On March 16, 1962, Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 disappeared over the Pacific Ocean with 107 people on board. The flight was en route from Travis Air Force Base in California to Saigon, South Vietnam, with a stopover in Guam. The plane never made it to Guam, and its fate remains a mystery to this day.
The disappearance of Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 is one of the most intriguing aviation mysteries in history. There have been many theories about what happened to the plane, but none of them have been definitively proven.
Details of the Flying Tiger Line Flight 739
Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 was a charter flight operated by Flying Tiger Line, a civilian cargo airline. The plane was a Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation, a four-engine propeller aircraft. The flight was carrying 93 U.S. Army soldiers and 11 crew members.
The flight departed Travis Air Force Base at 10:45 p.m. on March 15, 1962. It made a scheduled stopover in Honolulu, Hawaii, on March 16, and was scheduled to depart for Guam at 10:30 a.m. However, the plane never took off from Honolulu.
At 11:30 a.m., the control tower at Honolulu International Airport lost contact with Flight 739. The plane was last seen on radar approximately 1,000 miles west of Honolulu.
The Search and Rescue Effort
A massive search and rescue operation was launched after Flight 739 disappeared. The search effort involved the U.S. Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Marines. Over 40 aircraft and 8 ships participated in the search.
The search effort lasted for eight days, but no trace of the plane or its passengers was ever found. The search was eventually called off on March 24, 1962.
Theories About What Happened
There have been many theories about what happened to Flying Tiger Line Flight 739. Some of the most common theories are:
Mechanical failure: The plane may have experienced a mechanical failure, such as an engine failure or a structural failure.
Sabotage: The plane may have been sabotaged, either by a foreign government or by a disgruntled employee of Flying Tiger Line.
Pilot error: The pilot may have made a mistake that caused the plane to crash.
Alien abduction: Some people believe that the plane may have been abducted by aliens.
While there is no evidence to support any of these theories, they remain popular among aviation enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists.
The Legacy of Flight 739
The disappearance of Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 is a tragedy that has remained unsolved for over 60 years. The fate of the plane and its passengers remains a mystery, and it is likely to remain so for many years to come.
The disappearance of Flight 739 has also had a lasting impact on the aviation industry. The incident led to changes in safety procedures for commercial flights. It also led to the development of new search and rescue techniques.
FAQs
Q: What happened to Flying Tiger Line Flight 739?
A: The fate of Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 remains a mystery. The plane disappeared over the Pacific Ocean on March 16, 1962, with 107 people on board. There have been many theories about what happened to the plane, but none of them have been definitively proven.
Q: Were there any survivors?
A: No, there were no survivors. The search and rescue operation failed to find any trace of the plane or its passengers.
Q: What caused the plane to crash?
A: The cause of the crash is unknown. There have been lots of theories, but none of them have been proven the actual reason.
Q: Is Flight 739 still considered missing?
A: Yes, Flight 739 is still considered missing. The plane has never been found, and the fate of its passengers remains a mystery.
Conclusion
The disappearance of Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 is one of the most intriguing aviation mysteries in history. The fate of the plane and its passengers remains a mystery to this day. While there have been many theories about what happened to Flight 739, none of them have been definitively proven.