The Kinross Incident: Did a UFO Abduct an Entire Jet?

·36 min·3 clips

Researchers found that only the jet disappeared from radar, contradicting the UFO collision theory.

This episode investigates the 1953 disappearance of an Air Force F-89C jet and its two crew members over Lake Superior, an event known as the Kinross incident. Host Carter Roy is joined by researchers Zach Garner and Kyle Carey from the Open Skies Project, a group that now owns the historic radar station involved. The discussion centers on whether the event was a tragic accident or a UFO abduction, as popularized by author Donald Kehoe. On November 23, 1953, radar operators at Kinross Air Force Base scrambled Lieutenants Felix Monclaw and Robert Wilson to intercept an unidentified aircraft. Kehoe's 1955 book, *The Flying Saucer Conspiracy*, claimed a government contact told him the jet was "hit by a flying saucer" and that both radar blips merged and vanished. The official Air Force report concluded the jet crashed due to an accident, identifying the unknown aircraft as an off-course Canadian C-47. The Open Skies Project acquired a less-redacted copy of the accident report, which states radar contact was lost 33 minutes into the flight at coordinates over Canadian waters. Their research revealed the F-89C had a history of dangerous mechanical flaws, including wings that could detach during maneuvers and engine intake screens prone to icing. A key finding is that the two radar blips merging was standard procedure for a successful intercept and did not indicate a collision. The documents show only the jet's blip disappeared, while the other aircraft continued on its flight path. The Canadian pilot confirmed in a later letter he was never warned about the intercept and never saw the F-89. Researchers note it was unusual to intercept a civilian Canadian plane in its own airspace, speculating it may have been used for training. Another F-89C from the same squadron crashed earlier that same day in Wisconsin. A persistent mystery is a claim from a search pilot who reported hearing Monclaw's voice on radio 40 minutes after the jet vanished. In 2006, a sonar image claiming to show the wreckage was posted online but was later revealed as a hoax. The researchers state they found no evidence supporting a UFO abduction, instead pointing to the jet's documented mechanical failures and the severe weather that night. Kehoe, who later led the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena, misspelled "Kinross" in his book and several details he reported conflict with the official records. The tone is investigative and conversational, structured as a host-led interview with researchers examining historical documents. The style is educational, walking through archival evidence to test a popular conspiracy theory against declassified reports. Aviation history enthusiasts and listeners interested in methodical cold-case investigations would appreciate this episode's detailed document analysis. Those seeking definitive proof of extraterrestrial involvement or a purely sensational narrative might find it less engaging.

As heard by us

A disappearance story is tested against radar, procedure, and the stubbornness of records.

The Kinross incident is framed as a 1953 disappearance story with a clean, sturdy setup: radar picks up an unidentified aircraft over Lake Superior, two lieutenants launch an intercept mission, and the jet vanishes.

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Why you'd press play

For when you want a Kinross incident story that keeps arguing with its own legend.

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