Nearly two decades after its disappearance, the wreckage of a small plane along with the remains of its long-missing passenger was discovered in Michigan's Lake Huron. Michigan State Police recently confirmed the findings, as per reports from CBS News Detroit. The plane, a Socata TB-20 Trinidad, went missing in August 2007 and was carrying H. Brooke Stauffer Jr., a 56-year-old man from Washington, D.C. Prior searches following the crash had only yielded the remains of the pilot, Karen Dodds.
The breakthrough came to light when Great Lakes Search & Recovery, a private company, resumed search efforts last October at the request of family members. A statement obtained by WWMT Newschannel 3 indicated that it was earlier this month when the search team discovered the wreckage near Bois Blanc Island. The discovery was made possible to swiftly relay to Michigan State Police, who were then able to recover evidence suggesting the remains belonged to the missing passenger, Stauffer.
Further investigation by state police divers led to the finding of skeletal remains amid the debris. The Center for Forensic Anthropology at Northern Michigan University played a crucial role, using dental records to establish the identity of the remains, confirmed to be those of Stauffer. The discovery has provided a semblance of closure for his family, with Stauffer, remembered for his contributions as the director of standards and safety for the National Electrical Contractors Association, as well as his prolific writing.
Jim Scholz, the founder of Great Lakes Search & Recovery, explained to UpNorthLive the unique challenges that presented themselves in this case due to the passage of time. "It was all old data. Usually we're working on something that is, you know, a week or so old, or even a day old, and so we've got witnesses we can speak to," said Scholz. "This case was much different with the 17-year gap." The art and science of search and rescue had to necessarily come together, navigating shifting currents and long years to find what the family had hoped to discover. Scholz's team employed new drift studies in conjunction with historical search data, an approach that proved essential in pinpointing the final location of the plane.
While the National Transportation Safety Board's original investigation didn't ascertain the cause of the crash, it remains to be seen whether this new development will ignite further inquiry. UpNorthLive reached out for comment but the NTSB has yet to respond to queries concerning a potential reinvestigation.
