Maine has a plethora of history, ghost stories, and lost aircraft mysteries. Apparently, Maine has a long history of aircraft tragedies, including the B-52 Stratofortress that crashed on Elephant Mountain in 1963.

The one that piqued my interest was the loss of a small single engine yellow and white American Champion Citabria, registration number N11655.

The pilot, Lewis “Billy” Hogan Jr. was only 28 years old and working for LISAir in Danbury, Conn. He flew off at approximately 8:15 a.m. on May 2, 1972, and was in route to the Houlton International Airport. His last report was a “mayday” around 12:15 p.m., but he was never heard from again.

The “VOR” beacon in Augusta failed to work for about four hours during stormy weather, and it is believed Hogan then became lost. Much of today’s search is centered around Waldo Mountain in Frankfort. Could the plane lie deep in one of the rock quarries in that region?

He has a brother who resides in Portland, and this case remains open. One of these ongoing search parties is the Down East Emergency Medicine Institute (DEEMI). This story has been covered by numerous newspapers in Maine, including the most recent article in The County by Jen Lynds dated March 7, 2019.

Hopefully, Mainers will once again help in this search to finally bring closure to his brother, and other family members. May “Billy” Hogan finally come home.

Joseph R. Calamia

Augusta

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