Top 10: Cases of Flights That Have Been Missing for Decades

The missing of flight MH 370 from Malasya Airlines has re-launched the debate and concern about accidents of commercial passenger flights.

Unfortunately, this is not the only tragic occurrence involving the loss of a substantial number of lives.

Research and information given to the public is confused, distorted and somewhat chaotic.

In this Top 10 of disappeared flights, we will let you known chronologically air occurrences that have haunted the history of world aviation.

Fasten your seat-belts for this bumpy ride:

1. Amelia Earhart, 1937

Amelia Earhart was a pioneer of aviation, which disappearance remains wrapped in mystery. After being the first woman to make the flight across the Atlantic Ocean, Amelia decided to be the first woman to make the circumnavigation of the globe in 1937.

On July 2, 1937, on her second attempt, Amelia communicated via radio stating that she was not sure of her location as she approached the island of Howland and that fuel levels were extremely low. The radio contact was lost forever shortly after this communication.

Extensive searches were initiated one hour after the last recorded communication, however, despite enormous efforts, wreckage was never sighted and no signs of the aviator either.

2. Flight 19 – 1945

Fort Lauredale – Florida 5 TBM Avenger torpedo planes took off on December 5, 1945 for another training flight navigation of the sea known as the Bermuda Triangle area. The aircarfts and its crew disappeared there without a trace. The flight leader was the Navy Lieutenant Charles Carroll Taylor who counted over 2500 hours of flight time. Although the 500-page report, researchers have not presented a definitive conclusion. It is considered as a probable cause of the disappearance that the squadron got disoriented and ended up falling into the sea due to lack of fuel.

3. PBM Mariner flying boat – 1945

This aircraft was shipped the same day of the disappearance of flight 19 to participate in searches. This flight also disappeared without a trace of the craft or the 13 occupants. The researchers deduce that probably exploded in the air.

4. UC-64 Norseman – 1944

Glen Miller was a remarkable musician and composer of Swing. On December 15, 1944, while doing a tour where he performed for U.S. troops who fought in various fronts of World War II in Europe, disappeared while flying over the English Channel with his band. Neither wreckage nor bodies of people who were on board were ever found.

5. Star Dust – 1947

On the second day of August, 1947 the plane of the British South American Airways (BSAA) flying from Buenos Aires to Santiago disappeared with 6 passengers and 5 crew members. All crew members were military ex Royal Air Force.

An extensive search that lasted 5 days was started immediately when the plane did not arrive at the expected time, having participated Chileans, Argentinians and BSAA pilots. Despite their efforts, never any wreckage or bodies were found.

A subsequent investigation by the Argentine Air Force in 2000 found traces of human remains and concluded that probably the accident was due to a failure of navigation under a strong snowstorm.

6. Star Tiger – 1948

Few years after the disappearance of flight 19 and the craft sent to researches, the Bermuda Triangle are back the center of attention and the collective imagination.

On January 30, 1948, the aircraft Star Tiger the British South American Airways (BSAA) that flew from Santa Maria to Bermuda disappeared without a trace. Despite being within reach of the receiving stations, no communication has been received nor any distress signal. In five days of intense searching were not founded signs of the airplane or its 31 occupants.

7. Star Ariel – 1949

A year after the accident with the Tiger Star BSAA, the company and the Bermuda Triangle are back in the spotlight for the worst reasons.

The plane Star Ariel, who made the air link between Bermuda and Kingston, Jamaica, disappeared without a trace. After one hour of flight, communications ceased and the search was initiated. Despite efforts, no traces of the airplane or its occupants 20 were ever found.

8. Pan Am Flight 7 – 1957

A Boeing 377 of the extinct company Pan Am which made a flight between San Francisco and Honolulu disappeared with 44 people on board. A radio check-in was made during the flight, and that was the last time you received a communication from the plane.

The searches to find the wreckage were categorized as the largest ones realized since the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. One week later, wrecks and bodies of victims began to be found. Despite having found very high levels of carbon monoxide in the bodies of the victims, the reasons for the accident were never cleared.

9. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 – 1962

The 739 flight from Guam to the Philippines carrying more than 107 military personal disappeared into thin air without a distress call had been made. Despite being involved various media and search over 1300 Navy and U.S. Coast Guard airmen, never any sign of the plane or its passengers were found.

10. Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 – 1972

The charter flight number 571 that departed from Uruguay to Chile, including an overnight stop in Argentina, fell on October 13, Friday, with 45 people aboard, including the Uruguayan rugby team, killing immediately 12 people. 5 died the next day and another a few days later, plus 8 people more 16 days after as result of an avalanche that occurred while they slept.

The search was suspended 8 days after because no one believed that there were survivors. However, more than two months later, Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa made it out of the mountains and give warning thus saving the other 14 survivors of this tragedy.

It appears that the cause of the accident was due to poor visibility and pilot error.

With few reserves of water and food the survivors fed on the dead people.


Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The flight of the 370 “Malaysian airlines” up from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing on March 8 carried 239 passengers and disappeared from radar a few minutes after takeoff on the China Sea. The information of the satellites indicate that the device will reverse the route, flying to the southern Indian Ocean, where he eventually crashing.

It is known that two people on board were using stolen passports.

Conspiracy theorists say that there is the possibility of the airplane has been digitally shifted by a AWAC in order to an invaluable patent reverse cost 0 in favor of a U.S. bank.

Accident, terrorism, or business as usual? The mystery remains.


Despite these impressive and shocking numbers, statistics still show that the airplane is the safest transport in the world.

Makes you think!