Atlantic Ocean – June 6, 1983
Updated August 5, 2019.
Updated November 27, 2024
At 11:00 a.m. on June 6, 1983, a flight of three F-106 jet fighters took off from Otis Air National Guard Base in Falmouth, Massachusetts, for a routine training flight. All were part of the 101st Fighter Interceptor Squadron.
Visibility at the time was described as “somewhat limited”. The flight headed in a southerly direction towards the Atlantic ocean and climbed to an altitude of 12,000 feet. Forty minutes later, as the flight was passing about 60 to 90 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, one of the aircraft was noticed to be missing from the formation.
The two other pilots attempted to make radio contact with the missing aircraft but were unsuccessful, and it was assumed that the missing plane had gone down in the water. A large scale search and rescue operation was immediately put into effect.
The missing pilot was Captain Allan John Lavoie, 31, of Barnstable, Mass. It was reported that if he was able to eject from the airplane, that he could possibly make use of the life raft and other emergency supplies attached to the ejection seat. It was further reported that in the event a pilot ejected, a special radio was supposed to begin transmitting, but no emergency radio signal was received.
Captain Allan J. Lavoie
The five day search and rescue operation involved aircraft from the Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard, as well as military surface vessels but nothing was found at the time. Then, on September 3, 1983, a piece of Captain Lavoie’s aircraft was found by a boater floating near the shoreline on the south side of Naushon Island.
Captain Lavoie left behind a wife and three children.
Sources:
Providence Evening Bulletin, “More Ships, Planes Join Hunt For Guard Flier Off Nantucket”, June 8, 1983, Page A9
Providence Journal Bulletin, “Search Ends For Air Guard Pilot As The Silent Sea Yields No Clue”, June 11, 1983, Page 1.
The Falmouth Enterprise, “Find Piece Of Downed F-106”, September 13, 1983.
