FORT LAUDERDALE (Sun Sentinel) — They are among aviation’s
greatest mysteries, vanishing decades ago without a trace. But
experts say technology now exists to find both Flight 19, the
Navy squadron that took off from Fort Lauderdale in 1945, and
Amelia Earhart, the legendary aviatrix who in 1937 in Miami
began her attempt to fly around the world. The National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration currently operates a ship that
systematically explores the seven seas, and already has
discovered a number of sunken vessels and planes. Its multi-beam
sonar paints a three-dimensional image of the ocean floor,
allowing it to spot everything from wrecks to natural gas leaks.
Some private companies also offer vessels equipped with
sophisticated sonar, among them OceanGate, based in Seattle,
Wash. Using a small submarine, it recently discovered a World
War II era Navy Hellcat fighter plane in 240 feet of water off
Miami Beach. If someone were willing to pay “possibly hundreds
of millions,” the submarine stands a good