Couple flying small plane from Macomb County across Michigan vanished on 4th of July 45 years ago

No trace of the couple or their plane has been located

John and Jean Block and the plane they were in. (NamUs)

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – A couple vanished 45 years ago while flying their own plane from an airport in Macomb County to meet up with one of their sons in Northern Michigan on the Fourth of July.

John and Jean Block left the Macomb County airport on July 4, 1977, on their plane. The plane is a Cessna airplane that was white and green in color. It had the tag number N50935.

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The couple was going to meet one of their sons in Northern Michigan to celebrate the holiday together.

They were aiming for the Lost Creek Sky Ranch Airport in Luzerne, Michigan. They didn’t make it and haven’t been seen since.

Figure 1. Area affected by the July 4, 1977 derecho event (outlined in blue). Curved blue lines represent the approximate locations of the gust front at three hourly intervals. "P" represents the location of Phillips, Wisconsin. (NOAA)

According to the NOAA, the day they vanished, was the day of “The Independence Day Derecho of 1977.”

A Derecho is a fast-moving band of thunderstorms that have destructive winds. It initially formed over Minnesota the morning of July 4, 1977. It moved east-southeast and became very intense over central Minnesota around midday.

It continued across parts of Michigan during the evening and produced winds up to 70 mph and considerable damage. It finally weakened over Ohio around 1:30 a.m. on July 5, 1977. You can click here to learn more about the weather event.

View their possible flight path below

John and Jean Block's flight path. (NamUs)

Anyone with information should contact the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office at 231-995-5002.

DetailsJohn BlockJean Block
Missing Age5758
Current Age102102
Height5′6′'5′7′' - 5′9′'
Weight140 lbs160-170 lbs
HairGray or partially grayRed
EyesBrownGreen

Read: Michigan cold case coverage


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About the Author:

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.