Strange plane disappearances have fascinated investigators, aviation experts, and the public for decades. There are many aircraft accidents that are solved through the analysis of wreckage, flight data or witness statements; however, some accidents are not solved.
These are missing planes, unclear flight paths, little evidence, and many unanswered questions from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 to Flight 19 and the mysterious Star Dust. Others were lost in high altitudes over large bodies of water, others in stormy weather and others in the mountains in the far distance. Search teams have been working for years for clues, but several of the aircraft have never been completely found and the last moments of several are still unclear. These cases still have outstanding questions.
Where Did It Go?
Even if you aren't an aviation enthusiast, we imagine that this story about the suspected missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 continues to haunt you a little, and we bet you check that story occasionally.
Well, that situation pales in comparison to all the tragic stories of other planes that have not returned and have been lost at sea over the years. Many tragic, unsolved aircraft mysteries exist, but the world remains wide and deep, and sadly, we may never learn what truly happened to all these missing flights.
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Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370
Even if you're not an aviation fan, the mystery surrounding Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 still gives many people the creeps and likely stands as one of those stories that you find yourself revisiting occasionally. Sadly, that fateful flight isn't the only one with an unknown outcome.
Over the years, various planes have vanished from the skies, and many of them have had mysteries surrounding them that haven't been entirely resolved. But the universe is huge and the oceans are deep, and sadly, that unfortunately means some of these aircraft will forever remain as perplexing mysteries.
Flight 19
On December 5, 1945, five U.S. Navy TBM Avenger torpedo bombers took off from Fort Lauderdale on a simple navigation mission that would turn out to be anything but simple.
The radar operators lost contact with the aircraft, and radio chatter revealed that Lt. Charles Taylor lost his way and was unable to find the others in the bad weather never to be heard from again.
Flying Tiger Line Flight 739
In March 1962, a Lockheed Super Constellation carrying service men en route to South Vietnam vanished somewhere between Guam and the Philippines.
Investigators did not think its final radio transmission was suspicious, yet a tanker crew reported seeing an explosion-like flash near the location where the plane was believed to have been. Despite an extensive search, search teams never found the plane's tail.
BSAA Star Tiger
The aircraft of British South American Airways (BSAA) Star Tiger was heading from the Azores to Bermuda when it mysteriously vanished without making any radio calls on 30 January 1948.
Search and rescue teams undertook extensive efforts but could not find any wreckage for five long days. Following that mysterious disappearance, it gradually became known as one of the intriguing legends of the Bermuda Triangle.
Airborne Transport's Missing DC-3
In December 1948, a Douglas airliner carrying 32 passengers and crew was approaching the final phase of a San Juan-Miami route when it mysteriously vanished in the sky off the coast of Florida.
Although mechanics had apparently identified some minor mechanical difficulties before the airplane left Puerto Rico, experts did not consider them serious. No one ever knew the exact location of the aircraft when the crew made their final radio contact.
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The Hawaii Clipper
The Hawaii Clipper, which was one of the large flying boats that Pan American Airways operated for transpacific passenger service in the 1930s, mysteriously disappeared on July 28, 1938, while it was en route from Guam to Manila with 15 people on board. The aircraft sank into the ocean without leaving any debris for examination, rendering the cause of the incident unknowable.
Northwest Orient Flight 2501
Northwest Orient Flight 2501 flew into Lake Michigan in June 1950. The pilot requested permission to descend below a cloud cover as a violent storm was hitting the plane.
Controllers lost contact with the plane; searchers recovered an oil slick, floating debris, and human remains from the crash site, but they did not find the plane itself. The plane's fate remains an enduring mystery even after several renewed searches conducted by dedicated teams.
The Stolen Boeing 727 in Angola
One of aviation's most bizarre lost-aircraft stories concerns the theft of an aircraft. In May 2003, a Boeing 727 that had been parked at an airport in Luanda, Angola, suddenly began taxiing without permission and then took off into the sky, even though the "crew" on board appeared to be utterly untrained to fly a 727.
Authorities launched an international investigation, but no one has known what the plane's ultimate fate was, leading to much speculation.
Star Dust and the “STENDEC” Message
In August 1947, BSAA's Star Dust vanished while flying across the Andes from Buenos Aires to Santiago. Little more than minutes from the scheduled arrival time, air traffic control received a vague Morse code message that terminated with the strange word, "STENDEC."
Fifty years later, debris emerged from the ice of the mountain, apparently having crashed into Mount Tupungato, yet the strange meaning of the message continues to remain a mystery.
FAQs
1. What is the most famous missing plane case?
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is one of the most widely known missing-aircraft cases. The Boeing 777 disappeared on March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
2. What happened to Flight 19?
Flight 19 was a group of five U.S. Navy TBM Avenger aircraft that disappeared during a training flight over the Atlantic on December 5, 1945. The aircraft were never conclusively located.
3. Why do some missing planes remain unsolved?
Large search areas, deep oceans, remote terrain, limited technology at the time, weather conditions, and a lack of recoverable evidence can make aviation investigations extremely difficult.
4. Was the Star Dust aircraft ever found?
Debris believed to be from BSAA Star Dust was discovered in the Andes decades after its disappearance. The aircraft's disappearance became famous partly because of its unusual final Morse-code message, "STENDEC."
5. Are all plane disappearances connected to the Bermuda Triangle?
No. Some disappearances occurred in or near the area commonly associated with the Bermuda Triangle, but many others happened in completely different parts of the world. Each case requires its own investigation and evidence.