Forum logo Did Amelia have a contingency plan if she couldn’t find Howland Island?

Any good pilot or navigator has one, but neither Earhart or Noonan apparently discussed it or left a record of it with anyone we know of. It is said that Earhart, at some time when she was still back in the States, said that if she was unable to find Howland she could always turn back and land on a beach in the Gilbert Islands. In reality, that wouldn’t have worked because:

a. She wouldn’t have enough gas to get back to the Gilberts.
b. You can’t fly to a known destination from an unknown point.

You can, however, fly from an unknown point on a known line, along which are known to be several possible destinations.


About TIGHAR Join TIGHAR TIGHAR Projects TIGHAR Publications Contract Services
The TIGHAR Store TIGHAR Forum Contact TIGHAR TIGHAR Home

TIGHAR logo

Copyright 2021 by TIGHAR, a non-profit foundation. No portion of the TIGHAR Website may be reproduced by xerographic, photographic, digital or any other means for any purpose. No portion of the TIGHAR Website may be stored in a retrieval system, copied, transmitted or transferred in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, digital, photographic, magnetic or otherwise, for any purpose without the express, written permission of TIGHAR. All rights reserved.

Contact us at: info@tighar.org  •   Phone: 610.467.1937   •   JOIN NOW