Earhart: Famous. Fearless. Vanished.Episode 101:24
The Signal They Heard but Could Not Follow
Ship and aircraft finally exchange signals, only to discover that hearing a signal is not the same as knowing which way to fly.
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Transcript
A plane was circling. The ship's signals reached it. Direction did not.
July 2nd, 1937, Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan left Lae, New Guinea.
Their destination was Howland Island, about 2,550 miles away.
Near Howland, the Coast Guard cutter Itasca waited to guide them by radio.
The Coast Guard crew worked through the radio exchange. Give them the signal again, then hold the receiver steady.
At 6:14 a.m., it reported 200 miles from Howland.
By 7:42 a.m., Earhart said they couldn't see the ship and fuel was low.
She also reported trouble reaching the Itasca by radio.
Just before 8:00 a.m., aircraft reported circling, sought bearings.
Earhart and Noonan reported receiving the cutter's signals, but could not get a minimum.
Without that minimum, the signal confirmed contact but failed to reveal which way they were flying.
The failed bearing left the aircraft's position uncertain.
From the cutter, the crew listened as the transmission faded.
At 8:43 a.m., it reported line 157-337, north-south.
Where it leaves off
Unable to turn the Itasca's signals into a bearing, Earhart transmitted one final clue: the line 157-337.
Sources
- The Japanese Government’s Offer of Assistance to Help Find Amelia Earhart, July 1937 – The Text Messagetext-message.blogs.archives.govsecondary
- Radio Log of the Last Communications of Amelia Earhart | National Archivesarchives.govsecondary
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