A squall line developed on the afternoon of June 23, 1950 in the west. At about 11:00PM winds picked up. Several planes made it safely across Lake Michigan, but several others decided to turn back and find safety at a Michigan airport to wait out the storm. By midnight the squall line passed over the western shore of Lake Michigan running on a northwest angle. Witnesses reported seeing six layers of squall lines rolling in one after another. Lightning flashed between the cells of the storm. Winds whipped up the lake's surface.
    A last radio transmission suggested that Lind attempted to fly south around the squall line. Debris found floating south of his flight path suggested that perhaps he flew south then attempted to cross the lake on a different flight path. While Lind did ask for clearance to fly lower, his request was denied, "due to other traffic in the area." It is to this day, unclear what other traffic was in the air at that time or whether Lind chose to fly lower despite orders from air traffic control. One thing is certain: The plane did not make it. Whether due to storm, mechanical failure or a combination of the two, the cause of the crash can not be determined until the wreckage is found.