The Mystery Lives On
Amelia Earhart, an aviation pioneer, disappeared years ago, during her last—and grandest—flight. No one is sure what happened to her. What do YOU think? Read her story below. Then take our instant opinion poll. You’ll find out how your opinion compares to those of other readers.
AROUND THE WORLD
On May 20, 1937, Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan took off from Oakland, California, planning to fly around the earth at its waistline, the Equator. The journey would be 27,000 miles (43,000 kilometers). By July they had covered 22,000 miles (35,000 kilometers), stopping repeatedly along the way to meet the public and take on fuel. At 10:22 a.m. on July 2, 1937, they took off from New Guinea intending to fly 2,556 miles (4,113 kilometers) nonstop to tiny Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean.
Their shiny Lockheed Electra 10E had two engines but, in an emergency, could fly on one. Laden with extra fuel, the Electra could go 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) without refueling. Earhart expected to reach Howland in 18 hours with fuel to spare.
After takeoff, Earhart stayed in radio contact with New Guinea for seven hours. Later a U.S. Coast Guard ship, the Itasca, waiting near Howland Island, received a report from Earhart saying they were on course, about 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) out from New Guinea.
LOST!
The next morning, Earhart reported to the Itasca: “Gas is running low. Been unable to reach you by radio. Flying at a thousand feet. Only half-hour’s gas left.” A few minutes later she said, “We are circling but cannot hear you.” Her last transmission to the Itasca gave her position as “running north and south.”
The Itasca continued to transmit, but the crew heard nothing more from Earhart’s plane. Rescue efforts began. Ten ships and 65 airplanes searched for 16 days, but no trace of the Electra nor its crew ever turned up. Reports said that Earhart and Noonan must have gotten lost, run out of fuel, and died when their plane went down at sea. The U.S. Navy ended the search July 19, 1937. The world mourned.
THE MYSTERY CONTINUES
To this day, people wonder what happened. In 1937, with World War II approaching, tensions between Japan and the U.S. were on the rise. Japan had taken control of many islands in the Pacific Ocean and was secretly gearing up for war.
Some believe Earhart had been spying on Japanese military moves for the U.S. government. She might have made an emergency landing and survived. Some claim she was captured by the Japanese and executed. One investigator says Earhart was kept prisoner in Tokyo, Japan, until after the war. He thinks she then returned to the U.S. under a new name.
Many theories remain. An investigator may someday find enough evidence to prove that Earhart survived. Until then, most people will hold to the belief that Earhart and Noonan died at sea after running out of fuel. In the end, Earhart may have died as she had wished. “When I go,” she often said, “I’d like best to go in my plane.”
Illustration by Bruce Martin |
