New Guinea - Amelia Earhart & Fred Noonan, en route to Howland Island, 2 July 1937

[Richard]

Besides the theories that Amelia Earhart crashed at sea, or that she landed and perished on a small atoll - or even that she survived her ordeal and went into a long life of incognito - A number of books have been written which advance the theory that Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan were captured, along with their airplane by the Japanese military and imprisoned on the island of Saipan.

These books are based on interviews with Saipanese citizens and US military personnel, and indicate that Amelia and Fred landed somewhere on one of the Mandated Islands controlled by the Japanese prior to WW II and that they were imprisoned on the Japanese headquarters island of Saipan until just prior to the liberation of the Marianas by US forces in 1944 (75 years ago this month).

After 7 years of imprisonment, Amelia and Fred were then allegedly executed, and their plane (found intact by US forces) was destroyed on orders of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Here are a few of those books:

Paul Briand Jr.'s "Daughter of the Sky" (1960)
Fred Goerner's "The Search for Amelia Earhart" (1966)
Vincent V. Loomis' "Amelia Earhart: The Final Story" (1985)
Thomas E. Devine's "Eyewitness: The Amelia Earhart Incident" (1987)
T. C. "Buddy" Brennan's "Witness to the Execution: The Odyssey of Amelia Earhart" (1988)
Mike Campbell's "With Our Own Eyes," (2002)
Mike Campbell's "Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last" (2012)

 

[Alleykins]

Very interesting theories. I suppose we'll never know unless more solid evidence is discovered.

 

[Richard]

High above the Pacific Ocean in her gleaming two-engine Lockheed Electra, Amelia Earhart soared. It was July 2, 1937, and along with navigator Fred Noonan, she was on her way to their next stop-Howland Island, 1,700 miles southwest of Honolulu. The two veteran flyers were on the last legs of their around-the-world trip, having already completed 20,000 miles in six weeks.

But all was not right.

As the plane flew over a desolate portion of the Pacific, it became increasingly clear that they were in danger. The plane was too heavy, they were short on fuel, and the tiny island was always going to be difficult to locate-a two-and-half-square-mile spit of land in a big ocean. As the hours ticked by and the morning sun obscured her view, Earhart's voice rose in panic and confusion as she sent several clipped radio transmissions. Then, as far as the official record shows, silence. That silence would be the quiet beginning of one of the greatest mysteries in American history.

Now 80 years later, that mystery still fascinates, confuses, and confounds everyone who's searched for the two missing aviators since July 2, 1937...

LINK:

Why Amelia Earhart Still Matters

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Experts searching for the woman's body on the Pacific Ocean atoll where she's believed to have died say hungry crustaceans may have eaten the evidence.

The disappearance of Amelia Earhart is one of humanity's greatest unsolved mysteriesCredit: Getty Images - Getty

t's the latest claim from a team of scientists led by National Geographicwho are attempting to find Amelia's remains 80 years after her mysterious disappearance.

The 39-year-old vanished alongside navigator Fred Noonan on July 2, 1937, as she sought to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the globe.


The pair of Americans had taken off from Papa New Guinea and were headed for nearby Howland Island when their radio went dark, spawning decades of searches and speculation.

Based on their flight path, it's believed Amelia and Fred crashed off the uninhabited atoll Nikumaroro. They may have survived there for days before dying of thirst or heat exposure.
Lost body of doomed pilot Amelia Earhart 'may have been STOLEN by thousands of giant crabs', experts reveal

 

[JudgeJoe]

Well... Nikumaroro is very far away from Saipan. And both are very far away from Howland Island.

I can believe foul play from crabs or Japanese. But not so much thirst or exposure, because I’d think their resourceful adventurous spirits would’ve solved those problems creatively. Unless they were injured...

I hope science can solve this one day. Been a lifelong fan of AE.

 

[PrairieWind]

It will be interesting to see if Ballard can finds anything. I'm afraid that if she did land on Nikumaroro Island that there just isn't much to find. If the crabs did dismantle the bodies, there is little hope (I would think) finding anything now. The loss of the bones that were discovered is tragic. I guess there could be a better chance of finding remains of the plane, but that could be buried in silt and rock. I understand that the just off the beach the floor slopes down and there are frequent little avalanches that carry stuff down. It is still a fascinating mystery.

 

[Richard]

Some investigators believe Amelia Earhart crash landed on or near an uninhabited Pacific atoll now named Nikumaroro (pictured). It is south of her intended destination of Howland Island. As an aviator, she probably would have chosen to line up and land on one of the thin strips of beach which surround the atoll.

Click on the photo for link to article and a larger image of the atoll.

 

[PrairieWind]

From what I read, they are looking for the plane off the southwest side of the island. Which seems odd since that doesn't seem like the best place to try to land. But then, we don't know what the island looked like in 1937. I am sure a lot has changed since then.

 

[JudgeJoe]

Some investigators believe Amelia Earhart crash landed on or near an uninhabited Pacific atoll now named Nikumaroro (pictured). It is south of her intended destination of Howland Island. As an aviator, she probably would have chosen to line up and land on one of the thin strips of beach which surround the atoll.

Click on the photo for link to article and a larger image of the atoll.

I had heard that this lead investigator, finder ofTitanic, was on this mystery. It’ll make an interesting documentary for sure. Marking calendar for Oct 20 premiere...

Can’t believe 3’ crabs got them though. If you knew you were running out of fuel w Howland no where in sight, a good pilot would just land on that strip of beach. Probably not injured. Eat speared fish, crab, seaweed & coconut. Drink rainwater, coconut milk & distilled water. Create shade/shelter from the plane, vegetation, etc. Parts of that plane should still be there- IF that’s where they ended up. I can’t see digging up giant crab holes to DNA test bone fragments. But... it’ll still make a good documentary.

 

[PrairieWind]

I had heard that this lead investigator, finder ofTitanic, was on this mystery. It’ll make an interesting documentary for sure. Marking calendar for Oct 20 premiere...

Can’t believe 3’ crabs got them though. If you knew you were running out of fuel w Howland no where in sight, a good pilot would just land on that strip of beach. Probably not injured. Eat speared fish, crab, seaweed & coconut. Drink rainwater, coconut milk & distilled water. Create shade/shelter from the plane, vegetation, etc. Parts of that plane should still be there- IF that’s where they ended up. I can’t see digging up giant crab holes to DNA test bone fragments. But... it’ll still make a good documentary.

Yes, Bob Ballard, who found the Titanic and USS Scorpion, among other wrecks is on the case. His story is pretty amazing. He brings substantial resources and experience to the search. I still stick mostly to the theory that Earhart and Noonan just ran out of fuel looking for Howland and crashed into the sea. I think its possible they went to Gardner Island/Nikumororo, but I havent favored that theory. But Gardner Island offers something the crash at sea theory doesn't: A PLACE to search. Its a known location, ground, not sea, and small. If they died there, yes, i can see the crabs may have disposed of the bodies almost entirely. Nothing left to find. But I would think there should be more of the plane. But changing weather, climate, storms, etc, could have pushed it all off shore. Ballard can help search. If they crashed at sea still looking for Howland, lets face it, there is virtually no chance of locating that wreck. Its a tiny plane, perhaps in pieces, in extremely deep water for 80 years, and we don't really know where to look. Gardner Is gives a place to look that is as little as a few square miles in much shallower water.

 

[Richard]

One has to consider a number of things in such a search. Amelia and Noonan were experienced pilots and Noonan was a skilled navigator. So, they truly believed that they were close to the Coast Guard Cutter Itasca (which was off Howland Island). They were attempting to communicate with them and their voice communications were picked up by a number of stations.

Gardner Island/Nikumaroro is on a bearing from Howland that Amelia was flying in her attempt to locate Itasca. She would not have fallen out of the sky like a rock upon running out of fuel, but rather would have set up for a glide into the sea, or an emergency landing alongside any available island.

The radio transmission analysis mentioned in earlier posts indicates the strong possibility of Amelia attempting radio transmissions AFTER her plane was down. This would have been more likely from land rather than from a floating/sinking aircraft out at sea.

In the early 1940's some human remains and artifacts were found on Gardner Island/Nikumaroro and sent away for analysis. Unfortunately they have since been lost. But their existence could mean that more bone fragments could still be located and tested.

If Amelia and Fred did manage to land on the island, they could have survived for some time as indicated. If that was the case, I would expect that various items of emergency equipment, food tins, parts of the plane, etc might be found on the island even today.

 

[Betty P]

Yes, Bob Ballard, who found the Titanic and USS Scorpion, among other wrecks is on the case. His story is pretty amazing. He brings substantial resources and experience to the search. I still stick mostly to the theory that Earhart and Noonan just ran out of fuel looking for Howland and crashed into the sea. I think its possible they went to Gardner Island/Nikumororo, but I havent favored that theory. But Gardner Island offers something the crash at sea theory doesn't: A PLACE to search. Its a known location, ground, not sea, and small. If they died there, yes, i can see the crabs may have disposed of the bodies almost entirely. Nothing left to find. But I would think there should be more of the plane. But changing weather, climate, storms, etc, could have pushed it all off shore. Ballard can help search. If they crashed at sea still looking for Howland, lets face it, there is virtually no chance of locating that wreck. Its a tiny plane, perhaps in pieces, in extremely deep water for 80 years, and we don't really know where to look. Gardner Is gives a place to look that is as little as a few square miles in much shallower water.

Great to hear Bob Ballard is leading the team. He's done great work over the years. My favorite video of one of his explorations is The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal, where he explored many Allied ships that were sunk by the Japanese. A member of my dad's family is still down there with those ships. It was a great comfort to my grandmother, uncles, etc. to see where he rests.

 

[ColyH]

We have technology like satellites, google earth, and radar. There have been thousands of ships that have gone through the area and thousands of planes fly over head in the past 80 years. If Amelia Earhart's plane went down on an island or an atoll then I'm sure it would have been discovered by now.

I believe Earhart's plane went down in the Pacific Ocean and considering the size of the ocean, the currents, earthquakes, and tsunamis the plane has probably been torn apart and scattered all over the place.

 

[Richard]

If Amelia landed her plane on the thin strip of beach around the atoll, it could have been carried out by high tide and may have slid down into deeper water. Over the years, coral could have covered much of it.

The recent movie "Dunkirk" featured at the end, a British Air Force pilot making a long glide, engine out landing on the beach. Of course the movie made it seem like it took many minutes to accomplish, but in fact, it is a pretty accurate depiction of something Amelia might have done with her plane.

 

[Richard]

Just picked up a "reprint" newspaper The Chicago Herald and Examiner dated 5 July 1937 with Headline "Hear Amelia's Faint Calls".

The front page story and supporting articles all mention radio signals having been picked up by 3 or 4 agencies or official stations on her assigned radio frequency. The articles also mention individuals picking up signals and voice transmissions which were believed to have been sent by Amelia.

This was within 3 days of when she would have gone down.

Although the paper indicates that while the suspected transmissions were not positive proof of Amelia and Fred's survival, they revived hopes and warranted further searching for the downed aviators.

 

[Richard]

• 
• Fred Noonan and Amelia Earhart

 

[Richard]

Lockheed Electra Model 10 at National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida.

 

[iulia]

Bone fragments sent for DNA testing to determine possible link to Amelia Earhart

Three years after Earhart disappeared, bones were discovered on the Pacific Island of Nikumaroro, 1,200 miles from the Marshall Islands, in “the area where they think she might have had an emergency landing,” Dr. Erin Kimmerle, the researcher, told Fox 13 News.
[...]
The bones were examined, but—adding to the mystery—vanished while in Fiji. Kimmerle was contacted recently by National Geographic after reports that the bones may have been found in Te Umwanibong Museum and Cultural Centre on the island of Tarawa, Kirbati.

 

[Richard]

This is interesting news. It would be nice to know where these bones were held and by whom prior to ending up in the museum on Kiribati (pronounced Kiri-Bas).

If they do prove to be Amelia or Fred's remains, it will answer a lot of questions which have been asked since 1937.

 

[PaulR]

From what I read, they are looking for the plane off the southwest side of the island. Which seems odd since that doesn't seem like the best place to try to land. But then, we don't know what the island looked like in 1937. I am sure a lot has changed since then.

It actually is a good place to land - it's straight, and it was also near (at the time) a relatively recent shipwreck, which you can still see on the sat photos.

Here's an aerial view of the NW part of the island, the big rusty hulk is what is left of the SS Norwich City: Google Maps