The Louisiana Pilot Who ‘Disappeared Intercepting a UFO’
Louisiana pilot Felix Eugene Moncla Jr. disappeared in 1953 while serving in the United States Air Force after "Intercepting a UFO" according to the plaque inscribed on his memorial in an Avoyelles Parish cemetery.
Felix Eugene Moncla Jr.
Felix Eugene Moncla Jr. was born on October 21, 1926, in Mansura Louisiana located in Avoyelles Parish.
A few years after his birth, Felix and the Moncla family moved to Moreauville, La where he attended high school.
Gene Moncla was quite a high school athlete, earning and accepting "an athletic scholarship to Southwest Louisiana Institute, where he played football and received his Bachelor of Science degree" according to Wikipedia.
Southwest Louisiana Institute of course eventually became U.S.L. and is now UL.
So, basically, Moncla was a Ragin Cajun!
After graduating from S.L.I. Moncla enlisted in the Army and served in WII.
Upon returning home from service he attended college at UNO but decided to re-enlist in the service to fight in the Korean War in 1950.
However, it was the night of November 23, 1953, that would become infamously connected to Gene Moncla's legacy.
Louisiana Pilot Who Vanished Intercepting UFO - Kinross Incident
On the night of November 23, 1953, Air Defense Command radar operators in Michigan noticed an unusual target over Lake Superior.
According to Wikipedia "an F-89C Scorpion jet from Kinross Air Force Base was scrambled to investigate the radar return; the Scorpion was piloted by First Lieutenant Moncla, with Second Lieutenant Robert L. Wilson acting as the Scorpion's radar operator."
During the mission, Lieutenant Wilson reportedly had a difficult time tracking the object on the jet's radar, so Moncla and Wilson were given directions by Ground Control as they traveled towards the object.
At roughly 8,000 feet reports show Moncla closed in on the mysterious object.
That was the last time anyone heard from Lieutenant Moncla or Lieutenant Robert L. Wilson.
From Wikipedia -
"Ground Control tracked the Scorpion and the unidentified object as two 'blips' on the radar screen.
Assuming that Moncla had flown either under or over the target, Ground Control anticipated that moments later, the Scorpion and the object would again appear as two separate blips.
Donald Keyhoe reported that there was a fear that the two objects had struck one another, but the single blip continued on its previous course."
Multiple attempts were made by Ground Control to contact Lt. Moncla to no avail.
A search and Rescue mission was launched by both the United States Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), but those attempts found no trace of Moncla's F-89 or any trace of either of the two pilots.
The USAF Accident Investigation
The official accident report filed by the USAF states that Lt. Moncla and Lt. Wilson were to investigate an RCAF C-47 Skytrain that was traveling off of its planned course.
Lt. Moncla's jet was traveling at an elevation of 8,000 feet when it "merged with the other aircraft, as was expected in an interception" according to the report.
In the report, the word "merged" isn't exactly defined.
Does it mean Lt. Moncla's aircraft crashed into the C-47 Skytrain?
That doesn't seem likely and according to the earlier information on record, Ground Control noticed two blips on their radar, but as the two planes "merged" only one aircraft or blip, was seen flying away on the radar.
A pilot of another F-89 who was sent on the initial search and rescue mission stated in testimony that he heard a brief radio transmission from Lt. Moncla around 40 minutes before the jet disappeared.
However, he did not say what was said, if anything, during that brief transmission.
The official explanation from the USAF as to what aircraft was spotted on the radar that night is listed as "UNKNOWN".
Disappeared Nov. 23, 1953, Intercepting a UFO over Canadian Border
At Sacred Heart Cemetery located in Moreauville, Louisiana you'll see a memorial for Felix Eugene Moncla Jr. all the way in the back of the cemetery in front of the museum.
Sacred Heart Cemetery is located at 9986 Bayou Des Glaises St in Moreauville.
The Felix Eugene Moncla Jr. memorial reads -
"In Loving Memory of Gene
Felix Eugene Moncla Jr.
1st Lt. United State Air Force
Born October 21, 1926
Disappeared November 23, 1953
Intercepting an UFO Over Canadian
Border as Pilot of a F 89 Jet Plane."
Over the years there have been reports made that Michigan divers found remains at the bottom of Lake Superior of what was possibly Lt. Moncla's F-89.
However, according to numerous investigations into those reports, nothing has been found to substantiate those claims.
You can read more about the numerous investigations HERE.
As of now, Felix Moncla's F-89 jet remains undiscovered according to Wikipedia.