| On December 5, 1945, five Navy TBM Avenger | | | | .when the first plane drops below 10 gallons, we all go |
| torpedo bombers left Ft Lauderdale Florida on a | | | | down together." It soon became apparent that Lt. |
| training mission. They were to fly to several points in | | | | Taylor, for some unknown reason, turned his |
| the Atlantic and return to the base in Florida, covering a | | | | command over to another pilot who anxiously |
| distance of 320 miles. Radio conversations between | | | | transmits: "We can't tell where we are . . .everything is . |
| the pilots were detectable by base and other aircraft | | | | . .can't make out anything. We think we may be about |
| in the area. It was known that the practice bombing | | | | 225 miles northeast of base . . ." For a few moments |
| operation was completed successfully. | | | | the pilot rambles incoherently before saying the last |
| The first sign of trouble came with the transmission, "I | | | | words ever heard from Flight 19: "It looks like we are |
| don't know where we are. We must have got lost | | | | entering white water . . .We're completely lost." The 5 |
| after that last turn." The transmission was heard by | | | | Naval bombers were never seen again. |
| another flight instructor, Lieutenant Robert F. Fox in | | | | Minutes after the last transmission, a Mariner flying |
| FT-74, who tried to help the lost flight regain their | | | | boat with rescue equipment is sent towards the area |
| bearings. Lieutenant Charles Carroll Taylor, the flight | | | | of Flight 19's transmission. Ten minutes after take-off, |
| leader of the lost squadron, transmitted, "Both of my | | | | the pilot of the Mariner checks in with the tower and is |
| compasses are out and I am trying to find Fort | | | | never heard from again. The Coast Guard, Navy ships |
| Lauderdale, Florida. I am over land but it's broken. I am | | | | and aircraft search 250,000 square miles for the next |
| sure I'm in the Keys but I don't know how far down | | | | 5 days, hoping to find some sign of the 5 Avengers or |
| and I don't know how to get to Fort Lauderdale." Lt. | | | | the Mariner, but saw neither oil slick nor wreckage. |
| Fox then advised them to put the sun on his port wing | | | | In 1990, wreckage of an Avenger was raised from the |
| and fly north up the coast to Fort Lauderdale. | | | | ocean floor, but could not be positively identified as one |
| Several transmissions were passed back and forth | | | | of the missing planes. |
| between the flight leader and the other four bombers. | | | | A curious footnote to this story is that one of the |
| They headed one way, and then the next, trying to | | | | planes of Flight 19 was missing a crew member. |
| find anything familiar, any place to land. The last | | | | Marine Corporal Allan Kosner was given special |
| transmission heard from Lt. Taylor was "All planes | | | | permission to stay on land that day because he had |
| close up tight . . .we'll have to ditch unless landfall . . | | | | an unshakeable preminition of danger. |