A routine training flight became aviation's most famous mystery when the rescuers needed rescuing.
What crucial piece of equipment was missing from all five planes before takeoff?
Clocks.
The Navy training flight was supposed to teach navigation by dead reckoning, which required calculating elapsed time.
When the student pilots wanted to fly west toward home, what stopped them from breaking away?
Military discipline.
Even though they knew the right direction, they followed their confused flight leader into the open ocean.
How many planes were lost trying to find the five missing bombers?
One.
The rescue plane sent to find Flight 19 exploded in mid-air, killing all 13 crew members aboard.
What did the flight leader mistake for the Florida Keys?
Small islands offshore.
Lieutenant Taylor's broken compass led him to misidentify his location, sending the entire flight in the wrong direction.
What did the Navy change the official cause of the disaster to?
Cause unknown.
Rather than blame the flight leader for the loss of five aircraft and 14 men, the Navy amended their report to avoid pointing fingers.
