Case file · High strangeness
Lost aircraft of the Dole Air Race
In August 1927 eight aircraft set out from Oakland to Honolulu in the Dole Air Race; two arrived, two were lost at sea, and a plane that searched for them also vanished.
1927 CE · 24.00, -140.00 · status: explained
The account
Ten people died in the race and its aftermath, including the schoolteacher Mildred Doran aboard 'Miss Doran'. The losses fuelled public anxiety about long-distance flight over the Pacific.
The sceptical view
Poor navigation, inexperienced crews and unreliable aircraft explain the losses; no wreckage was found.