July 2, 1937 Amelia Earhart and Navigator Fred Noonan take off from Lae Airfield in the pacific, never to be found again, or so we have been told. There is no doubt one has to have heard of the tragic Earhart story about how Amelia and her navigator flew over the Pacific Ocean in hopes of landing upon Howland Island but never reached their destination, what one might not have heard are the multiple beliefs and conspiracies about the events that ensued after their disappearance. Though the incident occurred over 79 years ago many conspiracies still circulate in the air due to the unsolved mystery. One of the first beliefs is that Earhart’s Electra was knocked off course with Howland Island and simply ran out of fuel and crashed into the ocean, others believe her flight was ordered by President Roosevelt to spy on the ever growing Japanese Empire and while on this leg of the journey Earhart ended up crash landing in Japanese territory and was executed, or worse kept as a prisoner. Some even take this a step further that the Japanese kept her as a prisoner and released her following their surrender, then she proceeded to make her way back to New Jersey and create a brand new identity to live out her days. Though many of these theories have their own evidence of a shadowy truth behind them, the belief that Earhart and Noonan crash landed on nearby Gardner Island after missing Howland Island holds the most evidence due to recent developments and findings upon the Island and its coral reefs.
Before Amelia Earhart’s final flight she followed the famed Charles Lindbergh’s path through the history books as being the first female pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Though she had accomplished many amazing feats such as the one mentioned it still was not enough for the
headstrong Earhart, which prompted her attempt at the fatal around the world flight. During the era of her flight Axis powers were rising in strength especially the rising threat of the Japanese Empire in the Pacific, many such as the President were fearful of inevitable war regardless of the ongoing peace talks. Along with this Earhart had many troubles and problems before her flight even reached the final leg of the trip where she and Fred Noonan would vanish from the world. Many of these problems were such as Earhart’s aircraft missing many parts for navigation and communication though its theorized certain items were taken out to conserve fuel consumption (Source 1). But the fact still remained Earhart was already exhausted and ill from the previous twenty-one day leg of their journey not to mention Earhart’s aircraft had been recently repaired following the recent failure of the same journey not long before their fated disappearance (Source 2). In 1937 the year of her disappearance Earhart had met Orville Wright one of the brothers known for having successfully created manned flight of an aircraft, Earhart had also built a close relationship with her friend Eleanor Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor and her were so close Earhart was going to teach her how to fly upon returning from her record creating trip around the world (Source 3).
In the last 79 years since Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan’s disappearance over the Pacific three conspiracies after many years of deliberation still stand strong as possible outcomes of their final trip.
The first theory is that Earhart and Noonan were knocked off their original course with Howland Island and simply ran out of fuel and were forced to attempt a crash landing at which they did not survive. This theory survives due to the fact much of their navigation and communication equipment were not on board the Electra plane as mentioned above and were
needed in righting a course deviation (Source 1). Also the fact that Earhart’s fatigue from the previous leg would have had major effect upon her flying skills. On the other hand both Noonan and Earhart were seasoned heavily in their fields and were some of the best if not the best of their time, how could they not manage to maintain course?
The second theory being Earhart was ordered or at least asked by President Roosevelt to collect information on the Japanese Empire while on her leg near their occupied territories, and while doing so her Electra had crashed on a Japanese held island and she and Noonan captured or killed as a result. This theory is due to her close relationship with Eleanor Roosevelt and her husband (Source 3), which would allow Franklin the ability to ask such a daring thing of Earhart with the threat of an Axis and Japanese invasion immanent. But if this is true would the Japanese not have tried to use Earhart as a bargaining chip with the United States? Would both Earhart and Noonan even agree to such a mission regardless of only one of their relationships with the President?
The third theory is that Earhart and Noonan managed to crash-land on or at least near Gardner Island, or so it was named at the time. Gardner Island (Source 4) was near Howland Island and was believed to have been inhabited at the time of the search and rescues for Earhart so was not searched. In fact believed evidence has been found that shows remnants of an Electra aircraft wreckage upon the island along with signs of castaways such as old shoes, bones, pocket knives and even makeup (Source 3 & 4). Then again as previously mentioned the island was inhabited at one point and was believed to be at the time though it was not, could the remains found just be from the previous inhabitants rather than Earhart? Only time and DNA testing will show.
After the research, it can be shown that most the evidence suggests Earhart and Noonan had been spying on the Japanese empire. This is due to the first conspiracy relies on the lack of evidence as its evidence even though both Noonan and Earhart were experts and some of the best in their respective fields, while the thirds evidence can easily be previous inhabitants of the islands remaining items. All the while the second theory is supported by Earhart’s close relationship with the Presidents Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor, both at which were major leaders of the feminist movement, and the rising threat of Japan and their long history of fearfulness of spies.
More than 75 years after American icon Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan vanish over the Pacific ocean attempting an around the world record with no confirmed signs of their plane or themselves three conspiracies emerged in the wake of their disappearance:
1. Did Earhart get knocked off course and simply crash land into the ocean after running out of fuel?
2. Did Earhart get captured or killed while taking on the Presidents mission to spy upon the rising Axis power Japan?
3. Did Earhart manage to crash-land and never be found on nearby Gardner Island, living out her days as a castaway?
Going on 80 years now the mystery of Earhart’s unknown and ill fate still remains shrouded in mystery and speculation until proper and proven evidence of her fate is found and released.
Works cited:
"Amelia Earhart's Last Flight." Amelia Earhart's Last Flight. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.
""Amelia"" The Official Website of Amelia Earhart. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.
History.com Staff. "Amelia Earhart." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.
History.com Staff. "What Happened to Amelia Earhart?" History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2010. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.
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