The Last Entry in the Radio Log

Name: The Last Entry in the Radio Log
Genre: Documentary

The final clue enters the official record, and then everyone aboard the Itasca must confront the meaning of silence.

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Transcript

At 8:43 a.m., one final transmission entered the radio log—and then, silence.
On July 2nd, 1937, Earhart and navigator Fred J. Noonan flew from Lae, New Guinea.
The flight from Lae was headed for Howland Island, about 2,550 miles away.
Near Howland, Coast Guard cutter Itasca waited to aid radio navigation and communication.
The aircraft identified itself by the call sign KHAQQ, but the crew reported radio trouble.
At 6:14 a.m., the plane reported 200 miles from Howland.
By 7:42 a.m., the crew couldn't see Itasca, and fuel was low.
They reported flying at 1,000 feet and struggling to reach the cutter.
Just before 8:00 a.m., the plane reported circling, requesting bearings.
The Itasca radio log covers June 9th through July 16th, 1937. The room settles into a tense, listening hush.
Earhart and Noonan received the cutter's signals but couldn't obtain a minimum for a bearing.
At 8:43 a.m., the plane reported a 157-337 north-south line.
At 8:43 a.m., Itasca heard the aircraft's last communication.
The Itasca began a search after there was no sign of the plane.
The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard conducted the largest rescue search.
The search spread across the Pacific by air and sea.
After the final transmission, the cutter searched beyond Howland for any sign.

When KHAQQ stayed silent, the Itasca accelerated away from Howland and began searching the ocean.

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