For some, event at National Airline History Museum was a not-so-happy New Year’s party

Folks at Kansas City’s National Airline History Museum looked Friday like they would have loved to answer a question about an old airplane.

But here’s what they got:

“I came to see if my coat is here.”

The words came steadily from people who had attended a New Year’s Eve party Wednesday night at the museum. The event apparently did not exactly deliver as billed.

According to partygoers, the event, which cost $100 a head, ran low on food and drinks. And when some people went to leave, the coat check crew couldn’t find their coats.

“We checked four coats and they gave us three back,” Matt Lugo of Blue Springs said Friday at the museum, located at Wheeler Downtown Airport. “The missing one was my wife’s. A wool overcoat, a gift from her family. She was pretty upset.”

Museum officials told anyone missing a coat to come to the museum Friday to check on missing items. Lugo’s wife’s coat could not be found.

Partygoers estimated the crowd at 1,500 or so.

Event promoters, including former Kansas City Chiefs player Joe Perez, could not be reached for comment. KMBC 9 News posted a comment from Perez that said: “We are currently receiving feedback and learning of issues that some of our guests encountered. We are working collectively and diligently to address each of them.”

John Roper, the museum’s vice president of operations, said the party was put on by promoters and was meant to be a fundraiser for the museum. Roper acknowledged problems with the event and said an investigation was ongoing, but he declined to say if authorities had been notified.

“We are sincerely apologetic for what happened,” Roper said.

Museum officials also told people to send in a picture of their missing coat.

“I just got it for Christmas — I don’t have a picture of it,” a man said.

Anyone with questions about a lost item from the museum party can email events@airlinehistory.org.

This story was originally published January 2, 2015 at 6:31 PM with the headline "For some, event at National Airline History Museum was a not-so-happy New Year’s party."