A Terrifying Story: The Disappearance of a Douglas DC 3 Over Miami
Video from the channel AVIA SVIT Реконструкции Авиакатастроф about Douglas DC-3, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 16:01. Video type: Documentary.
What it's about
A reconstruction of the disappearance of a Douglas DC-3 flying the San Juan (Puerto Rico) to Miami route on the night of 27-28 December 1948. On board were 32 people, 29 passengers and three crew, the latter former military aviation pilots. The aircraft never reached its destination and was never found.
Historical context
Before leaving Isla Grande airport, the crew discovered the batteries were discharged. The captain decided against recharging them, simply topped them up with water and trusted the generators to charge them in flight. Since the transmitter lacked sufficient voltage, the aircraft departed under visual flight rules on condition of staying near San Juan until radio contact was established. Eleven minutes after take-off, the San Juan communications centre received word it was continuing to Miami as planned. The last message, picked up in New Orleans, placed it about 80 km south of Miami. The Coast Guard, Navy, military and civil aviation, and the governments of the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Nassau searched for six days without finding any trace.
Key facts
The investigation found failures in maintenance records, an unrepaired landing gear warning light, 2,460 kg of fuel loaded and a take-off weight somewhat above the permitted limit. Even so, it could not determine the cause. The video puts forward several hypotheses: a shift of the wind to the northeast that could have pushed the aircraft 65 to 80 km off course, a crew with at least 17 hours on duty, and a possible radio compass failure. All of this would have led to a ditching in the Gulf of Mexico once fuel ran out, with wreckage carried off by the Florida Current and the Gulf Stream. It also debunks the Bermuda Triangle legend: the crew never spoke to Miami or saw the city's lights.