Second Bermuda Triangle "Disappeared Plane" Found?

Commericial DC-3 — NC-16002 — probably discovered while filming National Geographic show

by Dr. Greg Little

On December 28, 1948 one of the most mysterious disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle occurred. Approximately 50 miles from Miami, a commercial DC-3, # NC-16002, radioed that it was on approach to Miami from San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was 3:40 am. The plane, with 29 passengers and 3 crew members, was never seen or heard again. No wreckage or remains were ever found and the case remains unsolved.

In December 2009, the National Geographic Channel aired an episode: "The Truth About the Bermuda Triangle" with footage from an investigation Dr. Lora Little and I conducted with a film crew from National Geographic early in 2009. A that time we investigated the mysterious underwater remains of a large plane found about 7 miles south of Bimini, Bahamas, and 50 miles from Miami. The wreckage had earlier been found by Eslie Brown who has worked with us several times. We initially filmed the wreckage and sent it to the National Geographic who became intrigued by it. During our prior investigation we determined that the plane was probably a DC-3 that had been broken up by the crash. With the National Geographic crew, we removed numerous parts from the plane and found several serial numbers on the parts. One of the parts was stamped with a 1948 symbol. The National Geographic subsequently took the parts to the UK where a team found identical parts on a sister plane, an identical DC3, and determined that the parts were indeed installed in 1948. The NTSB report on NC-16002 indicate that the plane's engines had been rebuilt in 1948, which is consistent with the parts.

The area where the plane's remains were found is fairly shallow and was unknown to other fishermen and dive operators at Bimini, simply because the location is not a good fishing area, is too far away from the island, and is in dangerous shallows. The remains of the discovered plane are consistent with NC-16002 and we believe that this is its final resting place. To date we have found 22 crashed planes, with 6 on land and the rest in water. One other plane has been positively identified as a Bermuda Triangle disappearance.