UFO Mail - No 267 - 2018

Magazine Overview

This issue of UFO-Mail, number 267, published on August 6, 2018, by Skandinavisk UFO Information, is primarily dedicated to a detailed examination of the enduring mystery surrounding "Flight 19." The issue also features a clearance sale for back issues of the magazine "UFO-Nyt."

Oprydningssalg (Clearance Sale)

The magazine announces a clearance sale for back issues of "UFO-Nyt." Several years are available for the low price of 29 Danish Kroner per year. These years include 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. Each year consists of four issues, totaling 96 pages. As a bonus, purchasing a year's subscription includes a free copy of the final issue, "UFO-Nyt 2010 nr. 4." Orders for these back issues are to be placed through SUFOI's online shop.

Mysteriet om Flight 19 (The Mystery of Flight 19)

The main article, authored by Kim Møller Hansen, delves deeply into the disappearance of Flight 19, a flight of five US Navy Grumman Avenger torpedo bombers that vanished on December 5, 1945. The flight originated from the naval air station in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for what was intended to be a routine training exercise over the Atlantic.

The Flight and its Crew

Flight 19 consisted of five Avenger torpedo bombers. The lead aircraft, FT-28, was piloted by Lieutenant Charles Carroll Taylor, an experienced pilot with 2,509 flight hours, including 616 hours in Avengers. The other four aircraft carried student pilots who were undergoing training to transition to naval service. These pilots had an average of 350-400 flight hours, with about 65 hours in Avengers. Many had prior experience flying in the Fort Lauderdale area and had trained for emergency situations like ditching at sea or becoming lost.

Each Avenger typically had a crew of three: a pilot, a radioman, and a gunner. On this particular flight, a radioman was absent, resulting in a crew of two per aircraft, totaling 14 crew members instead of the usual 15.

The Training Mission

The planned mission involved flying 96 km east over the sea to Chicken & Hen Shoals for a bombing exercise on a shipwreck. This segment was expected to take 20 minutes. Following this, the five planes were to continue 124 km east to Great Stirrup Cay, then turn northwest for 135 km, passing over Grand Bahama Island, before heading southwest for the final 230 km leg back to Fort Lauderdale. This route formed a triangular navigation exercise.

The Disappearance

Approximately 25 minutes before Flight 19 took off, Flight 18 had departed for a similar exercise. The weather was initially good, with clear visibility. However, as the flight progressed, conditions deteriorated. Around 14:40, after completing the bombing exercise, Flight 19 proceeded to its next waypoint. By approximately 15:40, they were expected to see Grand Bahama Island. However, radio transmissions began to indicate disorientation.

Lieutenant Instructor Robert Fort Cox, flying in FT-74 near Fort Lauderdale, intercepted fragmented communications. He heard Taylor asking another pilot, "Powers, what does your compass show?" and Powers responding, but Cox could not hear the reply. Later, Taylor reported that both his compasses were defective and he was trying to find Fort Lauderdale, believing he was over land, possibly the Keys (Key West). Cox attempted to guide Flight 19 back, but communication was weak and intermittent, hampered by static and broadcasts from Cuba.

Taylor expressed concern about being lost and stated, "I don't know where we are. We must have gotten lost after the latest course change." He also mentioned that the planes were unable to switch to a distress frequency because he needed to keep the formation together.

Around 17:00, a transmission from one of the student pilots indicated a desire to fly west, saying, "Damn it, if we could just fly west, we would get home. West, for hell's sake!" The article suggests that military discipline may have prevented them from deviating from the planned course.

As sunset approached at 17:26, Taylor announced that when the lead aircraft had less than 10 gallons of fuel remaining, they would ditch together. At this point, Flight 19 was north of the Bahamas, far from the Florida coast, with strong winds and high waves.

The Search and Further Losses

Search aircraft were dispatched to the last known position. Tragically, one of the search planes, a PBM Martin Mariner, disappeared with its crew of 13. It was reported that ships in the area observed a fireball in the sky before the aircraft vanished from radar. The PBM Martin Mariner was nicknamed the "flying gasoline bomb" due to its complex fuel system, which had led to many accidents.

Another PBM Martin Mariner, PBM Training 49, also disappeared during the search. It transmitted a brief message at 19:30 before contact was lost. Later, the Coast Guard received a report from the freighter SS Gaines Mills about a fireball and oil slick at sea.

The Official Investigation and Theories

By December 10, 1945, the search was called off, with no trace of Flight 19 found. A subsequent Navy investigation, the "Board of Investigation into the five missing TBM airplanes and one PBM airplane," concluded that a confluence of unfortunate circumstances led to the disappearance. These included Taylor's disorientation, radio transmission failures, his refusal to switch to a distress frequency, compass malfunctions, the onset of darkness, and worsening weather. The report suggested the pilots became lost and flew northeast until they ran out of fuel, eventually ditching in the rough sea. The investigation concluded it was an accident.

Alternative Perspectives and Research

Author Gian J. Quasar, in his book "They Flew Into Oblivion," reconstructs the events, suggesting Flight 19 may have disappeared into the Okefenokee Swamp on the border of Georgia and Florida. This theory is partly based on a radar observation made by the USS Solomons, which detected "4 to 6 aircraft at 4,000 feet" near Flagler Beach around 19:00. Quasar believes these were the Avengers crossing the coastline before landing in the swamp.

Jon F. Myhre, a former pilot and decorated war veteran, has dedicated much of his life and fortune to searching for the lost planes. In his book, "Discovery of Flight 19. A 30-Year Search for the Lost Patrol In the Bermuda Triangle," Myhre presents detailed calculations on the likely crash sites. He argues that the planes did not go down together. He suggests two planes (FT-81 and FT-36) crashed inland, while three others (FT-117, FT-28, and FT-3) ditched in the Atlantic Ocean, with Taylor's aircraft (FT-28) going down furthest east.

Myhre points to several critical errors made on the day of the flight, particularly insufficient information about wind conditions. The wind data provided to the pilots from RAF Windsor Field in Nassau was inaccurate, with the actual wind coming from a different direction and speed than reported. This discrepancy, even in the initial minutes of the flight, laid the groundwork for the disaster.

Myhre also notes that Flight 19 failed to make landfall at Great Stirrup Cay as planned. Taylor then ascended to about 6,000 feet for better visibility and to get a bearing, but this maneuver, combined with strong winds and turbulence, further compounded the navigational problems.

During the extensive search, numerous observations and incidents were recorded, including reports of debris, oil slicks, blood-like stains on the water, and possible flares, parachutes, and life rafts that could be linked to Flight 19.

Museum Perspectives and Theories

Minerva Bloom, museum coordinator and webmaster for the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum, states that the Bermuda Triangle is not a recognized dangerous area and that the number of lost ships and planes is not statistically higher than in other maritime regions. She believes the mystery remains unsolved because the U.S. Navy has been unwilling to reopen the case, having officially declared it an accident. The museum has a special exhibit on Flight 19 and its associated materials.

Bloom also mentions a witness account from 1975 suggesting that five Avenger aircraft on a training flight landed at Morrison Army Air Field, about 50 miles north of NAS Fort Lauderdale, mistaking it for their intended destination. However, she considers this story likely fiction, as there's no confirmation of a "Lt. Commander Wirshing" or such an incident.

Both Myhre and Quasar agree that the disappearance was not caused by supernatural forces but by a series of unfortunate circumstances, with the planes likely ditching north of the Bahamas due to running out of fuel.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The primary theme of this issue is the detailed investigation into the Flight 19 disappearance, presenting both official findings and alternative theories from researchers like Gian J. Quasar and Jon F. Myhre. The magazine appears to favor a rational, evidence-based approach, attributing the event to a complex interplay of human error, equipment failure, and environmental factors, rather than paranormal phenomena. The editorial stance supports thorough research and the presentation of various perspectives on historical mysteries within the UFO field.

Title: UFO-Mail
Issue: 267
Volume: um-2018
Year: 2018
Publisher: Skandinavisk UFO Information - SUFOI
Country: Denmark
Language: Danish
Type: Free newsletter

This document represents the header and footer of UFO-Mail newsletter issue number 267, from the year 2018. The newsletter is provided free of charge by Skandinavisk UFO Information - SUFOI, an organization based in Ringsted, Denmark.

Content and Navigation

The header clearly states that printing and photocopying of the content are subject to Copydan fees. The navigation bar offers several options:

• Hjemmeside: Link to the homepage.
• Send UFO-Mail til en ven: Option to send the newsletter to a friend.
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The footer reiterates the publisher's name and address: Skandinavisk UFO Information - SUFOI, Eilekiersvej 14, 4100 Ringsted. It also includes a link to the specific page and a W3C HTML 4.01 validation badge.

Editorial Stance and Themes

As this document primarily contains navigational and administrative information for the newsletter, specific editorial stances or detailed themes are not evident. However, the name 'Skandinavisk UFO Information' and the title 'UFO-Mail' strongly suggest that the primary theme revolves around UFOs and related phenomena within a Scandinavian context.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme is clearly UFO information dissemination. The editorial stance, inferred from the provision of a free newsletter and contact information, appears to be one of openness and accessibility to those interested in the subject of UFOs. The mention of Copydan fees for reproduction indicates an awareness of copyright and licensing regulations within the publishing context.