Air travel is one of humanity's most valuable inventions, thanks to the Wright brothers. The invention of airplanes made world exploration possible, significantly reducing travel time compared to other modes of transport.
But alongside the thrill of flying, there's also the fear evoked by the numerous plane crashes that have occurred since the invention of the airplane. Some accidents have been explained, many have not. Some aviation mysteries continue to haunt us today. Here are a few that are of interest:
1. One of the oldest mysteries in aviation: the plane carrying the famous aviator Amelia Earhart disappeared in the Pacific Ocean on July 2, 1937. No trace of her or the plane was ever found.
The famous aviator Amelia Earhart and navigator Frederick Noonan were on a circumnavigation of the globe. In 1937, while attempting to fly from Lae, New Guinea, to Howard Island, a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Earhart became lost.
Earhart flew a Lockheed jet and maintained constant contact with a U.S. Coast Guard ship. «Itasca» . Before they vanished without a trace, Earhart reported that she was running low on fuel and had no idea where she was going. It is believed she attempted a water landing after being unable to locate her. «Itasca» . The ship emitted black smoke to help Earhart navigate, but it was of no avail. What happened to them remains a mystery. (source)
2. Having deviated from the course, the Avro Lancastrian aircraft called Star Dust crashed into Mount Tupungato in the Andes on August 2, 1947. The last message received from the plane was written in Morse code. It read "STENDEC." No one has yet been able to decipher its meaning.
The famous Avro Lancastrian aircraft, Star Dust , was heading to Santiago, Chile, after takeoff from Buenos Aires. The plane veered off course and disappeared completely from radar. On board Star Dust There were 11 people on board who also disappeared without a trace. The crew consisted of former bomber pilots who had served in World War II.
The plane is believed to be Star Dust crashed into Mount Tupungato in the Andes in western Argentina in 1947. The mysterious disappearance of this plane puzzled many until its remains were discovered in the Andes by several climbers. This solved one part of the mystery, but another part of the disaster remains unsolved.
The last message the radio operator received from the pilot in Morse code was "STENDEC." Along with the "STENDEC" message, the crew «Star Dust »" also indicated the estimated time of arrival—17:45. The pilot transmitted the "STENDEC" message three times, so there could be no mistake. No one knows what it meant. (source)
3. On January 30, 1948, a British South American Airways (BSAA) passenger plane was en route to Bermuda when it suddenly disappeared. It is one of the most controversial disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle.
The Bermuda Triangle is notorious for the disappearance of aircraft and ships. One of the most famous disappearances is that of a passenger jet. Star Tiger , which belonged to the British airline British South American Airways (BSAA).
Six crew members and 25 passengers departed the Azores and were en route to Bermuda. They were last contacted an hour before their estimated arrival time. At that time, the crew reported no problems. Another BSAA aircraft also departed an hour earlier. Star Tiger and flew along a similar route. They reported Star Tiger about weather changes and kept in touch with them. Star Tiger suddenly disappeared without making any distress signals or even a hint of alarm. Neither the passengers nor the wreckage of the plane were ever found. (source)
4. March 23, 1951, near the plane Douglas C — 124 Globemaster II , A US Air Force aircraft suffered a fire in the cargo hold and was forced to make an emergency landing in water. The pilots ejected successfully and landed in the Atlantic Ocean, but were never found.
More than 50 passengers on board the plane Douglas C — 124 Globemaster II disappeared without a trace along with him, creating a mystery that their relatives have been trying unsuccessfully to solve. Globemaster II The aircraft was en route from Loring to RAF Mildenhall when passengers reported a fire in the aircraft's cargo hold. They signaled "Mayday" shortly afterward.
They claimed to have made an emergency ditching, and the plane and crew were reportedly unharmed when they landed. The plane was equipped with life rafts and life jackets, and most of the crew were trained in ditching procedures. While they were in the rafts and signaling with flares, a B-9 pilot spotted them and reported their location. But when rescue teams arrived, no trace of the survivors or the plane was found. Several conspiracy theories have been put forward about the incident, but no one knows for sure what happened to them. (source)
5. Airplane Martin PBM- 5 Mariner , operated by ARTOP, with 30 passengers and six crew members on board, disappeared on November 9, 1958. In the last contact, the pilot said, "I am forced to land immediately." Nothing has been heard from them since.
During the flight from Lisbon to Madeira the plane Martin PBM — 5 Mariner, operated by the Portuguese company Aero-Topografica (ARTOP), disappeared without a trace. Martin PBM Mariner — an American patrol bomber-flying boat used in World War II and the early Cold War. When the aircraft took off from Lisbon at 12:23 PM, no technical problems were reported. However, at 1:21 PM, the pilot transmitted the emergency message "QUG," meaning "I am forced to land immediately.".
Portugal's Directorate General of Civil Aviation conducted an investigation into the incident. The 30 passengers and six crew members on board, as well as the aircraft itself, were never found. The plane's fate was determined to be "damaged beyond repair," but what exactly happened in 1958 remains a mystery. (source)