One of the most mysterious events in aviation history: Flight 19

On December 5, 1945, a US Air Force Grumman TBM Avenger Type 5 bomber took off from the US Naval Base in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Second Fleet. He was assigned to destroy Japanese ships during World War II. For this reason, he frequently took exercise trips. Here, 5 planes took off for the 19th time on December 5, 1945, so the exercise was called “Flight 19”. But from the moment the planes took off, no one in the US military knew that Flight 19 would turn from an ordinary exercise into one of the most mysterious events in the history of military aviation…

The squadron performing Flight 19 consisted of 5 bombers and 14 crew members. Lieutenant Charles C. Taylor, who commanded the team, was a distinguished pilot with over 2,000 hours of flying experience. However, the successful experience of the lieutenant did not prevent Flight 19 from turning into a very mysterious and tragic disaster. After a while, the aircraft’s compasses collapsed in the fleet, the fuel levels decreased, the pilots’ radio conversations were interrupted, and the fleet suddenly disappeared from the radar screens that were tracking them! Flight 19 was never completed, and you never heard from the planes and crew! Here’s what you need to know about Flight 19, one of the most mysterious events in military aviation history…

5 military bombers took off from Naval Base Florida on December 5, 1945

They were supposed to make a regular training flight and return to base after a maximum of 4 hours. One Grumman TBM Avenger had 2 pilots and 4 pilots. The team leader was an experienced lieutenant named Charles C. Taylor, who had over 2,000 hours of flying experience. 5 planes and 14 pilots began flying over the Atlantic Ocean …

Lieutenant Charles C. Taylor reported that the compasses on board were not working properly just 30 minutes after takeoff.

It was for this reason that the fleet was drifting in a completely wrong direction, off the Atlantic Ocean. None of the fourteen pilots in the fleet had any idea where they were. Moreover, the weather has deteriorated forever. So, despite the best guiding efforts of the watchtower, Lieutenant Taylor was unable to determine the correct course. In the ensuing operation, the fleet had to face a much larger problem! The fuel was running out! The lieutenant informed the control tower that “if they cannot find land, they will all try to land in the ocean now that the fuel is down to less than 40 liters”…

The pilots participating in the exercise, called Flight 19, lost contact with the control tower.

Despite its best efforts, the control tower received no response from the pilots. Radio link is down! Soon after, all five planes disappeared from the control tower’s radars. The pilots of Flight 19 were left alone over the Atlantic …

How Flight 19 ended was never known.

The fleet’s disappearance set in motion one of the most extensive search and rescue efforts in aviation history. The ships of the US Navy sailed for days on thousands of square kilometers at sea. The Air Force attempted to follow Flight 19’s route. However, despite extensive searches, no trace of the five killers or the fourteen pilots was ever found. Moreover, one of the aircraft involved in the search and rescue effort has mysteriously disappeared!

Ultimately the story of Flight 19 ended in an “unknown” way, and that is how it was recorded in the official reports. However, this story with an unknown ending will lead to the beginning of a legend that is at the center of many new stories with an unknown ending…

The squadron that made Flight 19 may have been lost in the Bermuda Triangle!

To date, many planes and ships have mysteriously disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle. However, Flight 19, 5 aircraft, was one of the first examples of mysterious disappearances in the area. The area appears to be among the few geographic regions in the world where two different magnetic fields intersect. For this reason, it is completely normal for the magnetic systems of vehicles passing through or near the area to malfunction.

However, the area is known to be home to dangerous ocean currents and the ocean depth in the area is much higher than normal. So it seems extremely unlikely that a ship or plane would suffer any accident near the Bermuda Triangle. But why couldn’t the slightest trace of accidents be found in the area? What does the unknown end of Flight 19 have to do with the Bermuda Triangle?

According to some, “supernatural” elements within the Bermuda Triangle are responsible for the fleet’s mysterious disappearance.

Many people today believe that the Bermuda Triangle is an area inhabited by aliens, sea monsters, and various supernatural elements. Accordingly, as with many other disappearances in the region, what led to the end of Flight 19 was the mysterious structure of the Bermuda Triangle! But there are other theories about what happened to the fleet.

Flight 19 was never completed, possibly due to technical malfunctions and poor piloting

According to the most plausible theory, 5 planes landed in the ocean after they ran low on fuel, and all traces of the fleet were lost in the deep waters of the ocean, as they lost their way into the Atlantic. However, the US Army, in its investigation after the mysterious incident, reported that Lieutenant Taylor was largely responsible for the fleet’s disappearance.

Accordingly, Taylor confused the Bahamas with the group of islands called the Florida Keys, so he dragged his fleet towards the open ocean. However, the true fate of Flight 19 was not fully known. That is why Flight 19 remains one of the most mysterious events in the history of military aviation.