December 5, 1945
Ft Lauderdale Naval Air Station
Assuming Flight 19 continued on the prescribed course of 091 for 67 miles they would have made their turn to the north on course 346 at approximately 3:25 pm. Now if they were on course and on time when they made that turn, by 3:40 pm they should have been coming up on Grand Bahama Island.
However, at about 3:40 Fox Tare 74, a senior flight instructor at Ft. Lauderdale, was moving his training squadron into formation near the Ft. Lauderdale airfield when he heard what he believed to be a distress call from a boat or aircraft. One man was transmitting on 4805 kc to Powers, which happened to be the name of one of the Flight 19 students. The transmissions were broken up, but the voice seemed to be asking Powers what his compass read. There was no answer until someone, possibly Powers, said, "I don't know where we are. We must have got lost after that last turn."
During the next fifteen minutes garbled and broken radio messages could be heard between the pilots of Flight 19. Adding to the poor reception of the voice transmissions was normal atmospheric conditions along with a Cuban radio station using a frequency close to 4805. In any event at some point after the student leader’s “lost” transmission Lt. Taylor took over the lead position of Flight 19.
Fox Tare 74 was monitoring the garbled conversation and became concerned enough to put out a blind transmission. “This is Fox Tare 74, will the plane or boat calling Powers please identify yourself so someone can help you.”
He got no response to that call, but a few moments later a voice came on the air asking, “Are there any suggestions?”
Fox Tare 74 tried again, and the voice was identified as Fox Tare 28.
Fox Tare 74 asked, “Fox Tare 28 Are you in trouble?”
“Both my compasses are out and I’m trying to find Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I’m over land, but it’s broken. I’m sure I’m in the Keys but I don’t know how far down and I don’t know how to get to Ft. Lauderdale," said the unsure voice of Flight 19’s leader.
“Fox Tare 74 to Fox Tare 28 if you are in the Keys put the sun on your port wing and just fly up the coast until you get to Miami. Ft. Lauderdale is 20 miles farther, your first port after Miami. The air station is directly on your left from the port."
After a few moments Fox Tare 74 asked, "What is your present altitude? I will fly south and meet you."
Fox Tare 28 replied, "I know where I am now. I’m at 2300 feet, don't come after me."
Fox Tare 74 was not convinced. "Roger, you're at 2300 feet. Coming to meet you anyhow."
Minutes later, Fox Tare 28 said, "We have just passed over a small island. We have no other land in sight."
Most listening stations in the area had picked up on the possible problem and were riveted to the conversation, and most had serious doubts about Fox Tare 28’s actual location.
Fox Tare 28 opened his mike and asked, "Can you have Miami or someone turn on their radar gear and pick us up? We don't seem to be getting far. We were out on a navigation hop and on the second leg I thought they were going wrong, so I took over and was flying them back to the right position. But I'm sure, now, that neither one of my compasses is working."
Fox Tare 74 said, “Turn on your emergency IFF gear, or do you have it on?"
Fox Tare 28 said, “I did not, but I now have on emergency IFF. Does anyone in the area have a radar screen that could pick us up?"
At that point Air Sea Rescue was aware of the problem and making plans to assist in locating Flight 19. Ft. Lauderdale Operations notified NAS Miami and asked them and other stations to attempt to pick up the lost flight on radar or IFF signal with their direction finders.
Air Sea Rescue put out a call for all merchant ships in the area to be alert to Flight 19’s problem. Stand by Coast Guard vessels were told to prepare to put to sea. But there were delays in implementing the plan and Teletype communication with several locations was out and radio fixes were hampered by static and interference from the Spanish speaking broadcast stations from Cuba.
At 4:28, Air Sea Rescue called Fox Tare 28 and suggested that another plane in the flight with a good compass take over the lead. Fox Tare 28 gave a Roger, but from ground observers listening to fragmentary messages between the flight leader and the students the talk was only about their estimated position and heading. But it would appear from those conversations that no other plane was ever designated to take over the lead.
During that same period Fox Tare 74 was losing his signal and said, “Fox Tare 28 your transmissions are fading. What is your altitude?"
Fox Tare 28 transmitted a weak signal and said, "I'm at 4500 feet."
Fox Tare 74 had no further contact with Flight 19, but on his return flight to base he observed a very rough sea covered with white caps and streamers. The surface winds were westerly, at about 22 knots, and visibility was very good in all directions except directly west. That was probably a normal condition since one would be looking into the sun through shifting cloud formations.
(To be continued)
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