Life Raft and Fishing Lines???

[Randy Conrad]

Here is another article that I find very interesting and may be of valuable use to our research. Anyway, if someone would shed some light on what this life raft looks like or how big it was, would be really helpful! Thanks!!!!

[richie conroy]

Hi Randy

I found this image on a website a while back, http://fineartamerica.com/featured/airplane-wreck-bob-abraham.html

The wreck is in waianae Honolulu north of the location mentioned in your PDF  i have checked it out though and there is no inspection access plate above left side cockpit window

Interesting find though

Thanks Richie 

[C.W. Herndon]

Here is another article that I find very interesting and may be of valuable use to our research. Anyway, if someone would shed some light on what this life raft looks like or how big it was, would be really helpful! Thanks!!!!

Randy, here is a link to a video of the crew loading the Electra for the first attempt in March, 1937. At one point during the loading, they appear to remove what could be a life raft from its storage container, to maybe reduce weight? If you scroll down from the video, there is a series of stills made from the video.

I don't know if this will help you any or not.

[Doug Giese]

I found this image on a website a while back, http://fineartamerica.com/featured/airplane-wreck-bob-abraham.html

Richie,

That's interesting. Any idea how long it was underwater (appears recent), and at what depth (looks fairly shallow) ?

[Edit to spell Richie's name correctly.]

[Ric Gillespie]

At one point during the loading, they appear to remove what could be a life raft from its storage container, to maybe reduce weight? If you scroll down from the video, there is a series of stills made from the video.

Yeah, I'd say that's definitely a life raft and yet there was no raft in the Luke Field inventory so they apparently decided not to take it along.  The film, and the weighing of equipment, might have been done before they decided to take Noonan along. Taking a fourth person would necessitate weight reduction and that life raft doesn't look like it would accommodate four people anyway.

[Charles D Blackwell]

Probably not the place to post this (moderator?), but in another thread I read the other day, there was a discussion about the seven site(?) and what type of canteen/canvas water container AE/FN may have had with them on the last flight.  Did anyone notice that in the "Loading the Electra"  video link in post #17 above, that at about time interval 0:40 AE is placing a canteen near the scales to be weighed.  Not sure this will have a bearing on the other thread discussion, but I noticed the canteen and thought I would mention it in light of the other discussion thread.  Also, will try to find the other thread and make the notice there also, if someone doesn't beat me to it.

[Ric Gillespie]

Did anyone notice that in the "Loading the Electra"  video link in post #17 above, that at about time interval 0:40 AE is placing a canteen near the scales to be weighed. 

Yes, I noticed that.  There were a couple of canteens in the Luke Field inventory.  Another photo shows a desert water bag.

[C.W. Herndon]

Yes, I noticed that.  There were a couple of canteens in the Luke Field inventory.  Another photo shows a desert water bag.

Ric. I found a copy of what appears to be the same picture on corbisimages.com. The write up with the picture seems to indicate that it may have been made prior to the second attempt.

[Bruce Thomas]

... The write up with the picture seems to indicate that it may have been made prior to the second attempt.

Yeah, but look at the date that the picture was purported to have been taken: July 07, 1937. 

I'm not convinced of either where or when this picture was really taken.

[Ric Gillespie]

I'm not convinced of either where or when this picture was really taken.

The caption is "Here is the last picture made in Los Angeles of Amelia Earhart, missing with her navigator in the mid-Pacific. The picture was made as she completed preparations for her ill-fated flight."

I'm always suspicious of "this is the last picture" captions.  Few of them are accurate.

We have several photos that we know were taken in Burbank on May 20 when she was loading the airplane for the "secret" departure of the second attempt.  In this one some, but not all, of the same luggage is present and AE is wearing a jacket over a polka-dot shirt.

[Bruce Thomas]

I'm not convinced of either where or when this picture was really taken.

The caption is "Here is the last picture made in Los Angeles of Amelia Earhart, missing with her navigator in the mid-Pacific. The picture was made as she completed preparations for her ill-fated flight."

I'm always suspicious of "this is the last picture" captions.  Few of them are accurate.

We have several photos that we know were taken in Burbank on May 20 when she was loading the airplane for the "secret" departure of the second attempt.  In this one some, but not all, of the same luggage is present and AE is wearing a jacket over a polka-dot shirt.

The file that Ric has in his message is in a PhotoShop proprietary format. I'm attaching a jpeg version of it here for those who don't have PhotoShop.

[Ted G Campbell]

Ric,
Can we get a close up view of the wooden box sitting on top of the suite cases.  What kind of "dove tale" corners are on the box? Any numbers present?
Ted

[Ric Gillespie]

Can we get a close up view of the wooden box sitting on top of the suite cases.  What kind of "dove tale" corners are on the box? Any numbers present?

I don't see any dovetail corners and I'm not sure it's even made of wood.  It's certainly not like any sextant box I've ever seen, but it might contain navigation plotting tools (triangle, dividers, etc.).