.$1,000 Lifetime MembershipIncludes the above plus opportunity for you and a friend tojoin the MSRA search crew on a side scanexpedition for one day during the June 2005 “Wreck Quest”.

To join, please send your check, made out to MSRA,to the address at the left. Please indicate if you planto attend the event on May 7th, and how many ticketsyou need held for you.

up with MSRA to locate the remains of Flight 2501.The goal is to solve the mystery and determine thecause of this 55-year old loss.

That search continues in the spring of 2005 asNUMA’s chief search expert Ralph Wilbanks againjoins MSRA in the search to solve the mystery ofFlight 2501.

Mark Your CalendarsMay 7, 2005

Knickerbocker Theatre86 East Eighth St. 7:00

Please join MSRA and the Joint Archives ofHolland as we present Mysteries andHistories, An Evening Beneath The InlandSeas, MSRA’s annual event.

The Evening with feature four multi-mediapresentations about shipwrecks on theGreat Lakes, and will include the debut ofMSRA’s production The Disappearance ofFlight 2501, and feature, Ralph Wilbanks,who with Clive Cussler, discovered the CivilWar submarine Hunley.

Tickets are $10.00 for members and theirguests (one complementary ticket permembership), and $12.50 at the door fornon-members.

The search begins,.... Con’t

David Trotter returns to huntfor the S.S. MichiganIn June, MSRA will return to the waters off Hollandwith noted Great Lakes shipwreck hunter DavidTrotter to continue the search for the SS Michigan,which in 1885 became trapped in the ice during arescue mission, and instead become the victimwhen it sank to the bottom in 300 feet of water. THiswill be only the second year out of seven years that

we have been able to undertake twodifferent search efforts.

Shipwreck searching takes a lot of patience and perseverance. After the initial efforts toget the sonar in the water and tuned to delivering the appropriate frequency, then it becomea matter to “mow the lawn”. The boat moves a slow three miles per hour back and forthacross the lake with the sonar fish riding below the surface sending a signal back to theplotter on board. If the lake is calm and the weather clear, the team may scan the bottom

for as many as 10 hours per day. Or like last year, with only a small window of good weather, the teamscanned for 24 hours straight! We use the waiting time to swap stories of adventure and discovery, andwhen we tire of that, we retreat to a quiet corner of the boat and nap or read. Sound boring? Well it canbe, but to be on board when someone yells “TARGET!”, like sustaining member Lou Spencer was in2001 when MSRA discovered the Akeley, is worth all the waiting. To be among the first to discover ashipwreck lost for over 100 years is a once in a lifetime experience for most.

As members of MSRA, you can count on regular updates on the progress of the search for the Michiganwhich begins in early June. Sustaining members will have the opportunity to join in on the expedition.

“Treasure hunt? Youbet! Would I go

again? Of course!”

Lou Spencer, Sustaining Member

MICHIGAN SHIPWRECKRESEARCH ASSOCIATES

1134 Goodwood Ct.Holland, MI 49424www.michiganshipwrecks.org

Associates

Brendon BaillodHistorian/Writer

Dr. David SchwabOceanographerGLERL

Arthur AllenOceanographerU.S. Coast Guard

Kenneth PottMaritime Archaeologist

Kimberly E. MonkMaritime Archaeologist

One of the benefits of MSRA membership is thatyou will receive regular emails during the searchdetailing the day to day work taking place on thelake. And you will be the first to know the results ofthis joint venture. With the solid research that wehave collected, and the committment of Mr.Cussler, MSRA is looking forward to a successfuloutcome.