The Island Almost Too Small to Find

Name: The Island Almost Too Small to Find
Genre: Documentary

After crossing much of the world, Earhart and Noonan face a 2,550-mile flight toward a sliver of land in the Pacific.

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Transcript

An island was ahead. Fuel was falling. The aircraft had no reliable guide.
On July 2nd, 1937, Earhart and navigator Fred J. Noonan left Lae, New Guinea.
Archival footage shows the aircraft on Lae's runway, moments before departure.
The flight from Lae headed for Howland Island, 2,550 miles away.
Howland was not a broad coastline. It was a small target surrounded by water.
Near Howland, Coast Guard cutter Itasca waited to support radio navigation.
The aircraft identified itself with the call sign KHAQQ, linking sky and ship.
Earhart's original plan assigned Noonan to navigate from Hawaii to Howland Island.
The crew reported communication trouble as the aircraft continued toward Howland.
At 6:14 a.m., the plane reported 200 miles from Howland.
By 7:42 a.m., Earhart said they couldn't see Itasca and fuel was low.
They could not reach the cutter by radio, despite receiving its signals.
Before 8:00 a.m., the aircraft reported circling for bearings.
A map can offer a destination; the sky still demands a precise signal.
Earlier, Earhart told President Roosevelt she took the flight to show what women could do.
At 8:43 a.m., they reported line 157-337 north-south.

Howland was waiting ahead, but KHAQQ was already having trouble communicating with the Itasca.

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