World Flight Attempt One, 1937

Sub-Series — Box: 4

Identifier: MSP 9, Series 1, Sub-Series 12

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This subseries includes correspondence, including handwritten notes by Earhart, a notebook of weather conditions, flight permission requests, and press clippings. Please see the Photographs series for related photographs.

Dates

Creation: 1937

Creator

From the Collection: Earhart, Amelia, 1897-1937 (Person)
From the Collection: Putnam, George Palmer, 1887-1950 (Person)

Access Information

The collection is open for research.

Biographical Information

On St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1937 Amelia Earhart began her first attempt at the round-the-world flight. She flew the first leg from Oakland, California to Honolulu, Hawaii with Fred Noonan, Harry Manning and Hollywood stunt pilot Paul Mantz (who was acting as Earhart’s technical advisor) on board. Due to lubrication and galling problems with the propeller hubs’ variable pitch mechanisms, the plane needed servicing in Hawaii. Ultimately, the plane ended up at the U.S. Navy’s Luke Field on Ford Island in Pearl Harbor. The flight resumed three days later from Luke Field with Earhart, Noonan and Manning on board, but a tire apparently blew on takeoff and Earhart ground-looped the plane. The circumstances of the ground loop remain controversial. Some witnesses at Luke Field said they saw a tire blow. Earhart thought either the Electra’s right tire had blown and/or the right landing gear had collapsed. Some sources cite pilot error. With the plane severely damaged, the flight was called off and the aircraft was shipped by sea to the Lockheed facility in Burbank, California for repairs.