31/10/2022
Happy Halloween: The disappearance of Ben Padilla & the Angola B727 π»
On May 25th 2003, a 28 year old Boeing 727-200 [N844AA], formally of American Airlines, took off without warning from Luanda, Angola with no lights, no communication and no flight plan filed.
With the ATC tower desperately trying to radio the βghost planeβ, the aircraft departed out to the southwest over the Atlantic Ocean before disappearing out of sight.
The aircraft was never seen again and no debris from the aircraft has been found on land or sea, even following a CIA and FBI international search!
It is thought prior to take off that two men boarded the aircraft. One of them was American pilot and flight engineer Ben C. Padilla. The other, John Mutantu, was a hired mechanic.
Did they crash somewhere over the Atlantic? Did they make it to land and dismantle the aircraft to sell before fleeing? Let us know what you think in the comments below π
#727