Search for Amelia Earhart - Nikumaroro Expedition 2017
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Josh King's overview to Avvo teammates of the "Nikumaroro hypothesis" for Amelia Earhart's disappearance, and his 2017 trip to Niku to look for evidence.
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Search for Amelia Earhart - Nikumaroro Expedition 2017
- 1. Presented by The Search for Amelia Earhart: Expedition to Nikumaroro
- 2. TIGHAR •“The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery” •Small non-profit organization based in Oxford, Pennsylvania •Supported by private donations •Missions: historic aircraft preservation and pursuit of aviation mysteries •Website: tighar.org •Earhart Search Project is a major priority
- 4. Lae, New Guinea Howland Isl. Earhart’s World Flight: Circle the globe at its widest
- 5. Amelia Earhart, Fred Noonan, and the Lockheed Electra 10E Went missing July 2, 1937 over the Pacific Ocean
- 6. JULY 2, 1937 -- 0646: “About 100 miles out…” -- 0741: “We are on you but cannot see you…flying at 1000 feet…” -- 0804: “We cannot hear you…” (AE unable to get RDF directions) -- 0843: “We are on the line 157-337… flying north and south” Tiny Howland is in this photo, taken at 1000 ft. Howland: 1 x 2 miles, 15 ft. high
- 7. WHAT HAPPENED? THREE THEORIES •Crashed and Sank •Captured by the Japanese •Landed on Nikumaroro
- 8. Post-Loss Messages • Over 180 receptions • 84% recorded by professionals • Vast majority in central Pacific • Many in first three days, then rapidly taper off • RDF points to Phoenix Islands
- 9. History Channel claims this pic shows AE+FN + plane
- 10. Japanese blogger found this pic in 30 minutes on-line – from 5 Oct 1935 – 2 yrs before the crash
- 11. Howland Baker Kanton (Canton) Phoenix Islands McKean Nikumaroro From Lae 337 degrees 157 degrees Equator Howland Baker Kanton (Canton) Phoenix Islands McKean Nikumaroro 337 degrees 157 degrees Equator 7:40 am: “Must be on you but cannot see you” 8:43 am: “We are on the line 157 337” The Line of Position
- 13. Kiribati (“keer e bas”) is both huge and tiny Seattle Boston 2750 miles across Land area size: 313 sq. mi.; only 5 x area of DC Total area size: 1.35 million sq. mi.; 5 x area of Texas! Population: only 115,000
- 23. History of Nikumaroro Some evidence of prehistoric occupation Brief episode of coconut planting 1890s Shipwreck (SS Norwich City) 1929 1938-63: The “PISS” Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme Undertaken by Western Pacific High Commission (UK) Colonies on Nikumaroro, Manra, Orona
- 24. Emily Sikuli Reports wreckage of airplane on Nutiran reef edge Wreckage described as long, skinny steel object with something on end Daughter of village Carpenter. Left island In 1941, never returned
- 26. Forensic Photointerpretation: October 1937 Eric Bevington Photo
- 28. High-resolution Scan of original Bevington Photo Consistent with: Long skinny steel thing with something on end Landing gear of Lockheed Electra
- 29. Limit of ROV Operations Chasing the Anecdotes: Seeking the airplane
- 33. The Colonial Village – Ritiati or Karaka 1939-1963 U.S. Navy Photo: 1944
- 35. Aircraft parts from village (Collected 1989-2015)
- 36. Gerald B. Gallagher Administrator, Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme Arrived Nikumaroro 9/40 Died on Nikumaroro 9/41 9/40 reported bones Historical Documentation
- 38. Working party found human skull More bones found Woman’s shoe Sextant box “Slight chance” may be Earhart
- 39. Found at southeast corner Fire, bird, turtle bones Working party buried skull Bones disturbed, damaged by Coconut Crabs
- 40. The Bones ► Gallagher 1940: ▪ 13 bones, with remains of fire, bird and turtle bones, sextant box, Benedictine bottle, shoe parts ▪ Skull buried by finders, to be excavated ► January 1941: Gallagher sends to Fiji ► Dr. David Hoodless analysis: ▪ Adult European male ► 1941: Being held by Dr. Hoodless for government at Hospital
- 41. The Bones - 2 ►1998: Hoodless notes found in Colonial files ▪ Measurements of cranial characteristics as indicators of sex ▪ Measurements of limb bones as indicators of stature ►Re-analyzed by forensic anthropologists Burns and Jantz ►Consistent with adult female, northern European ethnicity, 5’7”-5’9” ►Updated analysis in progress
- 43. Evidence at the “Seven Site” on Niku 1. Freckle crème jar, US; AE used such crème 2. 1930s era women’s compact 3. Pocket knife, US, broken apart 4. Human bone found by TIGHAR 5. Human bones found in 1940 6. 1400 fish bones & uneaten fish heads 7. Melted glass bottles and 11 fire features 8. Clam shells for catching water 9. US-made zipper 10. Glass shards used as knives 11. Forensic dog alerts 12. Sextant box w/ # close to Noonan
- 44. New Artifacts
- 49. So…. ►Seven Site matches location of bones discovery ►Forensic dogs “alerted” at site ►Fires, animal bones indicate camping ►Some bones, melted bottles suggest castaway ►Some artifacts suggest a woman ►Artifacts are consistent with late 1930s, U.S. origin
- 50. We think what happened is…
- 51. Wreckage tossed up on reef by storms •Safe landing on reef flat •Messages sent. Some wreckage drifts south along reef face AE (and/or FN?) camps for some time and succumbs Arrive along LOP in late morning AE, FN(?) work way southeast (looking for water?) Rising tides 5-6 days later take plane over reef edge
- 52. The End