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Cessna 172
On Sunday January 3, 1971, 24 year old Donald Tripplett and his 22 year old wife Kathy left Ladysmith, Wisconsin in their blue and white Cessna (registration number N8342L) heading for their home in Holland, Michigan, about 360 miles by air. They had been visiting Tripplett's parents in Bruce, Wisconsin over the holidays.
The US Coast Guard stated that Tripplett reported to the Ladysmith tower that he had four hours of fuel remaining when he radioed to check weather conditions. Wisconsin was hit by a severe snowstorm on Sunday, the day they took off. While the Coast Guard reported that Tripplett's flight plan called for circling Lake Michigan by a northern route, no flight plan had been filed.
It is believed the wreck is still somewhere in Lake Michigan. (with contributions from Valerie van Heest) MSRA is partially funded through a grant from
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