Amelia Mary Earhart was an American aviation pioneer. Her accomplishments as a woman pilot made her a popular celebrity of her time. Her accomplishments include many firsts for a female aviator such as first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean in 1928 (as a passenger), first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932, first aviator to fly solo from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Oakland, California in 1935, and several other solo flights. She also set seven women's speed-and-distance aviation records.
Today, Amelia Earhart is perhaps most remembered for her attempted circumnavigation of the globe in 1937. A specially modified Lockheed Electra 10E was constructed for the flight. Modifications to the aircraft included four auxiliary fuel tanks in the passenger compartment, a navigator’s station in the rear of the fuselage, additional batteries and installation of a Sperry autopilot along with various radio and navigation equipment. The usual passenger windows were not installed.
Powered by two air-cooled, supercharged, Pratt & Whitney Wasp S3H1 nine-cylinder radial engines, the maximum speed for the fully loaded aircraft was 177 MPH at sea level. The estimated maximum range was 4,500 miles utilizing its total fuel capacity of 1,151 gallons carried in ten tanks located in the wings and fuselage.
The aircraft was damaged during takeoff on the first attempt which necessitated repairs. The historic flight finally got underway when Amelia Earhart along with her navigator, Fred Noonan took off from Miami, Florida on June 1. Over the next four weeks, the pair covered about 22,000 miles making numerous stops along the way in South America, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. The pair arrived at arrived at Lae, New Guinea, on June 29, 1937.
The remaining 7,000 miles of the flight would be the most dangerous as it would be flown over the Pacific Ocean. The first leg of the cross ocean journey would require precise navigation to Howland Island, a small patch of land only 6,500 ft long and 1,600 ft) wide, located 2,556 miles away. The U.S. Coast Guard stationed the cutter USCGC Itasca to the vicinity of the island to offer communication and navigation support for the flight. The weather log the route of the flight was predicted to be clear to the half-way point but becoming overcast with intermittent rain showers, and strong headwinds although the area around highland was reported as fine but cloudy with a smooth sea.
The pair never made it to their destination. During their approach to Howland Island, the Itasca received strong, clear voice transmissions from Earhart identifying as KHAQQ, but she was unable to hear voice transmissions from the ship. A July 2 radio log from the Itasca at 7:30–7:40 am states the aircraft had only a half hour of fuel remaining. The log further states they believed they were near to Itasca but were having difficulty locating it and were flying at 1,000 ft. In her transmission at 7:58 am, Earhart said she could not hear Itasca and requested them to send voice signals so she could take a radio bearing. Itasca reported this transmission from Earhart as the loudest possible signal which indicated Earhart and Noonan were in the immediate area. Unable to send voice at the frequency she requested, Itasca sent Morse code signals instead. Earhart acknowledged receipt of the signal but advised she was unable to determine their direction. The last voice transmission from Earhart received on Howland Island indicated they were flying along a line of position running north-to-south on 157–337 degrees.
Official search efforts lasted until July 19, 1937. At the time, the air-and-sea search by the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard was the costliest and most intensive in U.S. history. As of this writing, the aircraft has never been located. The actual fates of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan may never be known. It is presumed they ran out of fuel and made a landing or crashed into the ocean. The disappearance remains one of the world’s greatest mysteries.