Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-05-12


erick j. Noonan to death in the
South Pacific on July 2, 1887. as
revealed in the confidential files OF
the Coast Guard cutter that sought
to guide the flying laboratory"
along the air lanes to Ho,Dlnnd
Island. is disclosed here for the
first time in the last OF tDo
articles.
OAKLAND. Calf. May II (N.A.
NAD.-Amelia Earharts radio-send-
ing equipment was faulty or she failed
to keep her broadcast schedule to the
Coast Guard cutter Itasca on her
tragic flight from Lac New Guinea, to
Rowland Island.
Confidential records of the Coast
Guard disclose that her calls never
were heard at the time she had desig-
nated-the quarter past the hour.
The only signals from her plane
picked up by the Itasca were at the
quarter of the hour. and toward the
end of the flight, which ended in a
South Pacific crash and death, Miss
together.
At 2:45 am. on July 2, last year, the
Itasca heard Miss Earharts voice for
the first time
Cloudy and overcast she reported
in very low monotone
Acknowledge Signals Once.
Apparently Miss Earhart's radio
receiving equipment was completely
out Only once during the entire
flight did she acknowledge receiving
the Itasca's signals, and that was on a
frequency good only for 80 to IS miles
from the sender.
The cutter hung off Rowland Island.
the tiny speck of coral in the Pacific
which meant safety and fame to the
brave woman flyer if she reached it.
Great pillows of black smoke poured
from the cutters funnel TO act as q
guide to the speeding plane. In all
directions except to the northwest, the
weather was clear About 40 miles to
the northwest, there were low-hang-
ing. dark clouds.
Keeping its schedule. the Itasca
called Miss Earhart every half hour
as requested prior to the start of the
fight. The calls went unanswered
Asked for Answer.
At 4 am when the plane was be-
leved nearing Rowland Island, the
1tasca asked:
What is your position? We are
receiving your signals Please &C.
knowledge this message on your next
schedule"
There was no answer.
At 4:53 am. the Itasca was sending
the weather report when Miss Earhart
broke in on the voice transmission with
a message that was unreadable
At 6,l4 m. Miss Earhart radioed:
please give me bearings on 3,lO5
kilocycles. I will whistle in the mike
I am about 20 miles out"
A minute later the Itasca radiomen
three of them on duty-heard the
whistle
At $50 am. the Itasca again asked
Miss Earhart for the planes position
and sent las" on 1880 kilocycles as
had been requested, and listened in on
3,l05 kilocycles, the frequency she was
using.
At SAP am Miss Earhart's voice
came in fairly clear to the Itasca
Please take bearing on us and re-
port in half hour. I will whistle in the
microphone. About 100 miles out"
Signal Too Brief.
The Itasca's log notes that the sig
nal was strong, but so brief that it was
impossible to take bearings from it.
At 7:l8 am. the Itasca radioed to
Miss Earhart's plane by voice:
Cannot take bearings on BIOS kilo-
cycles very good Please send on 500.
or do you wish to take bearings on us?
Go ahead. please
There was no answer.
Please answer our last MESA ge."
the Itasca called repeatedly, but in
vain
Then at 7:42 am. came the dramatic
voice message from Miss Earhart:
'KHAQQ Miss Earhart's plane call
3etters) calling Itasca. We must be on
you, but cannot see you. But gas is
running low. Have been unable to
reach you by radio, We are flying
At 1000 feet"
There was no mention of the cone
half hours gas left" as has been pre-
viously reported
Frantically the Itasca radiomen
called Miss Earhart and then listened.
with no response except the hum of
their own generators.
Binding Sun Rises.
The hot equatorial sun was rising
with binding brilliance over the hori-
zon. Miss Earhart was flying directly
into the morning sun. making it i'm
possible for her to see the low coral
island or the smoke smudge sent up by
the Itasca
At 1853 I'm. came another message
from the plane, indicating that Miss
Earhart was unworried by her inability
to hear the Itasca or see Rowland
Island, 1t read:
"KHAQQ calling Itasca We are
circling but cannot hear you. Go
ahead on $500 kilocycles either now
or on the scheduled time of half
hour"
Comdr. w. K. Thompson of the
Itasca commented in his log that at
that time the signals from the Earhart
plane were coming in at full signal
strength. indicating the flyers were
only few miles away in the cloud
bank to the northwest