27 February 2024: Almost two months down and only a couple left before Spring! Hang in, readers. It'll come - eventually! Last post we mentioned the possibility of Amelia Earhart's plane being discovered in the deep Pacific and promised you the story. This is pretty neat - if in fact it's true. From USA Today:
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| Amelia on a test flight in Oakland CA |
The disappearance of pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart – so famous she could've been the Taylor Swift of her era – has captivated aviation fans and history buffs for 86 years. Now, her missing plane may have been found deep in the Pacific.
Deep Sea Vision, a marine robotics company in South Carolina, says undersea scans produced a blurry sonar image that may be Earhart's Lockheed 10-E Electra. Earhart, who was sometimes called "Lady Lindy" after Charles Lindbergh, was piloting the twin-engine craft in her attempt to become the first woman to fly around the world.
Tony Romeo, Deep Sea Vision's CEO, said the image appears to be that of a plane on the seafloor about 100 miles from Howland Island. Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, were heading for the island when they disappeared in July 1937.
The aircraft is at a depth of about 16,400 feet. By comparison, the Titanic is located at a depth of about 12,500 feet.
Deep Sea Vision said its 16-member crew used an an advanced underwater drone to scan more than 5,200 square miles of ocean floor in search of the aircraft.
The sonar image has intrigued archaeologists while others remain skeptical. Romeo plans another undersea visit to gather more visual evidence. A date has not been set.
US Navy searched for Earhart without success
Earhart and Noonan began their flight by leaving Oakland, California, and flying east on May 20, 1937. They landed in Australia on June 29 and left Lae, a territory of New Guinea, at about 10 a.m. on July 2, intending to refuel at Howland Island, 2,550 miles away.
At about 5 p.m. they radioed their position as being over the Pacific near Howland Island and said they were low on fuel. Earhart radioed again at about 8 p.m. It was their last transmission and they were never seen again.
The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard spent 16 days searching an area about the size of Texas for Earhart and Noonan without success. They were officially declared dead on Jan. 5, 1939.
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Sure looks like a possible airplane to us, but time will tell. We will try to update when Deep Sea Vision makes another trip down to 16,000 feet below the surface!
Until next time,
Fair Winds,
Old Salt
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