The Navy was able to ascertain that the explosion was indeed the Martin Mariner. (A sample of oily water brought back for examination proved not to be oil at all.) However, the captain of Mill had reported that members of his crew claimed to have seen oil and debris. No vessel reported finding any trace as well, including the Gaines Mill which had immediately diverted after the explosion to search. He confirmed there were no rain showers, no lightning, or anything that could have caused the explosion. Gerald Brammerlin, the pilot, and his crew saw no trace of any debris or explosion. They had been searching Flight 19’s last reported position fix (the radio fix at 5:50 p.m.) far out to sea and immediately headed to the location of the explosion (about 25 miles off New Smyrna Beach), arriving there at about 10:45 p.m. But the report was so nebulous that SAR thought it might have been a massive midair collision of Flight 19. This indicated some form of midair tragedy. that night that a message came over the teletype at Air-Sea Rescue Headquarters in Miami reporting that the freighter s.s.
Training 32 reported in on time, but nothing was ever heard from Training 49 again. But mystery was to strike, sudden and without warning. Training 32 headed straight out into the Atlantic while Training 49 went north along the coast and then cut out to sea to home-in on Flight 19’s 5:50 p.m.
Training 49 and Training 32 departed Banana River Naval Air Station around 7:27 p.m. Walt Jeffrey was scheduled for only a local flight and therefore volunteered to command Training 49 into the Atlantic in search of the flight. In this instance, a fully qualified command pilot had to be placed aboard. But now the flights were commandeered for active Search and Rescue. Initially, they were scheduled to take off around 7 p.m. One was to be piloted by Harrie Cone, with 2 other co-pilots, and 9 crew under training. It was nicknamed, perhaps not-so-affectionately, the “flying gas tank.” Right now two night training flights, Training 49 and Training 32, were being prepared for routine training flights. It was also the base devoted to training men in the PBM Martin Mariner, the aircraft used most frequently in rescuing downed crew because it could land on water and it also had enormous range. The much anticipated order was given to commence around 6:30 p.m.īanana River NAS was a main cog in the Search and Rescue wheel over Florida. Nevertheless, despite the worsening weather a search had to be launched, for it was becoming clear Flight 19 was not going to make it back to base. Out to sea there was increasing wind and isolated rain showers. that night there was heavy overcast over Florida. But, adding again to the confusion of that night, it was not communicating with base and had missed its check-in time.īy 7 p.m. Only one PBM had been launched so far, and this was from Miami’s Dinner Key station. The evening of December 5, 1945, the search for Flight 19 had been delayed for several hours due to the belief that the flight would make it back and the fact that a storm front was moving in that could prove dangerous for search aircraft. But was its disappearance related in cause to that of Flight 19’s? We must go back and recap the events of that confusing night so long ago. There was more than ample reason, on the surface, for a legend to begin. This many men and 6 large aircraft disappearing in one night was not a normal event.
We cannot overlook that together with Flight 19 the disappearance of the PBM and its 13 man crew brought the tally of victims up to 27 men. In truth, the Dumbo’s disappearance does add more mystique to the drama of that confusing night, and with time it deservedly added to the legend of Flight 19 and the aura of The Bermuda Triangle. However, the disappearance deserves a lot more attention than what it has been given. Its use is squarely directed at bolstering the theories that Flight 19 truly encountered some destructive phenomenon of The Bermuda Triangle that was more active that night than any other. The Martin Mariner : a footnote with a big kickīecause of the sensational nature of Flight 19’s disappearance, the disappearance of the Martin Mariner during the search operations is often only a footnote. USS Cyclops Flight 19 Bermuda Triangle Index
0 kommentar(er)
