"Mysteries at the Museum" Is Amelia Earhart Alive? - Mysteries at the Museum Special

1 00:00:01,202 --> 00:00:02,334 It's one of the deepest 2 00:00:02,336 --> 00:00:03,802 mysteries of all time. 3 00:00:03,804 --> 00:00:06,272 [ Suspenseful music plays ] On July 2, 1937, 4 00:00:06,274 --> 00:00:09,809 a gleaming, silver airplane and its two-person crew 5 00:00:09,811 --> 00:00:11,877 disappeared without a trace 6 00:00:11,879 --> 00:00:15,147 somewhere over the vast Pacific Ocean. 7 00:00:15,149 --> 00:00:19,552 The pilot was perhaps the most famous woman in the world: 8 00:00:19,554 --> 00:00:21,753 Amelia Earhart. 9 00:00:21,755 --> 00:00:23,289 For more than 80 years, 10 00:00:23,291 --> 00:00:25,558 the official story has been the same. 11 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:27,426 And then she says, "Wait." 12 00:00:27,428 --> 00:00:29,562 They never heard her after that. 13 00:00:29,564 --> 00:00:33,099 Earhart ran out of fuel and crashed into the sea. 14 00:00:33,101 --> 00:00:36,035 But what if everything we thought we knew about Earhart 15 00:00:36,037 --> 00:00:37,837 was wrong? 16 00:00:37,839 --> 00:00:40,305 Now, I'm looking at all-new evidence... 17 00:00:40,307 --> 00:00:41,774 Did you find anything? 18 00:00:41,776 --> 00:00:42,908 I sure did. 19 00:00:42,910 --> 00:00:44,910 ...from several alternate theories... 20 00:00:44,912 --> 00:00:47,512 All these signals all triangulate 21 00:00:47,514 --> 00:00:48,781 right here. 22 00:00:48,783 --> 00:00:51,117 ...that challenge the most basic beliefs 23 00:00:51,119 --> 00:00:52,251 of the Earhart story. 24 00:00:52,253 --> 00:00:54,453 [ Suspenseful chords striking ] 25 00:00:54,455 --> 00:00:58,991 Is it possible Amelia Earhart survived that final flight? 26 00:00:58,993 --> 00:01:01,994 [ Sonar pings ] My mission is to dive deep into the facts 27 00:01:01,996 --> 00:01:03,795 and uncover the true fate 28 00:01:03,797 --> 00:01:06,532 of one of the boldest women in American history. 29 00:01:06,534 --> 00:01:08,267 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 30 00:01:08,269 --> 00:01:09,801 I'm Don Wildman. 31 00:01:09,803 --> 00:01:12,204 I've explored the world's greatest mysteries, 32 00:01:12,206 --> 00:01:14,006 examined rare artifacts 33 00:01:14,008 --> 00:01:15,141 and epic monuments. 34 00:01:15,143 --> 00:01:16,675 That is unbelievable. 35 00:01:16,677 --> 00:01:19,878 Now, I'm digging deeper into some of the most perplexing 36 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,481 and famous cases in history. 37 00:01:22,483 --> 00:01:23,416 My goal? 38 00:01:23,418 --> 00:01:24,884 To get closer to the truth. 39 00:01:24,886 --> 00:01:26,018 Let's burn this place down. 40 00:01:26,020 --> 00:01:27,953 Let's burn it down. 41 00:01:27,955 --> 00:01:31,357 On this special episode of "Mysteries at the Museum"... 42 00:01:31,359 --> 00:01:34,226 "Is Amelia Earhart Alive?" 43 00:01:39,767 --> 00:01:41,500 The Pacific Ocean. 44 00:01:41,502 --> 00:01:43,636 This vast expanse of water 45 00:01:43,638 --> 00:01:48,040 stretches some 12,000 miles across near the equator. 46 00:01:48,042 --> 00:01:51,644 Today, modern passenger jets fly over the Pacific 47 00:01:51,646 --> 00:01:55,180 from San Francisco to Tokyo in 11 hours. 48 00:01:55,182 --> 00:01:56,982 But that's a recent luxury. 49 00:01:56,984 --> 00:02:00,119 For most all of human history, the mighty Pacific 50 00:02:00,121 --> 00:02:03,723 was a formidable and dangerous barrier. 51 00:02:03,725 --> 00:02:06,659 Amelia Earhart disappeared somewhere out there. 52 00:02:08,396 --> 00:02:10,929 She was attempting to fly all the way around the world 53 00:02:10,931 --> 00:02:13,799 and would've become the first woman ever to do it, 54 00:02:13,801 --> 00:02:16,001 but this great, big ocean 55 00:02:16,003 --> 00:02:18,204 stretched between her and the finish line. 56 00:02:18,206 --> 00:02:21,006 [ Suspenseful music intensifies, outro plays ] 57 00:02:21,008 --> 00:02:22,808 [ Suspenseful march plays ] 58 00:02:22,810 --> 00:02:25,678 On July 2, 1937, 59 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,280 Amelia Earhart vanished into thin air. 60 00:02:30,017 --> 00:02:31,751 And after the world's most extensive 61 00:02:31,753 --> 00:02:33,485 [ Telegraph beeping ] air and sea search, 62 00:02:33,487 --> 00:02:37,156 it was determined that she crashed into the Pacific. 63 00:02:37,158 --> 00:02:39,158 Or did she? 64 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:42,428 Now, 80 years later, new evidence suggests 65 00:02:42,430 --> 00:02:47,032 that Earhart may have survived that final flight. 66 00:02:47,034 --> 00:02:48,768 So, which is the truth? 67 00:02:48,770 --> 00:02:51,236 What really happened to Amelia Earhart? 68 00:02:59,513 --> 00:03:02,515 My mission is to answer that very question 69 00:03:02,517 --> 00:03:06,919 and I'm starting out by meeting a uniquely qualified expert. 70 00:03:06,921 --> 00:03:08,487 Hi, Linda. -Hi. How are you? 71 00:03:08,489 --> 00:03:09,722 Welcome to the Museum of Flight. 72 00:03:09,724 --> 00:03:10,923 Thank you so much. This way? 73 00:03:10,925 --> 00:03:12,058 -This way. -All right. 74 00:03:12,060 --> 00:03:15,327 Aviator Linda Finch successfully retraced 75 00:03:15,329 --> 00:03:18,330 and completed Amelia Earhart's world flight 76 00:03:18,332 --> 00:03:22,268 exactly 60 years later, in the same type of airplane. 77 00:03:22,270 --> 00:03:24,536 So you flew around the world, is that right? 78 00:03:24,538 --> 00:03:26,738 I did. Substantially, the same route 79 00:03:26,740 --> 00:03:28,908 that Amelia Earhart flew: 80 00:03:28,910 --> 00:03:30,809 36 different cities, 18 countries, 81 00:03:30,811 --> 00:03:32,078 -Wow! -in 2.5 months of flying. 82 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:33,278 -Amazing! -Yes. 83 00:03:36,617 --> 00:03:38,617 So who was Amelia Earhart? 84 00:03:38,619 --> 00:03:39,885 She was extraordinary. 85 00:03:39,887 --> 00:03:41,821 She was a woman ahead of her time. 86 00:03:41,823 --> 00:03:45,224 She was one of the most famous women in her time. 87 00:03:45,226 --> 00:03:49,561 Amelia Earhart was born in Kansas in 1897. 88 00:03:49,563 --> 00:03:50,963 A child of privilege, 89 00:03:50,965 --> 00:03:53,766 Earhart was raised by her wealthy grandparents 90 00:03:53,768 --> 00:03:55,567 and always craved adventure 91 00:03:55,569 --> 00:03:59,104 and that thirst for excitement only grew as she got older. 92 00:03:59,106 --> 00:04:02,308 So, when 23-year-old Amelia took her first plane ride 93 00:04:02,310 --> 00:04:06,112 at an air show, she found her purpose in life. 94 00:04:06,114 --> 00:04:08,380 Flying became her obsession. 95 00:04:08,382 --> 00:04:11,183 She took odd jobs to save for flying lessons 96 00:04:11,185 --> 00:04:13,786 and, soon, she was flying regularly. 97 00:04:13,788 --> 00:04:17,389 In 1928, a publicist named George Putnam, 98 00:04:17,391 --> 00:04:19,592 who would later become Earhart's husband, 99 00:04:19,594 --> 00:04:21,126 asked her to join a flight crew 100 00:04:21,128 --> 00:04:23,395 attempting to cross the Atlantic. 101 00:04:23,397 --> 00:04:25,531 No woman had ever done it. 102 00:04:25,533 --> 00:04:29,601 Putnam knew that adding Earhart would be good PR. 103 00:04:29,603 --> 00:04:31,203 Earhart said yes. 104 00:04:31,205 --> 00:04:33,606 And, on June 19, 1928, 105 00:04:33,608 --> 00:04:37,609 she became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. 106 00:04:37,611 --> 00:04:39,611 But, as a passenger, she didn't get to fly. 107 00:04:39,613 --> 00:04:43,549 -Oh, okay. -And Amelia was not a passenger. 108 00:04:43,551 --> 00:04:46,284 So, five years later, she flew across again, 109 00:04:46,286 --> 00:04:47,553 by herself, solo flight 110 00:04:47,555 --> 00:04:48,687 -Okay. -across the Atlantic Ocean. 111 00:04:48,689 --> 00:04:50,623 Earhart. 112 00:04:50,625 --> 00:04:53,359 She said she could, and she did it. 113 00:04:53,361 --> 00:04:55,694 All alone, America to Ireland, 114 00:04:55,696 --> 00:04:57,363 in a feminine solo. 115 00:04:57,365 --> 00:05:00,098 Five years after crossing as a passenger, 116 00:05:00,100 --> 00:05:04,636 Earhart became the first female pilot to fly the Atlantic solo. 117 00:05:04,638 --> 00:05:06,105 All I can say is now 118 00:05:06,107 --> 00:05:10,108 that I'm just as glad to return as I was then. 119 00:05:10,110 --> 00:05:13,111 Over and over, Earhart barnstormed the country, 120 00:05:13,113 --> 00:05:14,913 setting aviation records 121 00:05:14,915 --> 00:05:18,851 and wowing ever-growing crowds of adoring spectators. 122 00:05:18,853 --> 00:05:22,521 Record firsts were no novelty to Aviatrix Amelia. 123 00:05:22,523 --> 00:05:25,190 As her fame grew, she became a well-known advocate 124 00:05:25,192 --> 00:05:27,259 for women's rights, and even a friend 125 00:05:27,261 --> 00:05:29,128 of the First Lady of the United States, 126 00:05:29,130 --> 00:05:31,130 Eleanor Roosevelt. 127 00:05:31,132 --> 00:05:33,866 In the 1930s, Amelia Earhart, 128 00:05:33,868 --> 00:05:35,800 arguably the most famous woman in the world, yeah? 129 00:05:35,802 --> 00:05:36,735 Everyone knew her. 130 00:05:36,737 --> 00:05:38,537 But not the first female pilot. 131 00:05:38,539 --> 00:05:40,272 There were others before her. -No, there were. 132 00:05:40,274 --> 00:05:42,675 And some women flew better than Amelia, 133 00:05:42,677 --> 00:05:44,009 but what Amelia could do was 134 00:05:44,011 --> 00:05:46,078 to dazzle the public. -Yeah, right. 135 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:48,147 Amelia wasn't always, "Look at me. 136 00:05:48,149 --> 00:05:49,682 Look at what I can do." 137 00:05:49,684 --> 00:05:51,216 What Amelia wanted people to see 138 00:05:51,218 --> 00:05:52,150 was what they can do. 139 00:05:52,152 --> 00:05:53,352 It's "Look what you can do. 140 00:05:53,354 --> 00:05:54,820 What you can do with your life." 141 00:05:54,822 --> 00:05:57,155 Right. 142 00:05:57,157 --> 00:05:58,757 In 1937, 143 00:05:58,759 --> 00:06:01,493 Earhart announced her next record attempt, 144 00:06:01,495 --> 00:06:03,829 the most audacious of them all. 145 00:06:03,831 --> 00:06:07,565 She would fly all the way around the world along the equator, 146 00:06:07,567 --> 00:06:09,368 its widest point. 147 00:06:09,370 --> 00:06:13,171 No woman, or man, had ever done it before. 148 00:06:13,173 --> 00:06:15,507 -There she is. -Wow! Look at that! 149 00:06:15,509 --> 00:06:17,443 -It's beautiful. -That is a beautiful plane. 150 00:06:17,445 --> 00:06:19,577 -Yes. -So this is the actual plane 151 00:06:19,579 --> 00:06:21,914 you flew around the world? -It is. 152 00:06:21,916 --> 00:06:25,517 It is a 1935 Lockheed Electra 10E. 153 00:06:25,519 --> 00:06:29,054 Amelia had a 1937 Lockheed Electra 10E. 154 00:06:29,056 --> 00:06:30,388 Only 15 ever built. 155 00:06:30,390 --> 00:06:32,924 And this is one of 'em? This is one of them. 156 00:06:32,926 --> 00:06:35,127 Though the Electra was a state-of-the-art aircraft 157 00:06:35,129 --> 00:06:37,796 for the time, no one had yet attempted 158 00:06:37,798 --> 00:06:40,131 what Earhart wanted to do. 159 00:06:40,133 --> 00:06:41,467 She would be pushing the limits 160 00:06:41,469 --> 00:06:44,536 of how far an airplane could fly. 161 00:06:44,538 --> 00:06:47,406 By leveraging his wife's increasing celebrity, 162 00:06:47,408 --> 00:06:50,675 George Putnam secured backing for a customized Electra 163 00:06:50,677 --> 00:06:53,278 that could withstand the coming journey. 164 00:06:53,280 --> 00:06:56,615 Amelia ordered the plane stripped to the bare necessities 165 00:06:56,617 --> 00:07:00,418 to save weight and to make room for extra fuel tanks. 166 00:07:00,420 --> 00:07:03,489 Finally, on May 20, 1937, 167 00:07:03,491 --> 00:07:05,090 she was ready to go. 168 00:07:05,092 --> 00:07:08,093 Amelia Earhart said goodbye to George Palmer Putnam, 169 00:07:08,095 --> 00:07:10,195 her husband since 1931. 170 00:07:10,197 --> 00:07:11,830 The huge Lockheed Electra, 171 00:07:11,832 --> 00:07:13,899 dubbed by Amelia the Flying Laboratory, 172 00:07:13,901 --> 00:07:17,703 sailed off on a planned 'round-the-world trip. 173 00:07:17,705 --> 00:07:18,837 For six weeks, 174 00:07:18,839 --> 00:07:22,374 Amelia Earhart charged eastward around the globe. 175 00:07:22,376 --> 00:07:24,976 Her plan was to trace the circumference of the Earth 176 00:07:24,978 --> 00:07:27,112 by flying along the equator. 177 00:07:27,114 --> 00:07:29,114 While others had flown around the Earth, 178 00:07:29,116 --> 00:07:32,051 no one had yet done it at its widest point. 179 00:07:32,053 --> 00:07:33,252 It would be Amelia's 180 00:07:33,254 --> 00:07:35,920 most captivating accomplishment yet, 181 00:07:35,922 --> 00:07:38,590 a first in aviation history. 182 00:07:38,592 --> 00:07:41,126 She flew across oceans and deserts 183 00:07:41,128 --> 00:07:44,596 and touched down in exotic, faraway places. 184 00:07:44,598 --> 00:07:47,799 During the journey, she filed reports and travel logs 185 00:07:47,801 --> 00:07:49,134 that were picked up by newspapers 186 00:07:49,136 --> 00:07:51,537 and radio stations across America. 187 00:07:51,539 --> 00:07:53,939 Amelia Earhart's 'round-the-world flight 188 00:07:53,941 --> 00:07:55,941 was the nation's biggest story. 189 00:07:55,943 --> 00:07:57,609 [ Suspenseful music intensifies ] 190 00:07:57,611 --> 00:08:00,612 It is a challenge to even get into this. 191 00:08:00,614 --> 00:08:02,748 [laughing] It is. It's pretty small. 192 00:08:02,750 --> 00:08:04,215 It's pretty small. -Wow! 193 00:08:04,217 --> 00:08:05,550 Look at this! 194 00:08:05,552 --> 00:08:07,952 I am transported to the 1930s here. 195 00:08:07,954 --> 00:08:09,087 Absolutely. 196 00:08:09,089 --> 00:08:12,424 What's it feel like in here when it's flying? 197 00:08:12,426 --> 00:08:14,559 It's noisy and it's loud. 198 00:08:14,561 --> 00:08:17,763 You just sit in this seat for 16 hours, 199 00:08:17,765 --> 00:08:19,364 paying attention, close attention. 200 00:08:20,634 --> 00:08:23,102 Earhart understood that flying the airplane 201 00:08:23,104 --> 00:08:24,570 would be a full-time job, 202 00:08:24,572 --> 00:08:26,905 leaving her no time for navigation, 203 00:08:26,907 --> 00:08:29,641 so she brought an experienced navigator along 204 00:08:29,643 --> 00:08:30,842 on her world flight. 205 00:08:30,844 --> 00:08:33,579 His name was Fred Noonan. 206 00:08:33,581 --> 00:08:35,581 Fred Noonan was the expert. 207 00:08:35,583 --> 00:08:36,848 You know, he flew for Pan Am. 208 00:08:36,850 --> 00:08:38,583 He was the ultimate, 209 00:08:38,585 --> 00:08:40,119 best, navigator she could've had. 210 00:08:40,121 --> 00:08:43,255 But it's still basic technology, celestial navigation, right? 211 00:08:43,257 --> 00:08:46,525 Celestial navigation, paper maps, pencils. 212 00:08:46,527 --> 00:08:48,126 -And it's worked. -Yeah. 213 00:08:48,128 --> 00:08:51,463 The incredible drama of this is that they had almost made it. 214 00:08:53,066 --> 00:08:54,733 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 215 00:08:56,637 --> 00:08:59,204 Earhart knew that crossing the Pacific Ocean 216 00:08:59,206 --> 00:09:02,341 would be the most dangerous part of her trip. 217 00:09:02,343 --> 00:09:03,942 Back in 1937, 218 00:09:03,944 --> 00:09:07,412 airplanes didn't have the range to fly clear across the Pacific, 219 00:09:07,414 --> 00:09:11,216 so, she would need to break up the journey to refuel. 220 00:09:11,218 --> 00:09:13,218 On July 2, 1937, 221 00:09:13,220 --> 00:09:15,154 she departed Lae, New Guinea, 222 00:09:15,156 --> 00:09:18,023 and flew east over the open ocean. 223 00:09:18,025 --> 00:09:19,825 She was to fly overnight 224 00:09:19,827 --> 00:09:23,295 and find her first refueling location in the morning. 225 00:09:23,297 --> 00:09:24,563 Her destination? 226 00:09:24,565 --> 00:09:28,700 A tiny speck of land only 1,000 yards wide: 227 00:09:28,702 --> 00:09:30,769 Howland Island. 228 00:09:30,771 --> 00:09:34,173 This is where Earhart's story slips into the unknown. 229 00:09:36,710 --> 00:09:39,645 To decipher it all, I'm heading to Tacoma, Washington, 230 00:09:39,647 --> 00:09:41,980 to meet a man who has a very special connection 231 00:09:41,982 --> 00:09:46,050 to Amelia Earhart's final flight. 232 00:09:46,052 --> 00:09:48,253 So your dad, Leo Bellarts, 233 00:09:48,255 --> 00:09:49,721 -Yes. -was with the Coast Guard, right? 234 00:09:49,723 --> 00:09:51,857 Oh, yes, for 22 years. 235 00:09:51,859 --> 00:09:54,126 But his most famous time was the time 236 00:09:54,128 --> 00:09:56,462 that he served on the Itasca. 237 00:09:56,464 --> 00:09:57,796 [ Portentous suspenseful music plays ] 238 00:09:57,798 --> 00:09:59,998 The Itasca was a Coast Guard cutter assigned 239 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,068 to wait off Howland Island for Earhart's approach. 240 00:10:03,070 --> 00:10:05,470 It's mission was to provide radio support 241 00:10:05,472 --> 00:10:06,871 and help guide her in. 242 00:10:06,873 --> 00:10:08,072 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 243 00:10:08,074 --> 00:10:11,009 Dave brought me a copy of his dad's old log, 244 00:10:11,011 --> 00:10:12,877 a moment-by-moment transcript 245 00:10:12,879 --> 00:10:15,080 of Amelia Earhart's final flight, 246 00:10:15,082 --> 00:10:16,681 as it happened. 247 00:10:16,683 --> 00:10:19,551 Tell me the story that's being told here. 248 00:10:19,553 --> 00:10:21,820 The main story is that the Itasca 249 00:10:21,822 --> 00:10:24,356 was trying to communicate with Amelia Earhart 250 00:10:24,358 --> 00:10:26,357 and have her answer them. 251 00:10:26,359 --> 00:10:29,027 Chief Bellarts knew Earhart was due to land 252 00:10:29,029 --> 00:10:31,296 at Howland Island on July 2nd, 253 00:10:31,298 --> 00:10:33,565 somewhere around 7:30 am. 254 00:10:33,567 --> 00:10:36,367 Okay, so, where does things get interesting? 255 00:10:36,369 --> 00:10:37,970 When does she start getting close? 256 00:10:37,972 --> 00:10:41,707 "At 3:45, heard Amelia. 257 00:10:41,709 --> 00:10:44,909 Listening on hour and half hour." 258 00:10:44,911 --> 00:10:46,578 By 5:45 in the morning, 259 00:10:46,580 --> 00:10:49,381 Itasca was reading Earhart clearly. 260 00:10:49,383 --> 00:10:52,184 But Chief Bellarts could not get Earhart to acknowledge 261 00:10:52,186 --> 00:10:54,786 whether she was receiving them. 262 00:10:54,788 --> 00:10:56,188 She never answered them. 263 00:10:56,190 --> 00:10:57,522 And that's the problem, right? [ Beeping ] 264 00:10:57,524 --> 00:10:59,991 The radiomen were irate with Amelia. 265 00:10:59,993 --> 00:11:02,594 Was that a technical problem? 266 00:11:02,596 --> 00:11:05,530 She just never communicated. 267 00:11:05,532 --> 00:11:08,600 And then, suddenly, at 7:41 am, 268 00:11:08,602 --> 00:11:11,003 she came over the Itasca's radio, 269 00:11:11,005 --> 00:11:12,270 loud and clear. 270 00:11:12,272 --> 00:11:15,474 "KHAQQ BOTH: That's Amelia. 271 00:11:15,476 --> 00:11:17,409 calling Itasca. 272 00:11:17,411 --> 00:11:20,946 We must be on you, but cannot see you, 273 00:11:20,948 --> 00:11:23,014 but gas is running low. 274 00:11:23,016 --> 00:11:24,816 Been unable to reach you by radio. 275 00:11:24,818 --> 00:11:26,417 We are flying at 1,000 feet." 276 00:11:26,419 --> 00:11:27,552 1,000 feet? 277 00:11:27,554 --> 00:11:29,554 So she thinks she's getting -- 278 00:11:29,556 --> 00:11:30,756 My dad actually believed 279 00:11:30,758 --> 00:11:33,225 that she was close into Howland Island. 280 00:11:33,227 --> 00:11:35,027 -Like right over them. -Oh, yeah. 281 00:11:35,029 --> 00:11:37,963 So your dad writes down, "Received message at" -- 282 00:11:37,965 --> 00:11:39,631 What is that, signal strength 5? 283 00:11:39,633 --> 00:11:41,767 Signal strength 5. 284 00:11:41,769 --> 00:11:44,369 Coast Guard radiomen evaluated signals 285 00:11:44,371 --> 00:11:47,372 on the strength of the reception, from 1 to 5. 286 00:11:47,374 --> 00:11:50,642 Signal strength 5 was crystal-clear. 287 00:11:50,644 --> 00:11:52,777 But while Amelia could be heard, 288 00:11:52,779 --> 00:11:56,047 it was still unclear whether she could hear them. 289 00:11:56,049 --> 00:11:57,782 He got up and walked outside, 290 00:11:57,784 --> 00:11:59,851 expecting to see Amelia flying in 291 00:11:59,853 --> 00:12:01,253 over the mast of the ship. 292 00:12:01,255 --> 00:12:03,922 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 293 00:12:03,924 --> 00:12:07,859 And there was nothing in the air. 294 00:12:07,861 --> 00:12:10,128 No clouds. Beautiful, sunny day. 295 00:12:10,130 --> 00:12:11,396 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 296 00:12:11,398 --> 00:12:16,401 Amelia Earhart's final transmission came in at 8:43 am, 297 00:12:16,403 --> 00:12:19,404 more than an hour after she should've landed. 298 00:12:19,406 --> 00:12:21,273 "KHAQQ to Itasca. 299 00:12:21,275 --> 00:12:25,811 We are on the line 157 337." 300 00:12:25,813 --> 00:12:29,414 157 and 337 are points of a compass 301 00:12:29,416 --> 00:12:33,485 in polar opposite directions, running roughly north and south. 302 00:12:33,487 --> 00:12:35,487 By saying she was "on the line," 303 00:12:35,489 --> 00:12:38,222 Earhart was giving Itasca her course, 304 00:12:38,224 --> 00:12:41,960 but left out one crucial piece of information. 305 00:12:41,962 --> 00:12:43,895 Which way, north or south?! 306 00:12:43,897 --> 00:12:44,963 Wow. 307 00:12:44,965 --> 00:12:46,298 And then she says, "Wait"! 308 00:12:46,300 --> 00:12:47,699 And that was it. -Yep. 309 00:12:47,701 --> 00:12:50,368 And they never heard her after that. 310 00:12:50,370 --> 00:12:51,503 [ Beeping ] 311 00:12:51,505 --> 00:12:53,772 So that word -BOTH: Wait. 312 00:12:53,774 --> 00:12:55,574 is the last moment of Amelia Earhart? 313 00:12:55,576 --> 00:12:56,774 Yes. 314 00:12:56,776 --> 00:12:59,177 I can remember my dad telling me, 315 00:12:59,179 --> 00:13:01,113 "I can still hear her voice. 316 00:13:01,115 --> 00:13:03,648 I can still hear her voice in my ears. 317 00:13:03,650 --> 00:13:07,252 She was just about ready to go into hysterics 318 00:13:07,254 --> 00:13:09,321 and she knew it." 319 00:13:09,323 --> 00:13:12,590 She knew that she was in deep trouble. 320 00:13:12,592 --> 00:13:14,393 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 321 00:13:14,395 --> 00:13:16,261 [ Radio chatter ] 322 00:13:16,263 --> 00:13:18,663 Dave's father stayed on the air for hours, 323 00:13:18,665 --> 00:13:20,999 pleading with Earhart to respond. 324 00:13:21,001 --> 00:13:24,803 But Itasca never received any other messages from her. 325 00:13:24,805 --> 00:13:28,340 Amelia Earhart, one of the most famous women on Earth, 326 00:13:28,342 --> 00:13:30,675 had simply vanished. 327 00:13:30,677 --> 00:13:34,413 So, where did she go and why wasn't she found? 328 00:13:34,415 --> 00:13:37,349 Did Amelia Earhart really crash and sink 329 00:13:37,351 --> 00:13:41,086 or could it be the story we've all known for nearly a century 330 00:13:41,088 --> 00:13:42,420 is wrong? 331 00:13:42,422 --> 00:13:44,890 All of these lines basically are the directions 332 00:13:44,892 --> 00:13:46,158 of the radio signals. -Yes. 333 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:49,895 When we can see where these lines crossed. 334 00:13:49,897 --> 00:13:51,096 Right here. 335 00:13:51,098 --> 00:13:52,264 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 336 00:14:00,173 --> 00:14:02,374 [ Suspenseful music plays ] 337 00:14:02,376 --> 00:14:04,976 Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, 338 00:14:04,978 --> 00:14:07,312 have come to grief in their perilous 339 00:14:07,314 --> 00:14:08,646 'round-the-world flight. 340 00:14:08,648 --> 00:14:09,781 [ Sinister music plays ] 341 00:14:09,783 --> 00:14:12,717 July 2, 1937. 342 00:14:12,719 --> 00:14:15,921 Only days from reaching her final destination, 343 00:14:15,923 --> 00:14:18,990 Amelia Earhart failed to arrive at Howland Island 344 00:14:18,992 --> 00:14:20,992 to regroup and refuel. 345 00:14:20,994 --> 00:14:23,662 The American media went into overdrive. 346 00:14:23,664 --> 00:14:26,198 Tales of Earhart's 'round-the-world flight 347 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:29,667 were replaced with news of her sudden disappearance. 348 00:14:29,669 --> 00:14:32,270 The nation was horrified. 349 00:14:32,272 --> 00:14:35,407 The government vowed to spare no expense in a rescue 350 00:14:35,409 --> 00:14:37,141 and scoured the Pacific 351 00:14:37,143 --> 00:14:39,344 in the area she was thought to have crashed. 352 00:14:39,346 --> 00:14:41,480 But the massive search would turn up 353 00:14:41,482 --> 00:14:43,548 more questions than answers. 354 00:14:43,550 --> 00:14:45,951 The battleship Colorado and the carrier Lexington 355 00:14:45,953 --> 00:14:49,287 were pressed into duty to aid the Coast Guard cutter Itasca, 356 00:14:49,289 --> 00:14:50,689 who had been stationed in the area 357 00:14:50,691 --> 00:14:51,956 to assist with the flight. 358 00:14:51,958 --> 00:14:54,492 Some 200,000 square miles of ocean 359 00:14:54,494 --> 00:14:56,495 and nearby islands were to be searched. 360 00:14:56,497 --> 00:14:58,163 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 361 00:14:58,165 --> 00:15:01,032 The Navy kept at it for over two weeks. 362 00:15:01,034 --> 00:15:05,170 But, with each passing day, their hopes dimmed. 363 00:15:05,172 --> 00:15:07,438 The search lasted for 17 days, 364 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:10,976 from July 2nd to July 18, 1937. 365 00:15:10,978 --> 00:15:14,980 It turned up no sign of her: no survivors in a life raft, 366 00:15:14,982 --> 00:15:16,047 no floating debris, 367 00:15:16,049 --> 00:15:18,917 not even an oil slick on the water. 368 00:15:18,919 --> 00:15:20,251 Nothing at all. 369 00:15:20,253 --> 00:15:23,121 Amelia Earhart had vanished. 370 00:15:23,123 --> 00:15:24,189 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 371 00:15:27,260 --> 00:15:29,527 The official report on Earhart's fate 372 00:15:29,529 --> 00:15:32,797 concluded that she crashed into the water and sank. 373 00:15:32,799 --> 00:15:35,066 Case closed. 374 00:15:35,068 --> 00:15:37,602 But, with no plane or body to show for it, 375 00:15:37,604 --> 00:15:41,540 this conclusion is actually more of a theory. 376 00:15:41,542 --> 00:15:43,875 So what really happened? 377 00:15:43,877 --> 00:15:49,281 If Earhart did crash and sink, the proof lies with the Electra. 378 00:15:49,283 --> 00:15:50,882 So what's it like to search for something 379 00:15:50,884 --> 00:15:52,817 in the deep Pacific Ocean? 380 00:15:52,819 --> 00:15:55,887 What are the chances that anyone would find anything down there? 381 00:15:55,889 --> 00:15:57,555 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 382 00:15:57,557 --> 00:16:00,091 Wow! Look at... 383 00:16:00,093 --> 00:16:01,426 That's so cool! 384 00:16:06,299 --> 00:16:09,234 To be clear, I'm off the coast of Oahu, 385 00:16:09,236 --> 00:16:12,103 nowhere near Howland Island. 386 00:16:12,105 --> 00:16:14,438 Wherever Earhart's plane may be, 387 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,041 it's certainly more than 2,000 miles from here. 388 00:16:23,316 --> 00:16:26,384 [ Sonar pings ] 389 00:16:26,386 --> 00:16:27,919 An underwater search of the Pacific 390 00:16:27,921 --> 00:16:31,323 wasn't scientifically possible in 1937, 391 00:16:31,325 --> 00:16:33,992 but, today, it could be done. 392 00:16:33,994 --> 00:16:37,228 So, how challenging would it be? 393 00:16:37,230 --> 00:16:39,064 Within a few minutes, we're on the bottom, 394 00:16:39,066 --> 00:16:41,666 100 feet down. [ Sonar pings ] 395 00:16:41,668 --> 00:16:43,935 Look at that. 396 00:16:43,937 --> 00:16:45,603 Man, that's beautiful. 397 00:16:48,207 --> 00:16:50,408 That is an old Japanese airliner 398 00:16:50,410 --> 00:16:52,677 actually purposely sunk here 399 00:16:52,679 --> 00:16:54,946 to create an artificial reef for the fish. 400 00:16:57,351 --> 00:16:58,950 Captain Mel. -Hey! 401 00:16:58,952 --> 00:17:00,084 -How you doing? I'm Don. -Don. 402 00:17:00,086 --> 00:17:01,285 This is only about the coolest thing 403 00:17:01,287 --> 00:17:02,820 I've ever done in my life. -Yeah? All right. 404 00:17:02,822 --> 00:17:05,890 Very nice. -How deep does this submarine go? 405 00:17:05,892 --> 00:17:08,026 The submarine is certified to go to 150 feet. 406 00:17:08,028 --> 00:17:10,495 But that's very shallow in the Pacific Ocean, right? 407 00:17:10,497 --> 00:17:11,563 Generally speaking, yes. 408 00:17:11,565 --> 00:17:13,431 We're at 109 feet right now 409 00:17:13,433 --> 00:17:15,032 and we're a mile and a half from shore. 410 00:17:15,034 --> 00:17:16,100 -Okay. -The deeper parts of the ocean 411 00:17:16,102 --> 00:17:17,836 are 18,000, 19,000 feet. 412 00:17:17,838 --> 00:17:19,638 Well, the thing is that, I mean, it's all about 413 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:21,306 there's still light down at this point, right? 414 00:17:21,308 --> 00:17:23,040 We're only 100 feet deep. -That's correct. 415 00:17:23,042 --> 00:17:25,576 I mean, really, you're down 200, 300 feet, 416 00:17:25,578 --> 00:17:26,711 it starts to get really dark. 417 00:17:26,713 --> 00:17:28,046 It starts to get dark there, yes. 418 00:17:28,048 --> 00:17:30,181 -Never mind 18,000 feet. -That's correct. 419 00:17:30,183 --> 00:17:32,517 There are only a handful of submarines in the world 420 00:17:32,519 --> 00:17:35,053 that can go to 18,000, 19,000 feet. 421 00:17:35,055 --> 00:17:36,454 I mean, anything that's not built 422 00:17:36,456 --> 00:17:38,255 for super-superpressure's gonna get just crushed 423 00:17:38,257 --> 00:17:40,191 like a tin can, basically. -Yep. Exactly. 424 00:17:40,193 --> 00:17:43,127 Anything to 18,000 feet is dangerous, 425 00:17:43,129 --> 00:17:45,330 much less searching for something at that depth. 426 00:17:45,332 --> 00:17:46,664 [ Suspenseful music climbs, chord strikes ] 427 00:17:50,671 --> 00:17:53,872 If Earhart did, in fact, crash into the sea, 428 00:17:53,874 --> 00:17:55,340 then her airplane would've sunk 429 00:17:55,342 --> 00:17:59,243 to the darkest depths of the deepest ocean on Earth. 430 00:17:59,245 --> 00:18:02,413 So while the technology to find it may exist today, 431 00:18:02,415 --> 00:18:04,882 the Pacific is so deep and so vast 432 00:18:04,884 --> 00:18:06,885 that it would be extremely difficult, 433 00:18:06,887 --> 00:18:09,287 maybe even impossible. 434 00:18:09,289 --> 00:18:11,456 But there is at least one group of researchers 435 00:18:11,458 --> 00:18:13,090 who believe searching the ocean 436 00:18:13,092 --> 00:18:15,560 is a complete waste of money and time, 437 00:18:15,562 --> 00:18:19,897 because they maintain the plane isn't there, anyway. 438 00:18:19,899 --> 00:18:23,367 They argue that the official crashed-and-sank conclusion 439 00:18:23,369 --> 00:18:27,038 is not only baseless; it's flat-out wrong. 440 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:30,842 They say Amelia Earhart landed safely on dry land 441 00:18:30,844 --> 00:18:34,512 and the proof has been around for more than 80 years. 442 00:18:34,514 --> 00:18:36,714 So what is this proof? 443 00:18:36,716 --> 00:18:40,518 And, more importantly, where is Amelia Earhart? 444 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:41,653 [ Suspenseful chords strike ] 445 00:18:49,796 --> 00:18:52,730 [ Suspenseful music plays ] 446 00:18:52,732 --> 00:18:57,268 Amelia Earhart was officially declared dead in 1939. 447 00:18:57,270 --> 00:18:59,437 According to the search-and-rescue reports, 448 00:18:59,439 --> 00:19:01,272 she most likely ran out of fuel 449 00:19:01,274 --> 00:19:03,341 somewhere short of Howland Island 450 00:19:03,343 --> 00:19:05,209 and crashed into the Pacific Ocean, 451 00:19:05,211 --> 00:19:07,879 never to be heard from again. 452 00:19:07,881 --> 00:19:10,482 But, without solid proof, this conclusion 453 00:19:10,484 --> 00:19:14,352 has been the subject of constant debate. 454 00:19:14,354 --> 00:19:17,755 Amelia Earhart's last official radio transmission 455 00:19:17,757 --> 00:19:22,160 was received on July 2, 1937, by the Itasca, 456 00:19:22,162 --> 00:19:23,628 but some people believe there were more. 457 00:19:27,500 --> 00:19:29,834 The official search report makes mention 458 00:19:29,836 --> 00:19:31,569 of radio signals received 459 00:19:31,571 --> 00:19:34,239 on July 4, 1937, 460 00:19:34,241 --> 00:19:37,509 two days after Earhart disappeared. 461 00:19:37,511 --> 00:19:40,111 So how is that possible? 462 00:19:40,113 --> 00:19:41,312 Here's the thing: 463 00:19:41,314 --> 00:19:43,314 Earhart's radio transmitter was powered 464 00:19:43,316 --> 00:19:47,385 off her plane's engines, but those engines wouldn't run 465 00:19:47,387 --> 00:19:49,654 if the Electra was floating in the sea. 466 00:19:49,656 --> 00:19:52,590 That means, if those transmissions 467 00:19:52,592 --> 00:19:55,260 were actually from Earhart, 468 00:19:55,262 --> 00:19:58,062 then the plane had to be sitting on dry land. 469 00:19:58,064 --> 00:19:59,064 But where? 470 00:20:06,873 --> 00:20:08,339 -How you doing, Dick? -Oh, hey, Don! How you doing? 471 00:20:08,341 --> 00:20:09,740 [laughing] Ahoy. 472 00:20:09,742 --> 00:20:12,944 To learn more about these mysterious radio transmissions, 473 00:20:12,946 --> 00:20:15,947 I've come here, to the east coast of Oahu. 474 00:20:15,949 --> 00:20:20,351 Dick Olsen is an offshore sailor and licensed ham radio operator. 475 00:20:20,353 --> 00:20:23,821 He can walk me through the ins and outs of radio signals. 476 00:20:23,823 --> 00:20:26,423 So, what's the story with the transmissions? 477 00:20:26,425 --> 00:20:28,760 Well, they were basically carrier waves 478 00:20:28,762 --> 00:20:31,296 that were heard on 3105 kilohertz. 479 00:20:31,298 --> 00:20:34,298 3105 was Amelia Earhart's frequency. 480 00:20:34,300 --> 00:20:36,100 -Correct. -So what is a carrier wave? 481 00:20:36,102 --> 00:20:38,636 Well, a carrier wave is when they could tell 482 00:20:38,638 --> 00:20:40,905 that something was there. It was weak, 483 00:20:40,907 --> 00:20:44,375 but they couldn't detect any voice communication. 484 00:20:44,377 --> 00:20:45,643 So you can't hear the voice, 485 00:20:45,645 --> 00:20:47,178 but you know something's there? -Correct. Correct. 486 00:20:47,180 --> 00:20:50,048 -I see. -Correct. 487 00:20:50,050 --> 00:20:54,085 These weak radio signals were on Earhart's frequency. 488 00:20:54,087 --> 00:20:55,120 [ Beeping ] The question 489 00:20:55,122 --> 00:20:57,188 was were they from Earhart? 490 00:20:57,190 --> 00:20:58,923 Dick says that many of them were picked up 491 00:20:58,925 --> 00:21:03,194 just down the road from here by a legendary name in aviation: 492 00:21:03,196 --> 00:21:06,130 Pan American Airways. 493 00:21:06,132 --> 00:21:07,465 Back in the 1930s, 494 00:21:07,467 --> 00:21:09,867 there were no nonstop flights over the Pacific. 495 00:21:09,869 --> 00:21:11,802 It was too long of a trip. 496 00:21:11,804 --> 00:21:13,671 So Pan Am mastered the route 497 00:21:13,673 --> 00:21:17,142 and was the first airline to offer regular service. 498 00:21:17,144 --> 00:21:19,477 But, in order to do that, they had to create 499 00:21:19,479 --> 00:21:22,479 a series of airfields on tiny islands 500 00:21:22,481 --> 00:21:24,015 all throughout the Pacific. 501 00:21:24,017 --> 00:21:26,084 So Pan Am was the first airline to fly from the US 502 00:21:26,086 --> 00:21:27,819 to China and the Philippines, 503 00:21:27,821 --> 00:21:29,887 the famous Pan Am Clippers, right? 504 00:21:29,889 --> 00:21:32,624 Those big seaplanes. Right, right, exactly. 505 00:21:32,626 --> 00:21:36,227 And, in order to guide planes to and from these airfields, 506 00:21:36,229 --> 00:21:40,031 they needed radio facilities, the three most powerful of which 507 00:21:40,033 --> 00:21:43,434 were on Wake Island; Midway; and Mokapu, Oahu. 508 00:21:46,239 --> 00:21:49,640 Today, the former site of the Mokapu Point radio station 509 00:21:49,642 --> 00:21:52,577 is Marine Corps Base Hawaii. 510 00:21:52,579 --> 00:21:56,180 The base is home to roughly 10,000 active-duty Marines 511 00:21:56,182 --> 00:21:59,851 and 90 aircraft, all operated from the same facilities 512 00:21:59,853 --> 00:22:04,322 originally built for seaplanes back in the 1930s. 513 00:22:04,324 --> 00:22:08,059 I've secured very special access to a remote corner of the base 514 00:22:08,061 --> 00:22:10,929 with long-forgotten links to Amelia Earhart. 515 00:22:10,931 --> 00:22:12,597 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] So this is the place? 516 00:22:16,336 --> 00:22:17,335 Yeah, this is it. 517 00:22:17,337 --> 00:22:20,672 This is Mokapu Point and this was where 518 00:22:20,674 --> 00:22:23,274 the old Pan Am radio station was located. 519 00:22:23,276 --> 00:22:24,609 Right. 520 00:22:24,611 --> 00:22:26,677 And you can see some of the remnants of it. 521 00:22:26,679 --> 00:22:28,880 There's a building over there. -Oh, I see. 522 00:22:28,882 --> 00:22:30,147 Then, they would've had a huge 523 00:22:30,149 --> 00:22:32,283 antenna array in this area. 524 00:22:32,285 --> 00:22:33,952 And this was a new technology? 525 00:22:33,954 --> 00:22:37,288 New technology, called radio direction finding. 526 00:22:37,290 --> 00:22:39,490 Radio direction finding is the science 527 00:22:39,492 --> 00:22:43,895 of tuning in to a radio signal to pinpoint its origin. 528 00:22:43,897 --> 00:22:46,497 Pan Am's three Pacific stations used 529 00:22:46,499 --> 00:22:50,702 giant radio direction finders to track their seaplanes. 530 00:22:50,704 --> 00:22:53,171 After Amelia Earhart's disappearance, 531 00:22:53,173 --> 00:22:55,573 the airline tuned them to her frequency 532 00:22:55,575 --> 00:22:57,441 and tried to help find her. 533 00:22:57,443 --> 00:22:59,244 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] So here we have 534 00:22:59,246 --> 00:23:01,645 a chart of the Pacific Ocean. 535 00:23:01,647 --> 00:23:05,316 We got Australia down here, New Guinea. 536 00:23:05,318 --> 00:23:06,784 And, up here, the Hawaiian Islands. 537 00:23:06,786 --> 00:23:08,920 Alright, so this is Lae, New Guinea, right? 538 00:23:08,922 --> 00:23:09,920 -Right. -That's where 539 00:23:09,922 --> 00:23:11,856 her journey starts. 540 00:23:11,858 --> 00:23:12,857 right there. 541 00:23:12,859 --> 00:23:14,926 And she's heading for Howland Island, 542 00:23:14,928 --> 00:23:17,194 which is right here. 543 00:23:17,196 --> 00:23:18,462 Right. 544 00:23:18,464 --> 00:23:19,730 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 545 00:23:19,732 --> 00:23:23,200 The Pan Am stations used their radio direction finders 546 00:23:23,202 --> 00:23:25,870 to take compass readings, or bearings, 547 00:23:25,872 --> 00:23:28,406 on the mysterious radio signals. 548 00:23:28,408 --> 00:23:30,808 Now, we're using those old bearings... 549 00:23:30,810 --> 00:23:33,344 -You wanna find 144. -Got it. 550 00:23:33,346 --> 00:23:35,880 ...to plot the radio signals on the chart 551 00:23:35,882 --> 00:23:38,349 and to find out where they came from. 552 00:23:38,351 --> 00:23:40,751 Okay, and now you go ahead and you -- 553 00:23:40,753 --> 00:23:41,686 I just draw a line straight down. 554 00:23:41,688 --> 00:23:44,621 Draw the line, straight down. 555 00:23:44,623 --> 00:23:46,357 As luck would have it, the three stations 556 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:49,693 were well-positioned to listen for Earhart. 557 00:23:49,695 --> 00:23:51,562 Taken together, they provide 558 00:23:51,564 --> 00:23:54,098 the holy trinity of direction finding: 559 00:23:54,100 --> 00:23:56,834 a triangulation. 560 00:23:56,836 --> 00:23:59,904 So, all of these lines basically are the directions 561 00:23:59,906 --> 00:24:01,972 of the radio signals as received 562 00:24:01,974 --> 00:24:04,842 on Midway, Wake, and Oahu. -Yes. 563 00:24:04,844 --> 00:24:08,446 When we can see where these lines cross, 564 00:24:08,448 --> 00:24:09,714 they form a triangle, 565 00:24:09,716 --> 00:24:11,448 sometimes it's called the witch's house 566 00:24:11,450 --> 00:24:13,317 -Hmm. -and, in general, we know 567 00:24:13,319 --> 00:24:14,918 that the signals originated 568 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:16,587 in this particular area. 569 00:24:16,589 --> 00:24:19,257 That's cool. So all these three signals 570 00:24:19,259 --> 00:24:23,727 all triangulate right here. 571 00:24:23,729 --> 00:24:25,062 Gardner Island. 572 00:24:25,064 --> 00:24:27,799 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 573 00:24:27,801 --> 00:24:30,267 Gardner Island is a small, coral atoll 574 00:24:30,269 --> 00:24:33,604 400 miles south of Howland 575 00:24:33,606 --> 00:24:35,205 and, for more than 20 years, 576 00:24:35,207 --> 00:24:37,008 a collection of researchers called 577 00:24:37,010 --> 00:24:40,011 The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, 578 00:24:40,013 --> 00:24:41,346 or TIGHAR, ["tiger"] 579 00:24:41,348 --> 00:24:44,148 has been searching in and around this area for proof 580 00:24:44,150 --> 00:24:46,284 and they believe that this tiny island 581 00:24:46,286 --> 00:24:48,419 is the key to unlocking the mystery 582 00:24:48,421 --> 00:24:52,289 of Amelia Earhart's disappearance. 583 00:24:52,291 --> 00:24:56,093 Today, this theory is known as the Gardner Island hypothesis 584 00:24:56,095 --> 00:24:57,761 and it points to the triangulation 585 00:24:57,763 --> 00:25:01,265 of these radio signals as its foundation. 586 00:25:01,267 --> 00:25:02,900 According to this theory, 587 00:25:02,902 --> 00:25:05,436 Earhart turned south in a desperate search 588 00:25:05,438 --> 00:25:07,839 for Howland Island and landed here: 589 00:25:07,841 --> 00:25:11,109 the first speck of dry land she would've seen. 590 00:25:11,111 --> 00:25:14,645 Then, over the next few days, whenever the tide was out, 591 00:25:14,647 --> 00:25:17,915 Earhart fired up the Electra to use the radio. 592 00:25:17,917 --> 00:25:20,050 While the triangulation of the radio signals 593 00:25:20,052 --> 00:25:21,652 is the starting point, 594 00:25:21,654 --> 00:25:24,789 these researchers also believe they've found other evidence 595 00:25:24,791 --> 00:25:28,459 to back up the Gardner Island hypothesis. 596 00:25:28,461 --> 00:25:32,596 So, did Amelia Earhart safely land on Gardner Island? 597 00:25:32,598 --> 00:25:36,667 Were those weak radio signals her desperate calls for help? 598 00:25:36,669 --> 00:25:39,003 And, if so, why wasn't she rescued 599 00:25:39,005 --> 00:25:42,673 and why would she go silent after only three days? 600 00:25:42,675 --> 00:25:44,475 What really happened to Fred Noonan 601 00:25:44,477 --> 00:25:46,677 and Amelia Earhart? [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 602 00:25:55,355 --> 00:25:56,754 [ Suspenseful music plays ] 603 00:25:56,756 --> 00:25:59,957 80 years after Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan 604 00:25:59,959 --> 00:26:01,959 supposedly crashed and sank 605 00:26:01,961 --> 00:26:04,562 to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, 606 00:26:04,564 --> 00:26:06,230 a prominent, alternate theory 607 00:26:06,232 --> 00:26:09,834 lays out a very different ending to the story. 608 00:26:09,836 --> 00:26:12,970 Is it possible that Earhart turned south 609 00:26:12,972 --> 00:26:16,507 and landed on Gardner Island? 610 00:26:16,509 --> 00:26:18,442 The Gardner Island hypothesis 611 00:26:18,444 --> 00:26:21,445 is one of the most widely believed alternate explanations 612 00:26:21,447 --> 00:26:24,181 for what may have happened to Amelia Earhart. 613 00:26:24,183 --> 00:26:26,117 It claims that Earhart landed safely 614 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:28,386 on the tiny island's flat beach 615 00:26:28,388 --> 00:26:31,122 and then sent out radio calls for help. 616 00:26:31,124 --> 00:26:34,859 Those transmissions form the backbone of this theory. 617 00:26:34,861 --> 00:26:37,261 But we know Earhart was never rescued, 618 00:26:37,263 --> 00:26:39,062 so what happened to her? 619 00:26:39,064 --> 00:26:42,266 As it turns out, the Gardner theory has its doubters. 620 00:26:42,268 --> 00:26:44,602 -Good morning. -How you doing? 621 00:26:44,604 --> 00:26:46,537 Ron Bright is a retired special agent 622 00:26:46,539 --> 00:26:49,073 with the Office of Naval Intelligence. 623 00:26:49,075 --> 00:26:52,543 Since 1999, he's applied his investigator's eye 624 00:26:52,545 --> 00:26:54,144 to the Earhart mystery 625 00:26:54,146 --> 00:26:57,347 and, now, he's opening his files to me. 626 00:26:57,349 --> 00:26:59,817 So, I have some questions regarding the theory 627 00:26:59,819 --> 00:27:01,618 about Gardner Island. 628 00:27:01,620 --> 00:27:03,554 Basically, from radio signals and so forth, 629 00:27:03,556 --> 00:27:05,556 they came up with the idea that Gardner Island 630 00:27:05,558 --> 00:27:07,424 was where she was. -That was primarily 631 00:27:07,426 --> 00:27:09,760 from the triangulation of Pan Am, 632 00:27:09,762 --> 00:27:11,162 Wake, and Mokapu. 633 00:27:11,164 --> 00:27:12,496 Right. [ Beeping ] 634 00:27:12,498 --> 00:27:15,299 Ron says the Navy knew about those radio signals 635 00:27:15,301 --> 00:27:17,768 way back in 1937. 636 00:27:17,770 --> 00:27:21,506 They ordered the battleship Colorado south to investigate. 637 00:27:21,508 --> 00:27:22,940 On July 9th, 638 00:27:22,942 --> 00:27:25,309 one week after Earhart vanished, 639 00:27:25,311 --> 00:27:28,845 the Colorado launched three scout planes to search the area 640 00:27:28,847 --> 00:27:32,450 where Pan Am thought the radio signals had originated. 641 00:27:32,452 --> 00:27:35,219 So those planes go and search Gardner Island. 642 00:27:35,221 --> 00:27:37,654 Did they find Amelia? I mean, do they see anything? 643 00:27:37,656 --> 00:27:40,190 So there's three observers, three pilots. 644 00:27:40,192 --> 00:27:42,726 I interviewed one of the observers. 645 00:27:42,728 --> 00:27:45,128 He says they came in at about 400 feet 646 00:27:45,130 --> 00:27:47,465 over the entire island 647 00:27:47,467 --> 00:27:49,734 and checked it as close as they could. 648 00:27:49,736 --> 00:27:52,469 I believe they even circled to come back. 649 00:27:52,471 --> 00:27:55,206 They did not find anything on Gardner 650 00:27:55,208 --> 00:27:56,607 that they thought could be 651 00:27:56,609 --> 00:27:58,809 possibly connected with Earhart. 652 00:27:58,811 --> 00:28:02,013 What's more, Ron tells me that, three months later, 653 00:28:02,015 --> 00:28:05,749 Gardner Island got a much closer inspection. 654 00:28:05,751 --> 00:28:07,284 In October of '37, 655 00:28:07,286 --> 00:28:10,688 two British explores walked the entire island 656 00:28:10,690 --> 00:28:13,357 and spent three nights lighting huge bonfires. 657 00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:14,358 Mm-hmm. 658 00:28:14,360 --> 00:28:16,294 They found nothing, 659 00:28:16,296 --> 00:28:18,963 absolutely no evidence of Earhart. 660 00:28:18,965 --> 00:28:21,031 My opinion: if you were a castaway, 661 00:28:21,033 --> 00:28:22,099 you would come out 662 00:28:22,101 --> 00:28:23,567 after seeing these huge bonfires 663 00:28:23,569 --> 00:28:25,769 -Right. -and say, "Here I am." 664 00:28:25,771 --> 00:28:28,038 -They could be dead by that time. -Could be. 665 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:30,174 Still, you'd probably find some kinda proof 666 00:28:30,176 --> 00:28:32,909 that these people were there for the month or so it took 667 00:28:32,911 --> 00:28:34,445 for them to have died. -Something. 668 00:28:34,447 --> 00:28:37,314 So, putting Earhart and Noonan on Gardner 669 00:28:37,316 --> 00:28:41,385 basically hangs on some kinda thin evidence, in my opinion, 670 00:28:41,387 --> 00:28:43,254 -Thin evidence. -which is basically 671 00:28:43,256 --> 00:28:45,723 from radio signals, where they were tracked to, right? 672 00:28:45,725 --> 00:28:49,660 But, according to Ron, even that is in question. 673 00:28:49,662 --> 00:28:52,596 During the search, Mokapu took a test bearing 674 00:28:52,598 --> 00:28:54,598 on the Coast Guard cutter Itasca 675 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:57,468 and compared it with the ship's last-known position. 676 00:28:57,470 --> 00:28:59,870 And we got a great deal of degrees of difference. 677 00:28:59,872 --> 00:29:01,538 Mm-hmm. [ Sinister chord strikes ] 678 00:29:01,540 --> 00:29:05,810 Mokapu's bearing on the Itasca was off by 35°. 679 00:29:05,812 --> 00:29:07,011 If that's true, [ Sinister chord strikes ] 680 00:29:07,013 --> 00:29:09,614 it means that the triangulation of radio signals 681 00:29:09,616 --> 00:29:13,284 does not, in fact, point to Gardner Island at all. 682 00:29:13,286 --> 00:29:15,620 So that throws that. [laughing] 683 00:29:15,622 --> 00:29:17,654 One part of the triangulation 684 00:29:17,656 --> 00:29:19,557 is a serious problem. -Yeah. 685 00:29:19,559 --> 00:29:22,226 All that tells me that this whole question 686 00:29:22,228 --> 00:29:24,895 of the Gardner theory is highly dubious. 687 00:29:24,897 --> 00:29:26,697 [ Sinister chord strikes ] 688 00:29:26,699 --> 00:29:30,167 [ Suspenseful music plays ] 689 00:29:30,169 --> 00:29:33,170 But, thanks to Mokapu's test on the Itasca, 690 00:29:33,172 --> 00:29:36,173 I know exactly how far off its readings were. 691 00:29:36,175 --> 00:29:38,308 So, in theory, I should be able 692 00:29:38,310 --> 00:29:41,178 to add 35° to Mokapu's bearings, 693 00:29:41,180 --> 00:29:44,515 to see where the signals might have really come from. 694 00:29:44,517 --> 00:29:48,185 If Amelia Earhart didn't land on Gardner Island, 695 00:29:48,187 --> 00:29:49,954 then where did she go? [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 696 00:29:58,063 --> 00:29:59,863 [ Suspenseful music plays ] 697 00:29:59,865 --> 00:30:03,334 I'm tracking one of the great mysteries of the 20th century: 698 00:30:03,336 --> 00:30:06,470 the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. 699 00:30:06,472 --> 00:30:08,472 The US government long ago concluded 700 00:30:08,474 --> 00:30:11,409 that she ran out of fuel en route to Howland Island 701 00:30:11,411 --> 00:30:13,677 and crashed into the Pacific. 702 00:30:13,679 --> 00:30:17,081 But what if she actually made it to dry land? 703 00:30:17,083 --> 00:30:21,018 The Gardner Island hypothesis argues that Earhart turned south 704 00:30:21,020 --> 00:30:23,553 and landed on Gardner's tidal beach, 705 00:30:23,555 --> 00:30:26,824 but the island was searched by air and on foot. 706 00:30:26,826 --> 00:30:29,427 They did not find anything that they thought 707 00:30:29,429 --> 00:30:31,962 could be possibly connected with Earhart. 708 00:30:31,964 --> 00:30:35,899 So, if not Gardner Island, where did she go? 709 00:30:35,901 --> 00:30:37,568 Hi, Dick. -Good to see you, Don. 710 00:30:37,570 --> 00:30:40,103 -Nice to meet you. Thanks for having me out here. 711 00:30:40,105 --> 00:30:42,372 Dick Spink is a high-school science teacher 712 00:30:42,374 --> 00:30:43,774 and boat engineer. 713 00:30:43,776 --> 00:30:45,509 Recently, he's been at the forefront 714 00:30:45,511 --> 00:30:49,113 of a third, major theory on Earhart's fate. 715 00:30:49,115 --> 00:30:51,648 You subscribe to the theory that Amelia Earhart 716 00:30:51,650 --> 00:30:54,985 did not crash into the Pacific, did not even land 717 00:30:54,987 --> 00:30:56,520 on Gardner Island, right? -That's right. 718 00:30:56,522 --> 00:30:59,256 So explain to me why you think this. 719 00:30:59,258 --> 00:31:00,591 Well, we know she was 720 00:31:00,593 --> 00:31:02,259 under 1,000 feet of cloud cover. 721 00:31:02,261 --> 00:31:03,860 -She reported that? -That's right. 722 00:31:03,862 --> 00:31:05,730 -Okay. -The radio transmission. 723 00:31:05,732 --> 00:31:08,132 And we know what the weather was that day. 724 00:31:08,134 --> 00:31:10,134 The Itasca was in clear, blue sky. 725 00:31:10,136 --> 00:31:13,804 The only place that there were clouds that day 726 00:31:13,806 --> 00:31:14,872 were to the northwest. 727 00:31:14,874 --> 00:31:16,874 The only clouds was approximately 728 00:31:16,876 --> 00:31:21,077 25 to 30 miles away, northwest. 729 00:31:21,079 --> 00:31:24,281 Celestial navigation requires a clear view of the heavens. 730 00:31:24,283 --> 00:31:26,217 Even a seasoned pro like Fred Noonan 731 00:31:26,219 --> 00:31:29,286 could veer off-course in heavy cloud cover. 732 00:31:29,288 --> 00:31:31,756 If Earhart was flying through clouds, 733 00:31:31,758 --> 00:31:33,424 Dick believes she must've been 734 00:31:33,426 --> 00:31:35,426 somewhere north of Howland Island. 735 00:31:35,428 --> 00:31:37,695 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 736 00:31:37,697 --> 00:31:39,629 She can't find Howland Island. 737 00:31:39,631 --> 00:31:41,965 -Mm-hmm. -So her contingency plan, 738 00:31:41,967 --> 00:31:43,567 her only contingency plan, 739 00:31:43,569 --> 00:31:45,169 was to fly west. 740 00:31:45,171 --> 00:31:47,238 -She had an emergency plan? -That's right. 741 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:49,573 She told her friend Eugene Vidal. 742 00:31:49,575 --> 00:31:53,177 Eugene Vidal was head of the US Bureau of Air Commerce 743 00:31:53,179 --> 00:31:57,114 and a confidant of Earhart's. 744 00:31:57,116 --> 00:32:00,584 She told Vidal that, if she couldn't find Howland Island, 745 00:32:00,586 --> 00:32:03,653 she would turn around and fly west to the Gilberts, 746 00:32:03,655 --> 00:32:06,657 a long string of islands governed by the British. 747 00:32:06,659 --> 00:32:09,660 But, if Earhart was off-course to the north, 748 00:32:09,662 --> 00:32:12,596 then the island chain lying west of her there 749 00:32:12,598 --> 00:32:14,865 was not the friendly Gilberts, 750 00:32:14,867 --> 00:32:17,934 but the forbidden Marshall Islands. 751 00:32:17,936 --> 00:32:19,403 In 1937, 752 00:32:19,405 --> 00:32:21,472 the Marshall Islands were under military control 753 00:32:21,474 --> 00:32:23,140 of the Japanese Empire 754 00:32:23,142 --> 00:32:26,543 and off-limits to American ships and planes. 755 00:32:26,545 --> 00:32:30,214 Dick and others believe that Earhart and Noonan landed there, 756 00:32:30,216 --> 00:32:32,349 on an island called Mili Atoll, 757 00:32:32,351 --> 00:32:34,285 and were apprehended by the Japanese. 758 00:32:34,287 --> 00:32:35,252 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 759 00:32:35,254 --> 00:32:36,353 Today, this is known 760 00:32:36,355 --> 00:32:39,289 as the Marshall Islands landing theory. 761 00:32:39,291 --> 00:32:41,424 And, while this theory has been met with its fair share 762 00:32:41,426 --> 00:32:43,294 of skepticism through the years, 763 00:32:43,296 --> 00:32:44,962 Dick believes he has new evidence 764 00:32:44,964 --> 00:32:47,831 that gives the theory further credibility. 765 00:32:47,833 --> 00:32:50,834 Dick first began hearing stories about Earhart years ago, 766 00:32:50,836 --> 00:32:52,235 when he was in the Marshall Islands 767 00:32:52,237 --> 00:32:54,705 for his boat business. 768 00:32:54,707 --> 00:32:56,239 According to the theory, 769 00:32:56,241 --> 00:32:59,376 Earhart thought she was landing in the nearby Gilbert Islands, 770 00:32:59,378 --> 00:33:01,645 which were under friendly British rule, 771 00:33:01,647 --> 00:33:04,248 so, when she arrived at the Marshall Islands, 772 00:33:04,250 --> 00:33:06,050 she was shocked. 773 00:33:06,052 --> 00:33:07,852 So the people you were talking to, 774 00:33:07,854 --> 00:33:10,721 they're telling you that Marshallese people, 775 00:33:10,723 --> 00:33:13,056 citizens there, saw Amelia Earhart themselves. 776 00:33:13,058 --> 00:33:14,858 That's right. There really were 777 00:33:14,860 --> 00:33:16,460 no Caucasians there, at that time. 778 00:33:16,462 --> 00:33:18,128 -Right. -On all of the accounts 779 00:33:18,130 --> 00:33:19,329 of people seeing her, 780 00:33:19,331 --> 00:33:20,797 she stood out. -Right. 781 00:33:20,799 --> 00:33:24,134 Nearly all the Marshallese eyewitnesses from 1937 782 00:33:24,136 --> 00:33:27,604 who believed they saw Earhart are now gone. 783 00:33:27,606 --> 00:33:29,807 Dick has interviewed some of their children, 784 00:33:29,809 --> 00:33:32,009 but he tells me there's more than just memories 785 00:33:32,011 --> 00:33:34,612 to support this theory. 786 00:33:34,614 --> 00:33:38,349 So you actually have gone there on your own expeditions? 787 00:33:38,351 --> 00:33:39,883 That's right. Nine expeditions now. 788 00:33:39,885 --> 00:33:42,152 Really? Did you find anything? 789 00:33:42,154 --> 00:33:44,020 Sure did. 790 00:33:44,022 --> 00:33:47,090 Dick took metal detectors and ground-penetrating radar 791 00:33:47,092 --> 00:33:48,292 to Mili Atoll, 792 00:33:48,294 --> 00:33:50,627 the tiny, remote island where, the locals say, 793 00:33:50,629 --> 00:33:55,165 Amelia Earhart crash-landed on July 2, 1937. 794 00:33:55,167 --> 00:33:59,103 And, in January 2015, he hit pay dirt. 795 00:33:59,105 --> 00:34:01,705 Now, that is what we believe is 796 00:34:01,707 --> 00:34:04,375 a dust cover off of an air-wheel hub. 797 00:34:04,377 --> 00:34:05,842 Okay, so, basically, a hub cap 798 00:34:05,844 --> 00:34:07,111 from a plane? -Basically, a hub cap 799 00:34:07,113 --> 00:34:09,046 off of a tail wheel. 800 00:34:09,048 --> 00:34:10,381 Alright. 801 00:34:10,383 --> 00:34:14,117 Air wheels were special all-terrain airplane tires. 802 00:34:14,119 --> 00:34:15,853 Very few were ordered, 803 00:34:15,855 --> 00:34:18,655 but Earhart's Electra was fitted with them. 804 00:34:18,657 --> 00:34:20,991 And you found no serial numbers on any of these? 805 00:34:20,993 --> 00:34:22,726 That was the problem. That's why 806 00:34:22,728 --> 00:34:24,127 we can only say 807 00:34:24,129 --> 00:34:25,930 that this material is consistent 808 00:34:25,932 --> 00:34:27,064 -Okay. -with what would've been 809 00:34:27,066 --> 00:34:28,132 on her airplane, because we had 810 00:34:28,134 --> 00:34:29,532 no serial numbers on anything. 811 00:34:29,534 --> 00:34:30,801 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 812 00:34:30,803 --> 00:34:32,736 Dick laser-scanned the dust cover 813 00:34:32,738 --> 00:34:34,738 and flattened it out digitally. 814 00:34:34,740 --> 00:34:38,008 Then, using a 3-D printer, he was able to recreate 815 00:34:38,010 --> 00:34:40,877 what it would've looked like when it was new. 816 00:34:40,879 --> 00:34:43,480 I have over here part of a hub from an air wheel 817 00:34:43,482 --> 00:34:45,950 that would've been the same size as hers, 818 00:34:45,952 --> 00:34:48,552 -Mm-hmm, okay. -and it fits exactly 819 00:34:48,554 --> 00:34:49,553 on the hub. 820 00:34:49,555 --> 00:34:50,888 Wow. 821 00:34:50,890 --> 00:34:53,958 So I am very possibly holding 822 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:57,027 the last remnants of Amelia Earhart's airplane? 823 00:34:57,029 --> 00:34:58,629 -That's quite possible. -That is amazing. 824 00:34:58,631 --> 00:35:00,497 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 825 00:35:00,499 --> 00:35:04,501 So this theory says that, after she crash-landed here, 826 00:35:04,503 --> 00:35:06,437 the Japanese came and got her 827 00:35:06,439 --> 00:35:08,438 and they also retrieved the plane. 828 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:10,641 That's right. As the account goes, 829 00:35:10,643 --> 00:35:12,643 39 Marshallese men, 830 00:35:12,645 --> 00:35:14,177 who were conscribed by the Japanese, 831 00:35:14,179 --> 00:35:16,313 they were told to get their sleeping mats, 832 00:35:16,315 --> 00:35:17,781 go to the island, because they needed 833 00:35:17,783 --> 00:35:20,851 to move an airplane from the oceanside 834 00:35:20,853 --> 00:35:21,986 to the lagoonside. -Really? 835 00:35:21,988 --> 00:35:23,920 There's only one spot on that island 836 00:35:23,922 --> 00:35:25,389 where you can get a barge to it, 837 00:35:25,391 --> 00:35:27,658 and that's where we found these parts. 838 00:35:27,660 --> 00:35:32,129 So, once the plane is drug across there, using -- 839 00:35:32,131 --> 00:35:34,264 We found some heavy, steel wheels 840 00:35:34,266 --> 00:35:36,133 that were probably used for that. 841 00:35:36,135 --> 00:35:38,135 There's no other reason, no other explanation, 842 00:35:38,137 --> 00:35:39,336 for those things to be there. -Really? 843 00:35:39,338 --> 00:35:40,537 It's on the barge. 844 00:35:40,539 --> 00:35:43,540 From the barge, it is taken to Jaluit. 845 00:35:43,542 --> 00:35:45,609 Jaluit, and on its way to... 846 00:35:45,611 --> 00:35:47,210 BOTH: Saipan. 847 00:35:47,212 --> 00:35:48,545 She probably thought 848 00:35:48,547 --> 00:35:49,946 she was being rescued, at this point. 849 00:35:49,948 --> 00:35:51,815 Mm-hmm. Little does she know, 850 00:35:51,817 --> 00:35:53,951 something else is happening entirely. 851 00:35:53,953 --> 00:35:55,819 -That's right. -Wow! 852 00:35:55,821 --> 00:35:57,488 Could it really be true? 853 00:35:57,490 --> 00:36:00,691 Could Earhart really have made it safely to earth, 854 00:36:00,693 --> 00:36:03,761 only to fall into a new depth of danger? 855 00:36:03,763 --> 00:36:06,696 And are these shards of metal just debris, 856 00:36:06,698 --> 00:36:09,767 or are they clues to a terrible, hidden fate 857 00:36:09,769 --> 00:36:11,568 of an American hero? 858 00:36:11,570 --> 00:36:13,771 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 859 00:36:21,647 --> 00:36:26,983 [ Suspenseful music plays ] 860 00:36:26,985 --> 00:36:28,986 The official line on Amelia Earhart 861 00:36:28,988 --> 00:36:33,523 is still that she crashed and sank on July 2, 1937. 862 00:36:33,525 --> 00:36:35,859 But I'm exploring a theory that has the potential 863 00:36:35,861 --> 00:36:39,129 to turn that story upside-down. 864 00:36:39,131 --> 00:36:41,264 How you doing? -Don, it's good to see you. 865 00:36:41,266 --> 00:36:43,133 Nice to meet you. Hey. -Yeah. Come on. 866 00:36:43,135 --> 00:36:45,736 Les Kinney is a former federal investigator 867 00:36:45,738 --> 00:36:48,939 who has spent 15 years digging into the Earhart mystery. 868 00:36:51,143 --> 00:36:53,477 As I understand it, you're of the position that 869 00:36:53,479 --> 00:36:56,880 Amelia Earhart ends up landing in what is called Mili Atoll. 870 00:36:56,882 --> 00:36:57,881 In the Marshall Islands, yes. 871 00:36:57,883 --> 00:36:59,016 In the Marshall Islands, which is 872 00:36:59,018 --> 00:37:00,684 Japanese territory, right? -Yes, it is. 873 00:37:00,686 --> 00:37:02,819 Okay. This was a no-go place for an American? 874 00:37:02,821 --> 00:37:04,821 Very much so. 875 00:37:04,823 --> 00:37:07,090 There is a mountain of evidence 876 00:37:07,092 --> 00:37:09,293 that says that Amelia Earhart 877 00:37:09,295 --> 00:37:11,027 and Fred Noonan were in the Marshall Islands, 878 00:37:11,029 --> 00:37:12,095 captured by the Japanese, 879 00:37:12,097 --> 00:37:14,364 and eventually ended up in Saipan. 880 00:37:14,366 --> 00:37:15,632 Please show me this evidence. 881 00:37:15,634 --> 00:37:17,100 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 882 00:37:17,102 --> 00:37:20,604 What we have here is a dock scene at Jaluit. 883 00:37:20,606 --> 00:37:22,839 [ Camera shutter clicks ] Jaluit is another island 884 00:37:22,841 --> 00:37:24,174 in the Marshall chain, 885 00:37:24,176 --> 00:37:27,177 150 miles west of Mili Atoll. 886 00:37:27,179 --> 00:37:30,247 It was under Japanese control before World War II 887 00:37:30,249 --> 00:37:32,182 and closed to foreigners. 888 00:37:32,184 --> 00:37:33,917 Alright, I have seen this picture. 889 00:37:33,919 --> 00:37:36,320 This is a fairly famous image now. 890 00:37:36,322 --> 00:37:39,856 A dock with a ship and a number of people here, sitting here, 891 00:37:39,858 --> 00:37:41,992 two of which look to be Caucasian. 892 00:37:41,994 --> 00:37:43,794 Yes. The woman with the back to the camera, 893 00:37:43,796 --> 00:37:45,395 that's sitting down, actually kinda looking 894 00:37:45,397 --> 00:37:47,864 over there forlornly at that ship, 895 00:37:47,866 --> 00:37:49,266 I believe that's Amelia Earhart. 896 00:37:52,738 --> 00:37:54,204 And, over to the left, you'll see a man 897 00:37:54,206 --> 00:37:55,405 standing against a pole. 898 00:37:55,407 --> 00:37:57,140 Her navigator, Fred Noonan? 899 00:37:57,142 --> 00:37:58,675 That's right. 900 00:37:58,677 --> 00:38:01,745 Les believes the Japanese picked up Earhart and Noonan 901 00:38:01,747 --> 00:38:04,547 on Mili Atoll and, on their way to Saipan, 902 00:38:04,549 --> 00:38:08,284 stopped here, in Jaluit, where this photo was snapped. 903 00:38:08,286 --> 00:38:11,154 But, in the year since Les first went public with it, 904 00:38:11,156 --> 00:38:13,923 this photograph has attracted controversy. 905 00:38:13,925 --> 00:38:16,226 It's been claimed that this was printed, 906 00:38:16,228 --> 00:38:20,630 this very picture was printed in a Japanese book in 1935, 907 00:38:20,632 --> 00:38:23,366 which would be two years before the 1937 flight. 908 00:38:23,368 --> 00:38:25,368 -That's true. -How do you answer that? 909 00:38:25,370 --> 00:38:28,037 I took two trips to Tokyo to try to resolve 910 00:38:28,039 --> 00:38:29,573 that particular issue and I found 911 00:38:29,575 --> 00:38:30,774 that picture book. 912 00:38:30,776 --> 00:38:33,977 [ Sinister, distorted music plays ] 913 00:38:33,979 --> 00:38:36,113 The photo does, in fact, appear in a book, 914 00:38:36,115 --> 00:38:38,448 titled "The Lifeline of the Sea," 915 00:38:38,450 --> 00:38:40,984 with a date of 1935. 916 00:38:40,986 --> 00:38:44,855 But Les discovered that the book was bound in string 917 00:38:44,857 --> 00:38:48,325 and, inside, there are instances of repeated pages 918 00:38:48,327 --> 00:38:51,395 and skipped page numbers, leading him to believe 919 00:38:51,397 --> 00:38:55,566 it had been updated sometime after 1935. 920 00:38:55,568 --> 00:39:00,938 And, Les says, the proof is in the dock photograph. 921 00:39:00,940 --> 00:39:03,406 The Japanese had not electrified Jaluit 922 00:39:03,408 --> 00:39:06,609 until late in 1935 and into 1936. 923 00:39:06,611 --> 00:39:07,944 If you look at the picture, 924 00:39:07,946 --> 00:39:10,547 we have electrical lines here. -Wow. 925 00:39:10,549 --> 00:39:12,081 Wires wouldn't even be visible 926 00:39:12,083 --> 00:39:14,284 until after 1935. -That's right. 927 00:39:14,286 --> 00:39:16,486 Also in that picture, there is a ship. 928 00:39:16,488 --> 00:39:17,821 That ship is the Koshu 929 00:39:17,823 --> 00:39:19,823 -Mm-hmm. -and that ship 930 00:39:19,825 --> 00:39:21,691 was known to be there 931 00:39:21,693 --> 00:39:24,094 at that time of Earhart's disappearance. 932 00:39:24,096 --> 00:39:27,431 It arrived in Jaluit on July 12th 933 00:39:27,433 --> 00:39:29,966 and it left on July 19, 1937. 934 00:39:29,968 --> 00:39:33,836 So, indeed, it may have been in a book that was dated 1935, 935 00:39:33,838 --> 00:39:35,972 but that may have just been a reprint 936 00:39:35,974 --> 00:39:37,707 and the date was kept the same? 937 00:39:37,709 --> 00:39:38,642 Exactly. 938 00:39:38,644 --> 00:39:39,776 [ Suspenseful music climbs ] 939 00:39:39,778 --> 00:39:42,045 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 940 00:39:42,047 --> 00:39:44,647 Les stands by his photograph, 941 00:39:44,649 --> 00:39:46,449 but he says the Marshall Islands Theory 942 00:39:46,451 --> 00:39:48,385 does not live or die by it. 943 00:39:48,387 --> 00:39:51,521 He tells me scores of locals have long claimed 944 00:39:51,523 --> 00:39:55,192 that they saw Earhart and Noonan held prisoner on Saipan. 945 00:39:55,194 --> 00:39:57,461 So, the theory is that Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan 946 00:39:57,463 --> 00:40:00,597 were incarcerated in this jail for a period of time 947 00:40:00,599 --> 00:40:02,799 and that they died on Saipan, yeah? 948 00:40:02,801 --> 00:40:04,000 There's two theories on this. 949 00:40:04,002 --> 00:40:06,069 One is that Earhart died of dysentery 950 00:40:06,071 --> 00:40:07,938 and the other was that she was executed. 951 00:40:07,940 --> 00:40:09,272 As a spy? 952 00:40:09,274 --> 00:40:11,408 The Japanese culture, at the time, 953 00:40:11,410 --> 00:40:13,076 would've considered them 954 00:40:13,078 --> 00:40:14,144 suspects. -Yeah. 955 00:40:14,146 --> 00:40:15,679 The Japanese treated the United States 956 00:40:15,681 --> 00:40:16,613 as an enemy. 957 00:40:16,615 --> 00:40:18,348 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] 958 00:40:19,484 --> 00:40:21,284 The bulk of Les's research 959 00:40:21,286 --> 00:40:23,820 has been in military and government files. 960 00:40:23,822 --> 00:40:27,024 On June 15, 1944, we invaded Saipan. 961 00:40:27,026 --> 00:40:27,958 During World War II. 962 00:40:27,960 --> 00:40:29,292 [ Explosion ] 963 00:40:29,294 --> 00:40:31,294 Down rope ladders, into landing barges. 964 00:40:31,296 --> 00:40:32,695 Go, Marines! 965 00:40:32,697 --> 00:40:34,097 So, after that point, 966 00:40:34,099 --> 00:40:36,299 there's a massive, military presence on the island. 967 00:40:36,301 --> 00:40:37,500 Yes. There is one Marine 968 00:40:37,502 --> 00:40:39,569 by the name of Bob Wallack 969 00:40:39,571 --> 00:40:41,705 that blew open a safe, hoping to find 970 00:40:41,707 --> 00:40:42,906 some goodies that they could take back 971 00:40:42,908 --> 00:40:44,641 to the United States, and he pulls out 972 00:40:44,643 --> 00:40:45,908 this briefcase. 973 00:40:45,910 --> 00:40:49,112 I grabbed what I thought was a bag full of money, 974 00:40:49,114 --> 00:40:51,448 a leather bag, and ran off with it 975 00:40:51,450 --> 00:40:54,584 and opened it up and, lo and behold, 976 00:40:54,586 --> 00:40:58,388 was full of Amelia Earhart's papers. 977 00:40:58,390 --> 00:41:00,657 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] It had a lot of material 978 00:41:00,659 --> 00:41:02,392 that belonged to Amelia Earhart. 979 00:41:02,394 --> 00:41:03,527 No kidding? 980 00:41:03,529 --> 00:41:07,397 Visas, documents, maps, 981 00:41:07,399 --> 00:41:09,599 a lot of things showing her name. 982 00:41:09,601 --> 00:41:11,001 So what happened to the briefcase? 983 00:41:11,003 --> 00:41:12,936 He turned it over to what he described 984 00:41:12,938 --> 00:41:14,871 as a high-ranking Navy officer. 985 00:41:14,873 --> 00:41:16,339 No one has ever seen it since. 986 00:41:16,341 --> 00:41:17,808 [ Suspenseful chord strikes ] Amelia Earhart 987 00:41:17,810 --> 00:41:19,743 [laughing] did not crash in the ocean. 988 00:41:22,348 --> 00:41:25,215 WILDMAN: 80 years after Amelia Earhart disappeared, 989 00:41:25,217 --> 00:41:27,016 there are plenty of people who believe 990 00:41:27,018 --> 00:41:29,753 her airplane rests on the bottom of the Pacific; 991 00:41:29,755 --> 00:41:31,955 and many others, searching for new evidence 992 00:41:31,957 --> 00:41:33,557 on Gardner Island, 993 00:41:33,559 --> 00:41:36,359 and in the Marshalls, and Saipan. 994 00:41:36,361 --> 00:41:38,561 The good news is that the evidence is out there 995 00:41:38,563 --> 00:41:42,366 for the finding, and, someday, somebody will. 996 00:41:43,968 --> 00:41:47,504 Amelia Earhart was only two days away from the finish line 997 00:41:47,506 --> 00:41:49,305 of her 'round-the-world journey 998 00:41:49,307 --> 00:41:52,509 when she vanished somewhere over the Pacific. 999 00:41:52,511 --> 00:41:55,711 The official account is still that she ran short of fuel 1000 00:41:55,713 --> 00:41:57,514 and crashed into the sea. 1001 00:41:57,516 --> 00:41:59,649 It's the simplest explanation. 1002 00:41:59,651 --> 00:42:02,119 It's also the least satisfying. 1003 00:42:02,121 --> 00:42:04,454 But many dismiss the alternate theories 1004 00:42:04,456 --> 00:42:06,522 as nothing more than wishful thinking, 1005 00:42:06,524 --> 00:42:09,058 forced attempts to tack on a more fitting ending 1006 00:42:09,060 --> 00:42:11,060 to a heroic tale. 1007 00:42:11,062 --> 00:42:13,596 But, if Amelia Earhart really did land 1008 00:42:13,598 --> 00:42:16,332 in the Marshall Islands, then it's only a matter of time 1009 00:42:16,334 --> 00:42:18,468 before one of these determined scholars 1010 00:42:18,470 --> 00:42:21,137 digs up enough evidence beyond dispute 1011 00:42:21,139 --> 00:42:25,141 and rewrites this brave woman's saga, once and for all. 1012 00:42:25,143 --> 00:42:28,278 [ Sinister chord strikes ]