How did Amelia Earhart die and what caused it?

Answer 1

There are many theories as to what became of Amelia Earhart. There are three most prominent and probable theories.

1) Some believe she crash landed in the ocean. The plane she was flying would have sunk within minutes, and as life rafts had been removed from the plane to save space/reduce weight, it is likely she and her companion on the trip, Fred Noonan, would have drowned. However, there have been multiple radar searches over miles of the sea floor around Howland Island (her intended destination) to know avail.

2) Another theory is that she crash landed in the jungles of New Britain, somewhere near the Mevelo River. During World War II, an Australian patrol of soldiers found a plane in the jungle in that area. It was badly corroded and damaged. It had two engines which matched the type on Earhart's Lockheed Electra 10E, the model of the plane she was flying. They pulled an identification tag off the plane and continued onward. Later they passed this identification plate up their chain of command, and determining that it was neither Australian or Japanese military, the Australians passed it onto the Americans. The Americans also determined it did not belong to their military and determined that it was a civilian aircraft. The tag has since been lost but the report the soldiers made had a note, "ref. 600 H/P. S3H/1 C/N 1055". This could match Amelia Earhart's plane, as her plane had a construction number (C/N) 1055, and had two Pratt & Whitney R-1340-S3H1 Wasp engines rated at 600 horsepower (600 H/P. S3H/1) Moreover, there were no other planes of that type reported missing in the area around New Guinea and New Britain around that time. These specifications fit her Lockheed Electra 10E, however it does not conclusively prove that the plane was hers, as the soldiers did not get a serial number on the plane. Earhart's serial number was NR 16020. The plane's location has since been lost and many attempts have been made and continue to be made to find the plane again. However, Earhart had left from Lae in Papua New Guinea and reached Howland Island it is believed. However, it is very hard to see and with the weather conditions the way they were, it is believed she could not find it. For her to have crashed in New Britain, she would have had to turned around and flown 3500 km back towards Lae, with already a low amount of gas (we believe that she was low on gas).

3) Another theory, and perhaps the most accepted one, is that when she was unable to find Howland, she instead flew southeast towards what was then called Gardner Island (now called Nikumaroro). This fits one of her transmissions where she stated that she could not find Howland and was flying instead along the 157/337 line of position, as it would give her the greatest chance of finding land soon (already being short on fuel and in need of a landing spot). Gardner Island was in that line's path, is much more visible from the air than Howland would have been, and had a flat reef that a pilot could easily have made an emergency landing on. The place had not been inhabited in 40 years, however when the a search plane flew overhead the island a couple weeks after the disappearance, it could see signs of recent habitation. However, not receiving any signal or sign of a person when circling overhead, they decided that nobody was there, and investigated no further. Later however a group known The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) theorized that this island was where Earhart crashed, and so they did work scouring the island for clues. In one area, they found a skeleton matching her height, as well as what appeared to be where someone had made a camp. There were crude tools made from pieces of sophisticated technology (parts of an aircraft), a piece of aluminum sheeting (possibly a part of the plane), a clear piece of Plexiglas with the curvature and thickness matching that of the window of her Electra, among other aircraft debris. There was also the sole of a woman's shoe of the type that she was known to wear, however it was a size 9 and it is believe she wore a size 6. There were a piece of a sextant eyepiece (an aerial navigational tool) found at the scene. Original examinations of the skeleton determined it belonged to a man, however later examinations (1998) determined it was that of a woman of European descent. The height also matched her's. Moreover, a transmission heard, one of the last transmissions believe to be from her, was believed to have been taken from the ground, and she could be heard saying "ship of a reef". On Gardner Island at that time, there was the wreckage of S.S. Norwich, which ran aground there 8 years earlier and was a distinct feature of the Island.

Answer 2

Amelia Earhart disappeared in the Bermuda triangle

Amelia had absolutely nothing to do with the Bermuda triangle. She and her navigator, Fred Noonan disappeared in the Pacific Ocean.

Answer 3

A few hours before their estimated arrival time Noonan calculated a "sun line," but without a successful, radio-frequency range calculation, a precise "fix" on the plane's location could not be established. Researchers generally believe that the plane ran out of fuel and that Earhart and Noonan perished at sea.

Answer 4

Amelia Earhart died because her airplane ran out of fule and she was passing an ocean and her airplane sank and she did not know what had happpend and got out she did not hold her breath or anything and died.

Answer 5

They concluded that she had died in a plane crash with navigator Fred Noonan in the pacific ocean due to running out of fuel.

Answer 6

I actually think that that when Amelia crashed in the Pacific.O she would've had a radio to call in but she didn't which is sad cause she probly would've lived.

Answer 7

she died at sea due to loss of fuel.

died on the 2 july, south pacific sea

Answer 8

Amelia died over the Pacific Ocean when her plane crashed. She disappeared on 2 July 1937 and was officially declared dead on 5 January 1939.

Answer 9

Nobody knows the cause of her death. Amelia and Fred disappeared and their bodies have never been found

Answer 10

Nobody knows how she died.