Up in the Air: Another chance to solve the Amelia Earhart puzzle!

Is the mystery solved?

A group of researchers have recently discovered some startling evidence that the aircraft  Amelia Earhart and her partner, Fred Noonan, the navigator, were flying, has been found  at the bottom of the of the sea between Lae and Howland Island.

The remains of the aircraft have to be identified. But one of the researchers believes that this mystery of aviation has been solved. Global concern is anxiously waiting on the outcome.

They were attempting to fly around the world.
(A grainy sonar image (below), which will reignite “excitement and scepticism” over Earhart’s final flight.)
 

SPECIAL FEATURE

Main: Amelia Earhart with navigators Harry Manning and Fred Noonan in 1937. Below: Earhart’s plane which vanished in the Pacific. Photo: Associated Press and The New York Times.
 

Ninety-two years ago, Amelia Earhart flew into national prominence; she thrilled the world by becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. She battled strong winds and icy conditions to complete her legendary flight from the US to Ireland.

She said, “Now and then a woman should do for themselves what men have already done.” Amelia Earhart had a significant challenge left and her first thought was to fly around the world.

The memory of her disappearance has been transfixed in everybody’s mind to this day.
What happened on that final, fateful occasion?

On June 1, 1937, Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan, departed from Miami and began the 29,000 (47,000 km)  mile journey. By June 29, when they landed in Lae, New Guinea, all but 7000 miles has been completed.
 

Amelia Earhart didn’t get a chance to drive the Super Eight Packard given to her as a gift by the Packard Corporation in 1935.
 

At this stage, every unessential item was removed from the plane to make room for additional fuel, which gave Earhart approximately 274 (500 kms) extra miles.

They failed to reach Howland Island from Lae.

An extensive search of sea and air of a large area of the Pacific Ocean was immediately started. A US Coast Guard cutter, Itasca was stationed just off Howland Island.
 

A Grainy sonar image which may have solved the problem.
 

As dawn opened up the sky, Earhart called Itasca and reported “cloudy weather.” In later transmissions, Earhart asked Itasca to take bearings on her. The Itasca sent her a steady stream of replies but they were so faint she could not hear them.

Her radio transmissions were irregular and interrupted by severe static.

At 7.42am, the Itasca picked up the message, “Fuel is running low. We must be on you but cannot see you. Been unable to reach you by radio. We are flying at 1000 feet.”

The ship tried to reply. At 8.45, Earhart reported, “We are running north and south … “
Nothing further was heard from their aircraft.

Until now …

<< Frank Morris. Background by Restored Car Australia, Melbourne. New York Times.
 

Amelia Earhart: The Story