Amelia Earhart Search Update

[Bill Greenwood]

In the news today is the latest in the search for Amelia and Fred. This is not the nonsense from Tighar, other than perhaps general location, this is by Robert Ballard, ex Navy and an ocenographer the expert that found the Titanic, Bismark and other historic shipwrecks. With his research vessel they searched the waters in a circle of Nikomaru , (sp?) and found a shipwreck, but no sign whatsoever of the Lockheed or airplane wreckage Ballard says it was not wasted effort as now they can rule out that area. Next he plans to look around Howland Island, her original destination, as she may well have ditched close to there. One of the difficulties of the search is the immense size oft he Pacific including 16,000 ft depths and the small size of her plane and the fragile nature of it compared to an 800 ft ship. He did say, its down there somewhere and he hopes to find it.

[BusyLittleShop]

After reading a number of books on Amelia Earhart I favor the crash and
sink theory... I believe Amelia and Fred ran out of fuel searching for
Howland Island and ditched at sea... Ballard is the man with the
equipment and expertise to solve this mystery... Good hunting...

Amelia Earhart's last transmissions:

At 7:42 AM Earhart reported "We must be on you, but cannot see you –
but gas is running low. Have been unable to reach you by radio. We are
flying at 1,000 feet."

At 8:43 AM, Earhart reported, "We are on the line 157 337. We will
repeat this message. We will repeat this on 6210 kilocycles. Wait."
"unintelligible" "We are running on line north and south."

Earhart's intended flight path was a leg of 2,556 miles the longest
flight close to the maximum range of the Electra...

8098

[Floatsflyer]

Robert Ballard has immense cred because of his background and the amazing discoveries he's found. But I'm sure he knows that trying to find Amelia's plane is the polar opposite of finding Titanic and Bismark. Everyone knew exactly where those ships went down because of SOS Long/Lat transmissions that went out, were received and recorded 107 years ago and 78 years ago respectively. Nobody anywhere at any time in the history of the world since 1937 knows where the Lockheed is.

I don't know why Ballard thinks he can be any better at it than TIGHAR. He does have a lot more money to waste, I mean invest, in the search.

[Kyle Boatright]

I don't know why Ballard thinks he can be any better at it than TIGHAR. He does have a lot more money to waste, I mean invest, in the search.

Ballard at least has the advantage of starting with fewer preconceived ideas. TIGHAR had a theory and worked very hard over the years to find or interpret evidence to support its theory. Ballard's paycheck (unlike Tigger's) doesn't depend on the sustenance of a particular theory. He's just looking for an airplane.

[Bill Greenwood]

If you want to read one comprehensive book on Amelia and the search for her, Jeff Ethel's book is the best on that I have found. It says there were natives on Saipan that say they saw her plane on a Japanese ship and she and Fred were held by the Japanese. Now Jeff freely admits that there is no proof of this at all, that these natives had a natural bent to try to please Americans and also were very poor so that they'd say anything they thought you wanted to hear for $50. There is one other intriguing fact, the Japanese say they searched some of the islands themselves for her, places where they U S did not search. Jeff said he researched records in Japan and one the the ships that was supposed to be searching never even left its home port at the time of the search. So why lie about the ship, was it because Japan by then knew exactly where the captives were? Or is this just some mistake? Who knows?
And Jeff admitted that it was only one theory and it was equally likely they went down at sea.

Here's a big hole in the Japanese capture theory, we were not then at war with Japan, if their ship would have found the flyers would they help them or treat them like pows. I think they'd help them, but who knows. Japan could have gotten worldwide and especially in the U S , good will by rescuing them.

[Airmutt]

Just yesterday USF announced that they would be conducting DNA testing on bone fragments that were supposedly found on Nikumaroro in 1940. Unfortunately the fragments were ”lost” and supposedly found in Tarawa. So the chain of custody is very much broken and they readily admit that broken fragments were co-mingled. The article stated it should take about a year for the results.
Personally, I think the Japanese either found or captured them. US - Japanese tensions started escalating as early 1931. Things really started going south in 1937. Given the Japanese expansionist actions; turning them over probably would not have curried much favor on behalf of the US in their minds.

[BusyLittleShop]

What I gather about 1937 is Japans mood was like that of a Ninja...
like don't do anything baka (stupid) to raise US suspicions...

In 1937 during the months the US searched for Amelia the Japanese were
poker face about their plans to tackle the US and I believe they would
never risk such World condemning action to hold America's flying sweet
heart hostage... fast forward 5 months and on December 12 1937 USS
Panay was sunk by Japanese... Not only did Roosevelt demand and
receive an apology but Japan agreed to pay $2 million in reparations...

8099

[Airmutt]

True, but the Japanese invaded Nanking about a week after Earhart went down. The slaughter of 300k people doesn’t exactly fit the definition of lying low. Japan was on a war footing and hellbent on its expansionist plans. The reason for the attack on the Panay is still debated.
We forget that communications and transportation took a much longer time back then. Earhart my not have even been transported to her final destination when the Panay was sunk. The Nanking massacre and the Panay incident pretty much set the US against Japan and set the stage for war.
In my lightning quick mind, IF the Japanese had Earhart she was executed or most likely died in obscure captivity.
Until definite proof is found, everybody is right and everybody is wrong.

[Kyle Boatright]

When I was a kid, I read all of the AE disappearance books. Lots of interesting theories there.

But, now that I've had a few years to reflect on it, I think she ran out of gas near Howland and didn't survive the ditching. Why? Because her radio transmissions to Itasca were properly timed for her arrival and grew to being relatively strong, all of which indicates to me that she navigated close to Howland, but ran out of fuel and ditched before locating the island.

[BusyLittleShop]

True Dave... until definite proof is found all theories are possible even off the wall Alien abduction... but my learned speculation is on #1

1)Crash and sink theory
2)Gardner Island theory
3)Japanese capture theory
4)Spied for FDR rumor
5)Tokyo Rose broadcast theory
6)Flew to New Britain theory
7)Assumed another US identity theory

8100

[Bill Greenwood]

The story of Japanese capture and killing and disposing of the plane without a trace, means that hundreds of soldiers and sailors, not to mention those in charge back in Japan that would have made such a large decision, would have had to keep it secret all these 82 years and other than the testimony of a few natives on Saipan, no contradictory evidence of their guilt has ever come forward, not even rumors. Now is that possible, is it likely? Japan was a closed society very militaristic and dictatorial so maybe it could be kept under wraps all that time. During the war when Japan was beginning to lose and being driven back from the islands, the pilots going home on leave were told not to talk about the battles and certainly not about their losses. I don't think they had independent media people out on the battlefield like the Allies did.

[Floatsflyer]

The Ballard expedition, funded by National Geographic, was filmed and made into a documentary which airs on Sunday, Oct.20.

SPOILER ALERT: Nothing happens! Nothing ever happens! Leave the poor girl alone. Let her memory rest in peace.

[martymayes]

I like the Buddy Brennen version. Amelia was being naughty and spying on the Japanese for the US gov. She was shot down, taken prisoner and executed several yrs later, just before Americans invaded. He found a witness that saw her blindfolded and executed under a breadfruit tree on Saipan. He went to the same breadfruit tree, dug a hole and found a tattered piece of cloth - yes! the actual blindfold (lol) used when she was executed. Of course the US gov. knew all about this so they were in on the conspiracy to keep it quiet for 80+ yrs.

[DaleB]

I like the Buddy Brennen version. Amelia was being naughty and spying on the Japanese for the US gov. She was shot down, taken prisoner and executed several yrs later, just before Americans invaded. He found a witness that saw her blindfolded and executed under a breadfruit tree on Saipan. He went to the same breadfruit tree, dug a hole and found a tattered piece of cloth - yes! the actual blindfold (lol) used when she was executed. Of course the US gov. knew all about this so they were in on the conspiracy to keep it quiet for 80+ yrs.
Now I need a couple of ibuprofen. I have a headache caused by my eyeballs rolling so hard.

[Floatsflyer]

I like the Buddy Brennen version. Amelia was being naughty and spying on the Japanese for the US gov. She was shot down, taken prisoner and executed several yrs later, just before Americans invaded. He found a witness that saw her blindfolded and executed under a breadfruit tree on Saipan. He went to the same breadfruit tree, dug a hole and found a tattered piece of cloth - yes! the actual blindfold (lol) used when she was executed. Of course the US gov. knew all about this so they were in on the conspiracy to keep it quiet for 80+ yrs.

.....and Noonan, what became of him? His parents called me, they're really upset that people only talk about Amelia.

[CHICAGORANDY]

I confess!!!

I've kept Amelia in a cage in my basement right next to my living Sasquatch, both of them sitting on piles of treasure from Oak Island.

I'm sorry - why? was somebody looking for them???

[DaleB]

You guys waste SO much of my time. I went looking for a Sgt. Schultz "Jolly jokers" pic to post here, and ended up watching a full episode of Hogan's Heroes on Youtube. It's all your fault.

:)

[Floatsflyer]

I went looking for a Sgt. Schultz "Jolly jokers" pic to post here, and ended up watching a full episode of Hogan's Heroes on Youtube.

Loved that show. "I see nutting."

[Bill Greenwood]

A skull was found on Nikkomuro in 1940 and originally identified as male. The bones disappeared for years but have been preserved. Now a U of S Florida researcher thinks they may be female and about Amelia's size. DNA from them has been sent for testing. I wonder if the material if too deteriorated for a valid test? I think it is really unlikely to be her's but who knows.