On November 5, 1979, 28-year-old pilot Michael Pfaff of Batavia, New York, took off in a small four-passenger airplane with two other men, Albert Zeitler and Richard D. Phillips. About 1:43 PM the aircraft sent a distress signal — the last known communication from Pfaff — and then vanished over Lake Ontario.

Despite search efforts after the distress call, no wreckage or remains were ever found. All three men remain officially listed as missing, and the absence of physical evidence has left families without closure. The case is an example of a disappearance tied to a presumed aviation accident where the airplane and occupants were never recovered.

If anyone knew Michael Pfaff, Albert Zeitler, or Richard D. Phillips, or has information about flights over Lake Ontario on November 5, 1979, please come forward.