A Japanese man, Yoshikazu Suzuki, disappeared in 1992 after attempting to cross the Pacific Ocean in a wooden gondola lifted by helium balloons, in what has become one of Japan’s most bizarre missing-person cases.
Suzuki, who faced massive debts following business failures, sought to regain fame and fortune through a daring flight. On November 23, 1992, he launched what he called a “test flight” from Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. Without official permission, he untethered his gondola and set off on his Pacific crossing, never to be seen again.
According to Bengoshi JP News, Suzuki had a history of risky and unusual behavior, including ascending 5,000 meters in homemade devices, cutting his own tether lines with a lighter to descend, and climbing a 30-meter tower at the Yokohama Expo. After declaring bankruptcy in 1990, he conceived a plan to cross the Pacific using 32 helium balloons attached to a wooden gondola he named “Fantasy,” believing that success would bring him substantial business opportunities.
Suzuki’s preparation, however, was dangerously inadequate. He carried insufficient supplies, no drinking water, and inadequate cold-weather gear. He lacked a radio license, a compass, and any proper safety equipment. On the day of the flight, he gathered supporters, university students, journalists, and TV crews to witness his “test flight.” The Ministry of Transport had only approved tethered ground tests, not an actual flight—but Suzuki ignored this restriction, releasing the gondola and discarding 200 oxygen bottles and ballast, including bottles of Okinawan shochu, as the craft rapidly ascended.
The launch left Suzuki severely underprepared for high-altitude conditions. Only four of his six primary helium balloons functioned properly, and he had minimal food, no water, and insufficient oxygen. His clothing offered no protection against the freezing temperatures expected at altitudes of 7,000 to 12,000 meters, and rapid ascent put him at risk of acute mountain sickness.
On November 24, Suzuki reportedly contacted his family by phone, and the Japan Coast Guard tracked him from the air the next day. He signaled that he wished to continue flying, prompting the rescue team to cease pursuit. Suzuki has not been seen since, and his disappearance remains one of Japan’s most mysterious and audacious aviation cases.
