Autonomous Search Vessel Demonstration on Lake Superior

In partnership with Michigan Technological University (MTU), Ocean Infinity, and many others this pioneering mission in September 2024 sought to locate wreckage from a 1968 National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) plane crash near the Keweenaw Peninsula through high-resolution lakebed mapping.
In late October of 1968, a National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) plane carrying two pilots and a graduate student disappeared over Lake Superior, sparking a decades-long mystery. On a routine mission to collect water radiation and temperature data, the plane vanished without a trace after its last contact with the Houghton County Memorial Airport in Michigan. Despite extensive search efforts, only a few pieces of debris have washed ashore between 1969 and 2014, baffling investigators. The plane vanished in the “Great Lakes Triangle,” a region known for mysterious disappearances of airplanes and ships. The NCAR case remains open today.
Using Ocean Infinity’s Armada 8 (A8) ASV outfitted with an ultra-high-resolution 3D bathymetric sonar system, the mission successfully mapped over 45 square miles of Lake Superior, uncovering several "interesting" targets. While no definitive airplane debris was been identified in this initial phase, data processing is still underway. These initial findings will undergo a detailed review to determine if any targets warrant further investigation, to take place next spring or early summer.
In collaboration with the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) and MTU, the team anticipates a comprehensive data release and public publication, which will contribute valuable insights to regional marine archaeology and lakebed preservation efforts, including Lakebed 2030.
The project was the first of a series of planned tests showcasing the diverse applications of autonomous technology in the Great Lakes. By demonstrating the benefits of autonomy in large-scale lakebed surveying, the Coalition aims to foster broad stakeholder support for future missions and ignite an interest in high-tech exploration and preservation of the Great Lakes.
This mission was made possible by the generous support of these sponsors: