ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 193324
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| Date: | Sunday 28 September 1879 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Pathfinder Hydrogen Balloon |
| Owner/operator: | John Wise |
| Registration: | n/a |
| MSN: | 1 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Lake Michigan, IL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | East St. Louis, Cahokia, Illinois |
| Lake Michigan, Illinois | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
On September 28, 1879, aged 71, John Wise disappeared with a passenger (George Burr) on a trip in high-speed winds from East St. Louis, Illinois over Lake Michigan. It is reported that the Balloon was last seen over Carlinville, Illinois (at approximate coordinates 42.07°N 87.93°W) or was seen 35 miles from Chicago drifting northeastward toward Lake Michigan at "Miller's Station".
No trace of Wise or the balloon "Pathfinder" has ever been found. The body of George Burr, the passenger, was found in Lake Michigan and left little doubt as to the fate of John Wise. This incident may have been the first-ever fatal aviation accident within the continental United States.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wise_(balloonist)#Disappearance
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_missing_aircraft
3. http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/wise.html
4. http://www.blimpinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/John-Wise-Balloonist.pdf
5. https://www.grandhaventribune.com/News/2014/10/13/Did-missing-airship-meet-its-fate-near-Grand-Haven
6. http://ny-ontariocounty.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/2249/Balloon-article-Apr-25-2013?bidId=
7. https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/john-wise-aeronaut
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Michigan
Media:
John Wise starting the first airmail delivery in the US, 17 August 1859Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 06-Feb-2017 15:11 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
| 15-Nov-2018 17:54 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Operator, Source, Embed code] |
| 10-Dec-2021 23:49 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 01-Apr-2022 12:56 | PolandMoment | Updated [Narrative] |
| 06-Sep-2022 14:15 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Category] |
| 07-Sep-2022 20:17 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Category] |
| 07-Sep-2022 20:17 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Category] |
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