The discovery of an aircraft in West New Britain Province of Papua New Guinea believed to be that of Amelia Earhart’s aircraft has brought interesting feedback from readers, aviation historians and those interested in history in general.
Timothy Joe Aiap of Urin village high in the Whiteman Range in Kandrian, West New Britain Province discovered the wreckage of an American aircraft.
Aiap says says his discovery is of the plane belonging to Amelia Earhart which had crashed on its final leg flight from Lae in Morobe Province on its way to Hawaii.
A landscape photographer from Manhattan, New York City contacted Loop PNG by Messenger saying he has documented the many theories of Earhart’s disappearance.
“I’d love to know more about his (Aiap’s) discovery. My interest is about landscape photography. My fascination is with the many theories of her disappearance,” Mathew Arnold said.
Help sought from the US Embassy by this reporter after sending the story link, was abruptly told: that:” Please kindly advise our friend that I have been telling Timothy and others that the aircraft is Not Amelia’s Lockheed but a WW2 US B24 plane.
“I contacted Timothy in early 2015 and after confirmation of the parts(radio data) and photos of the wreck which has 50 cal. guns mounted on the roof turret and nose. My agency confirmed doing recovery of this site in 1998,” Liaison Officer – Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency(DPAA), US Embassy Port Moresby, said.
Meanwhile, an email message from David Billings he said it was up to Timothy Joe Aiap to release the pictures of the crash which he had discovered in 2015.
“It is imperative that if Mr Aiap wants tourists to come to see this wreck and take a long trek throught jungle and up a large mountain, then he has to identify itproperly. He can only do that by showing some proof that it is the aircraft he says it is.” The email from Billings said.
Billings said there are several features about the Earhart Lockheed Electra that are unmistakeable to a person knowledgeable in aircraft recognition and identification.
1. The front of the engines showing the central part of the Propeller Hub and the aluminium casing behind it will identify the "Type" of engine.
2. The Tail "Fins" of which there are two.
3. The entry Door with window on the left hand side of the fuselage or "body" of the aircraft.
4. Inside the "body" of the aircraft are SIX large fuel tanks.
5. Only the front of the wings are painted red and there is red paint on the tailplane at the back of the aircraft.
6. On the underside of the wings the letters and numbers are "NR 16020"
If the aircraft has any "Military" Insignia on it: A - A RED, WHITE and BLUE circular insignia, or Red, White and Blue square painted insignia, or.
B- A WHITE Star in a BLUE circle or,
C- A WHITE circle outlined in Blue and a Red, White and Blue square painted insignia,
D- A RED Circle outlined with White, ....it will be a Military aircraft.
Billings emphasised that, no one interested in Earhart is going to go there unless he Aiap shows some real evidence.
Keith Hopper who lives in Townsville, Australia and is an Air Niugini pilot joined the conversation with his information.
“I loved your Amelia Earhart article. Unfortunately the BC-647-A receiver that Timothy is holding is a component of the SCR535 IFF set used only on military aircraft. IFF means Identification Friend or Foe. So Timothy has located either a Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft of a Lockheed Hudson bomber aircraft.Either way it’s a great find.” Hopper said.
“Certainly I know of no Lockheed P-38 Lightnings in the Whiteman Rangers. The nearest P-38 crash sites are Tarobi village on Commodore Bay and Meselia, west of Kandrian. Likewise the nearest known Lockheed Hudson crashsite is at Gasmata. So it is very likely that Timothy has found a missing wartime aircraft that will be of interest to the US Government,” Hopper said in his email.
The lastest pictures which are uploaded with this followup story should be able to clear the air on the mystery of the crash high up in the Whiteman Ranges of Kandrian.
Picture: Timothy Joe Aipa with some of the wreck
