1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,000 Woo-hoo! 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:10,000 The white bird might be the most important missing airplane 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,000 in history. 4 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,000 No piece of the plane is ever found. 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,000 It's like the Brunner Triangle of the Northeast. 6 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,000 Hey, Josh, I got a hit over here. 7 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:29,000 You got something? 8 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,000 Whoa, whoa, whoa! 9 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,000 Oh, f***, look at this! 10 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,000 That's an airplane wreck! 11 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,000 That's an airplane! 12 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,000 When it comes to exploration, 13 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,000 some daring pioneers make history, 14 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,000 while others shape the future. 15 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:56,000 In 1927, Charles Lindbergh becomes the first person 16 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,000 to fly from New York to Paris nonstop 17 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,000 in the spirit of St. Louis. 18 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,000 His feet turns him into a global icon 19 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,000 and charts a course for America's dominance 20 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:08,000 in commercial air travel. 21 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,000 But history and the future were almost very different. 22 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:15,000 Just two weeks before Lindbergh's historic flight, 23 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,000 French pilot Charles Nune Jassaire 24 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,000 and navigator François Collis 25 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,000 attempt the crossing in the opposite direction, 26 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,000 aboard a plane known as the Lusso Blanc, 27 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,000 or the White Bird. 28 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,000 Thousands gather to watch their triumphant landing 29 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,000 in front of the Statue of Liberty. 30 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,000 Except the plane never arrives. 31 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,000 It vanishes without a trace. 32 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:40,000 One of the largest search and rescue operations in history 33 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,000 comes up empty-handed. 34 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,000 It was assumed that the White Bird 35 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,000 never made it across the Atlantic, 36 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,000 but now newly discovered evidence suggests 37 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,000 that it may have reached North America. 38 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,000 One expert is targeting the wilderness of Newfoundland, 39 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,000 where a fragment of metal could prove 40 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,000 the plane broke apart in a remote pond. 41 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,000 And another group thinks they've tracked the plane's final flight 42 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,000 to a secluded forest in Maine. 43 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,000 So prepare for takeoff on an historic mission 44 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,000 to discover the fate of a flight 45 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:14,000 and two heroic pilots who dared to change the world. 46 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:20,000 My name is Josh Gates. 47 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,000 Hello! 48 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,000 Explorer. 49 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:25,000 Adventurer. 50 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:26,000 Amazing! 51 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:27,000 Woo! 52 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:30,000 And a guy who ends up in some very strange situations. 53 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:31,000 Oh, s***! 54 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:32,000 Woo! That was exciting. 55 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,000 With a degree in archaeology 56 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:36,000 and a passion for the unexplained, 57 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,000 I travel to the ends of the Earth, 58 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,000 investigating the greatest legends in history. 59 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,000 Now let's punch it! 60 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,000 This is Expedition Unknown. 61 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:57,000 Today, we think nothing of flying between Europe 62 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:58,000 and the United States. 63 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,000 Every day, thousands of planes 64 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:04,000 crisscross above the vast waters of the Atlantic. 65 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:07,000 But you have to remember, it was less than a century ago 66 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,000 that this feat, a nonstop flight across the pond, 67 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:12,000 it had never been accomplished. 68 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,000 And it was something that many people thought 69 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,000 was downright impossible. 70 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,000 In fact, in 1927, 71 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:23,000 very few people ever had the chance to fly in a biplane. 72 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,000 Today, well, same thing. 73 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:28,000 There's not many of them left from the early 20th century. 74 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:29,000 You're ready? 75 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:30,000 I am ready. 76 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,000 Let's fly. 77 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:38,000 Woo-hoo! 78 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:43,000 It's magic! 79 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:44,000 It's magic! 80 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:45,000 Amazing! 81 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:46,000 Woo! 82 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,000 This is a travel air full of thousand biplane. 83 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,000 It was built in 1928, 84 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,000 the year after the disappearance of the White Bird. 85 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,000 A lot smaller, a different design, 86 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,000 but it gives you an idea of the reality of aviation 87 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,000 nearly a century ago. 88 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:10,000 In case you're wondering, 89 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:12,000 yes, this is me trying not to cry, 90 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,000 as we soar above the French countryside. 91 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,000 It might sound silly, but it's hard not to be. 92 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:19,000 Emotional. 93 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:21,000 This is flying. 94 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,000 Some wires, a few struts, fabric, cables. 95 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,000 We're just out here, floating in midair. 96 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:30,000 There's nothing like it. 97 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:32,000 To find the White Bird, 98 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:35,000 we have to understand the era in which she flew. 99 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:41,000 In 1919, aviation was still highly experimental. 100 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:42,000 To spark innovation, 101 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,000 French-American hotel mogul Raymond Ortigue 102 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:47,000 offered up the Ortigue de la Corte de la Corte. 103 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,000 He offered up the Ortigue Prize. 104 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:53,000 $25,000 to the first aviator to travel non-stop 105 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,000 between New York and Paris. 106 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:59,000 By 1927, five teams had made attempts. 107 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,000 All failed in test trials or during takeoff, 108 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:04,000 with planes too heavy for the journey. 109 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:07,000 Four pilots already lay dead. 110 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:12,000 On May 8, 1927, two daring French aviators, 111 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,000 Ungesser and Collie, attempted to capture the prize 112 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:19,000 by flying in a custom-built biplane to Soar 113 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,000 into the pages of history. 114 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:26,000 The White Bird was based on the Leve Soar PL-4 Reconnaissance Biplane, 115 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,000 but was extensively modified. 116 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:30,000 The wings were lengthened. 117 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,000 The fuselage was widened and reinforced, 118 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:36,000 creating enough room for the pilots to sit side by side. 119 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:38,000 The landing gear was designed to detach, 120 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:42,000 saving weight but forcing the plane to land on water. 121 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:45,000 Meanwhile, three fuel tanks carrying a little over 122 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:49,000 a thousand gallons of gas were all they had to get to New York. 123 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:53,000 This is how Charles Ungesser and François Collie 124 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,000 flew for more than 30 hours straight, 125 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:59,000 at a top speed of just 120 miles an hour. 126 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:03,000 Today, we seal ourselves inside metal tubes 127 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,000 and shut ourselves off from the sky. 128 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:08,000 But this, this is the purest expression of flight 129 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:10,000 I've ever experienced. 130 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:15,000 Nice flying, Baptiste. 131 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:17,000 Nice. Thank you. 132 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,000 People across. 133 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:22,000 Feeling properly odd, we wing our way back to the hangar, 134 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:25,000 and I headed to the city to continue my search. 135 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:30,000 As for Ungesser and Collie, 136 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,000 they aren't exactly household names in America, 137 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,000 but here in Paris, they seem to be everywhere. 138 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:39,000 Commemorated in street names, memorial parks, 139 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,000 hell, there's even an entire restaurant 140 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:43,000 themed in their honor. 141 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:48,000 This is the Lusso Blanc restaurant and bar 142 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:51,000 on the rooftop of the Peninsula Paris Hotel. 143 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:55,000 It is a wall-to-wall celebration of the pioneering spirit 144 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:57,000 of our two daring aviators. 145 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:00,000 It has sweeping views of the Eiffel Tower, 146 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,000 a replica of the white bird perched above the city, 147 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,000 and a Michelin star menu. 148 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,000 So, you know, I might be here a while. 149 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,000 All of this has me asking one very important question. 150 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:12,000 Who were these guys? 151 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,000 I reluctantly leave my five-star meal behind 152 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,000 and head to Le Bourget Airport just north of Paris. 153 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:23,000 This is where the white bird took flight, 154 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:26,000 and where Charles Lindberg landed two weeks later. 155 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:30,000 Today, it's home to France's stunning Air and Space Museum. 156 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,000 In ours, we have the spirit of St. Louis. 157 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,000 They have a Concorde, 158 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,000 the supersonic airliner which crossed the Atlantic 159 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:40,000 in just three and a half hours. 160 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,000 I'm here to meet Marion Wickerly, 161 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:44,000 who oversees the museum's collection 162 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:47,000 of more than 400 historic planes. 163 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,000 Okay, there's one plane I want to talk about that's not here, 164 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,000 which is the Lusso Blanc, the white bird. 165 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:56,000 Let's start with Nondresser and Collie. 166 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:58,000 Looking at photos of them, 167 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:00,000 they look like something out of a movie. 168 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,000 You know, who were these guys really? 169 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:06,000 Charles Ningercer was a World War I fighter ace pilot, 170 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,000 and he shot down 43 German aircraft during the war. 171 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:10,000 Wow. 172 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:14,000 And that's called, made him one of the deadliest French aces. 173 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:18,000 After the war, Nondresser did what all flying aces do. 174 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:19,000 He went to Hollywood. 175 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:22,000 He married a socialite and flew on the silver screen 176 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,000 as a barnstorming stunt pilot. 177 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:26,000 And Collie? 178 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:28,000 Collie was actually a sailor, 179 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,000 and he began the war as a lowly infantry private. 180 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:35,000 Collie worked his way up to pilot and even squadron commander. 181 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:39,000 But when in 1918, he lost one of his eyes in a plane crash, 182 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,000 he instead became a skilled navigator. 183 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,000 People here really loved these guys, right? 184 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,000 They were heroic characters of French. 185 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:47,000 Yeah, they were national heroes. 186 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,000 So when the two of them decide to make this attempt 187 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:52,000 to win the Ortig Prize, 188 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,000 is there a lot of confidence in them? 189 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:55,000 Absolutely. 190 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,000 Everybody was certain that they would succeed. 191 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:04,000 May 8th, 1927, they take off from where? 192 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,000 From here, actually, from Le Bourget. 193 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:07,000 Literally here, right? 194 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:08,000 Literally here. 195 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:10,000 In a field right out here. 196 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,000 They took off at dawn at 5.17 a.m. 197 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:17,000 with a big crow watching them and encouraging them. 198 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,000 Wade down by its own fuel, 199 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:23,000 the white bird barely cleared the trees at the end of the runway. 200 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:24,000 A couple of hours later, 201 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,000 a priest on the coast of Ireland claimed to have seen the plane, 202 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:29,000 though it's unconfirmed. 203 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:32,000 Having sacrificed their radio to make room for more fuel, 204 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:36,000 after they took off, they were utterly alone. 205 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:39,000 Their intended route would take them 3,630 miles 206 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:42,000 across the open waters of the North Atlantic, 207 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:46,000 eventually reaching the coast of North America over Newfoundland 208 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:48,000 and flying down to New York City. 209 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:52,000 At what point do people realize there's a problem here? 210 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:56,000 On the 9th of May, about 40 hours after the takeoff, 211 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:59,000 because at this point, it was absolutely sure 212 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,000 that they could not have enough fuel to still be airborne. 213 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:06,000 Tens of thousands of New Yorkers gathered to watch the white bird's landing. 214 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,000 It never arrived. 215 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:12,000 What was the response here in France when they disappeared? 216 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:14,000 A total disaster. People were shocked 217 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:17,000 because everybody was so sure that they would succeed. 218 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:18,000 Right. 219 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:21,000 Lindbergh would arrive in Paris two weeks later. 220 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,000 The French gave him a hero's welcome, 221 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:27,000 despite their national grief over their two lost pilots. 222 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:30,000 Lindbergh even traveled to Nunchessar's mother's house 223 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:33,000 to offer his condolences personally. 224 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,000 No piece of the plane is ever found, 225 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:39,000 like no part of the plane survives, right? 226 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:41,000 Actually, there is one piece. 227 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:42,000 There's a piece of the plane? 228 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,000 One. We have it right here at the museum. 229 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:46,000 That's right. 230 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:50,000 We're about to see the only known surviving piece of the white bird. 231 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:54,000 George, this is the landing gear of the white bird. 232 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:58,000 Wow. This is the actual landing gear? 233 00:10:58,000 --> 00:10:59,000 Yes, absolutely. 234 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:01,000 It was designed to be left behind. 235 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:04,000 It's actually more a taking off gear than a landing one. 236 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:07,000 This is all that remains of Leusso Blanc, 237 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:10,000 the gear that intentionally fell away from the plane 238 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,000 after takeoff to save weight 239 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:15,000 and transformed the aircraft into a flying boat 240 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,000 for its landing in New York Harbor. 241 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,000 Wow. 242 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:20,000 Unbelievable. 243 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:24,000 Just to think that this went rolling down that airfield out there 244 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:25,000 almost a hundred years ago. 245 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,000 And this is the white paint from the plane? 246 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:29,000 Yes, it's the same color. 247 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,000 And then blue underneath? 248 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:35,000 Yes, there is a little bit of blue painting on the middle. 249 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,000 Crazy. Crazy. 250 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:39,000 All right, so now I have a difficult question. 251 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,000 Where's the rest of the plane? 252 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:43,000 The time the leading theory was at first 253 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:46,000 that they crashed near the French coast, 254 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:47,000 maybe in the English Channel. 255 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:48,000 So immediately? 256 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:49,000 Immediately. 257 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:52,000 But there is another theory which is very intriguing, 258 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:55,000 which is that they actually did cross, 259 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:56,000 but crashed in North America. 260 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:59,000 In fact, several groups have been looking for the plane, 261 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:03,000 and right now a group in Maine is still looking for it. 262 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:04,000 In Maine? 263 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:05,000 In Maine. 264 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:08,000 All right, well, back across the pond. 265 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:11,000 The white bird was lost crossing the Atlantic. 266 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:12,000 Now I'm doing it twice. 267 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:16,000 This time I fly from Paris to Bangor, Maine. 268 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,000 Known for lobster rolls and lighthouses, 269 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:25,000 the gorgeous state down east is also the home of Stephen King, 270 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:30,000 which means there's a decent chance this whole place is actually cursed. 271 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:33,000 I have an appointment nearby with Peter Nauden, 272 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:36,000 the former president of the Maine Aviation Historical Society, 273 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,000 and James Cicetto, 274 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,000 the son of one of the society's founding members. 275 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:42,000 How you doing? I'm Josh. 276 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:43,000 James Cicetto. 277 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:44,000 Nice to meet you. 278 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:45,000 Pete Nauden. Good to meet you. 279 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:46,000 Great to meet you as well. 280 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:50,000 Okay, part of what you do is look for lost wrecked planes, right? 281 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:53,000 Yeah, there's a group of us that actually document historic crash sites, 282 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,000 and we look for missing aircraft. 283 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,000 How many of these missing aircraft have you found? 284 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:59,000 Just about 50. 285 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:00,000 Five-zero? 286 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:01,000 Yes. 287 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,000 It's like the Bruneer Triangle of the Northeast. 288 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,000 Why are there so many wrecked planes up here? 289 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:08,000 There were a lot of military aircraft in this area. 290 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:11,000 There were over 745 military accidents here in Maine. 291 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:12,000 Wow. 292 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:13,000 Large dense woods, 293 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:16,000 a lot of places for airplanes to go down and disappear. 294 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:19,000 Well, there is one plane in particular I'm very interested in, as you know. 295 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:20,000 That we're all interested in, yes. 296 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:21,000 The Whitebird. 297 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:22,000 Yes. 298 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:23,000 Which is also, I guess, kind of a white whale, right? 299 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:24,000 In many ways, yes. 300 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,000 People have been driven mad looking for this plane. 301 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:27,000 Yeah. 302 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:28,000 You think it's here in Maine? 303 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:29,000 Definitely. 304 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:30,000 Definitely. Okay. 305 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:31,000 Make the case. Why is it here? 306 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,000 Well, it starts with the witnesses. 307 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:34,000 Wait, there are witnesses? 308 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:35,000 There are witnesses. 309 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,000 People have been driven mad looking for this plane. 310 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:43,000 Yeah. 311 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:44,000 You think it's here in Maine? 312 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:45,000 Definitely. 313 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:46,000 Definitely. 314 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:49,000 In the back country of Maine, I'm joining a pair of veteran wreck chasers, 315 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:52,000 who believe they know where to search for the Whitebird, 316 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:55,000 one of the most important lost planes in history. 317 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:56,000 Make the case. Why is it here? 318 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:58,000 Well, it starts with the witnesses. 319 00:13:58,000 --> 00:13:59,000 Wait, there are witnesses? 320 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:00,000 There are witnesses. 321 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:06,000 May 9th, 1927, there were a group of people that heard an aircraft pass over, 322 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,000 which was a very rare thing in 1927. 323 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:09,000 People have to remember that. 324 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:11,000 In 1927, a plane goes overhead. 325 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:12,000 It's a big deal. 326 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:13,000 It was a big deal. 327 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:14,000 Right. 328 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:15,000 So this is a map of the region we're in right now. 329 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,000 The first people to hear the aircraft that morning were the Scots, 330 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:20,000 a married couple traveling by car. 331 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:22,000 They heard an airplane approach. 332 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:28,000 They pulled over and shut the car off and get out to listen to it pass. 333 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,000 To them, no question, that was a plane. 334 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:31,000 No question, that was a plane. 335 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:32,000 Okay. 336 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:35,000 Shortly thereafter, we have the Magoons up here on their farm, 337 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:40,000 who actually saw an unusual white biplane 338 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,000 come out of the fog, circle their farm once, 339 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,000 and then flew off to the southeast. 340 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:50,000 And the father was concerned enough after the plane flew to the southeast 341 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,000 that he organized a search party of neighbors 342 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:54,000 and went searching that area where he believed it had crashed. 343 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:56,000 I mean, that's really compelling. 344 00:14:56,000 --> 00:15:00,000 I mean, what other white biplane is flying around up here in 1927? 345 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:01,000 Exactly. 346 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:03,000 And one of the things I'm getting looking at all of this 347 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:06,000 is that there seems to be a consistency this plane is flying south. 348 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:07,000 Yes. 349 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:12,000 The Scots, the Magoons, and other witnesses all report seeing or hearing a plane 350 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:15,000 moving in a southwesternly direction. 351 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,000 So they're on fumes, came in over Newfoundland. 352 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:18,000 They're not going to make New York. 353 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:19,000 Yeah, they're not going to make New York. 354 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,000 It's possible that the first large body of water that they may have seen 355 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,000 that to land on would be Tunk Lake right behind us. 356 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:25,000 This is Tunk Lake. 357 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:26,000 This is Tunk Lake. 358 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:31,000 Tunk Lake lies in line with the direction of the aircraft that the witnesses described. 359 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:36,000 And there's another reason Peter and his team have honed in on this location. 360 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:38,000 Now, I see one other flag on this map. 361 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:39,000 Yes. 362 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:42,000 Down here, Millet, which is pointing to this lake. 363 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:43,000 Yes. 364 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:44,000 So is Millet another eyewitness? 365 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:45,000 No. 366 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,000 He found something really interesting here about 30 years later. 367 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:49,000 What's Millet's story? 368 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:53,000 Millet was with a group of hunters staying at a camp right here on this lake. 369 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:56,000 So on one particular day they go up over a mountain. 370 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,000 As they descend down the other side, they decide to stop for lunch. 371 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:04,000 Millet sees a ledge that looks comfortable to sit on. 372 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:11,000 And he discovers part of an engine sticking up out of the ground. 373 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:16,000 He also discovers some pieces of white canvas. 374 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:21,000 He discovers a bone that might have been a human tibia. 375 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:24,000 Did they note this exact location where this happened? 376 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:25,000 They did not. 377 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:26,000 How do you pick up the pieces? 378 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:28,000 How do you find where Millet was? 379 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,000 Millet left behind some clues for us. 380 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:31,000 Okay. 381 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:32,000 What did he leave behind? 382 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:35,000 He found this hunting partner and got to the top of the mountain. 383 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:39,000 They found a marker that he said was like a US Geological Survey benchmark. 384 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:43,000 These were markers that were put out as part of topographic surveys. 385 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:44,000 They're all over the country, these things. 386 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:45,000 Yes. 387 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:46,000 All right. 388 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:49,000 And many of the mountains in this area have coastal survey markers on them. 389 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:51,000 So, obvious question. 390 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,000 Do any of these coastal markers exist on any of these peaks? 391 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:58,000 There are two of them on mountains that are likely suspect. 392 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:00,000 And so, have you searched them? 393 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:01,000 We searched one of them. 394 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:02,000 Any other? 395 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:04,000 You ready for hiking the main woods? 396 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:05,000 Hell yes I am. 397 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:06,000 Let's do it. 398 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:07,000 Come on. 399 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:12,000 The wreckage spotted by Millet nearly three-quarters of a century ago was left behind and has 400 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:13,000 never been found. 401 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:18,000 If it is airplane wreckage, there's every chance it's from the white bird. 402 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:24,000 We board a boat and speed across Tunk Lake toward the peak that may have a geologic 403 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:26,000 marker matching what Millet described. 404 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:32,000 Waiting at the base of the hill, though, is someone I never knew I was dying to meet. 405 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,000 What an issue to the owner of the dock. 406 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:35,000 Hi, I'm Lee Bird. 407 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:36,000 Hi, Lee. 408 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:37,000 Nice to meet you. 409 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:38,000 I'm Josh. 410 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:39,000 Nice to meet you. 411 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:40,000 Thanks for letting us use the dock. 412 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:41,000 My pleasure. 413 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:42,000 You might be familiar with Lee's grandfather. 414 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:44,000 Your grandfather is? 415 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:45,000 Admiral Bird. 416 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,000 Your grandfather is Admiral Richard Bird? 417 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:49,000 Yes. 418 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:50,000 Yes. 419 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:56,000 Your grandfather is one of the most famous aviators and explorers ever. 420 00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:01,280 One of the biggest names in the history of polar exploration, pioneering American aviator 421 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:07,000 Richard Bird was the first person to fly over both the North and South Poles. 422 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:11,000 Like Nungesser and Coley, Bird wanted to claim the Ortig Prize. 423 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:16,000 Unfortunately, his plane was damaged during a test flight from which he barely walked 424 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:17,000 away. 425 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:24,000 Meanwhile, Linberg came along, and so my grandfather offered him the field to take off in and gave 426 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:27,000 him his navigational instruments to make the flight. 427 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:28,000 It's insane. 428 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:32,000 Your grandfather, and I mean this is the highest compliment, was nuts. 429 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:33,000 Well, he was. 430 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:34,000 I mean, he was. 431 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,000 He did the most amazing stuff. 432 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:40,000 Yeah, he did, but he always really calculated it all out, and it's amazing. 433 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:41,000 He survived. 434 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:43,000 That is the ultimate, it's a small world. 435 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:44,000 It is. 436 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:46,000 You never know who you're going to meet in the woods of Maine. 437 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:47,000 Good luck. 438 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:48,000 All right. 439 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:49,000 Thank you so much. 440 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:50,000 All right. 441 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:51,000 I'm speechless. 442 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:52,000 Here we go. 443 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:58,000 And with that, we set off into less inhabited territory in search of our lost survey marker. 444 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:02,000 And there isn't exactly a manicured trail leading to the summit. 445 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:06,000 It's going to be pushing through some pretty dense stuff, it looks like. 446 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:07,000 Yeah. 447 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:14,000 You think, how could an entire airplane go missing in a place like Maine? 448 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:18,000 And then you come out here and you realize these woods are no joke. 449 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:28,000 It's getting steep now. 450 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:30,000 Up, up, up. 451 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:40,000 Let's get a Baron so we can pick a direction. 452 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:42,000 Quarter mile from the target. 453 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,000 Straight on really, right? 454 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:52,000 We're getting close, but we're not out of the woods yet, so to speak. 455 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:57,000 Should be 500 feet straight ahead, Peter. 456 00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:58,000 Yep. 457 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,000 See an opening over there. 458 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,000 It does look like a clearing. 459 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:03,000 100 feet. 460 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:06,000 Does it open up? 461 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:07,000 Yeah, it does. 462 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:08,000 20 feet. 463 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:10,000 Wow, I found something. 464 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:11,000 You got it? 465 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:13,000 Hey, we got it. 466 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:14,000 Look at that. 467 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:15,000 All right, man. 468 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:17,000 Nice work, man. 469 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:18,000 All right. 470 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:19,000 Good coordinates. 471 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:23,000 This is from 1945 this was hammered in. 472 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:26,000 This really could be the very spot that these hunters were, right? 473 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:27,000 Yeah. 474 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:28,000 Exactly. 475 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:29,000 So then we got to follow the story from there. 476 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,000 They came to this marker, they left, and where did they go from here? 477 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:33,000 They went down the hill. 478 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:34,000 Okay. 479 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,000 They went down into a clearing, they broke for lunch. 480 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:40,000 One of these guys sat down on the ledge to have some lunch. 481 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,000 And that's when he saw the wreck. 482 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,000 All right, let's get back in the woods. 483 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,000 Can we just enjoy this clearing and this breeze for a moment? 484 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:49,000 Yeah, that's possible. 485 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:52,000 Back into the trees. 486 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:57,000 I have to admit, I've never looked for a decades old lunch spot in the middle of a forest before, 487 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:59,000 but that's what we're doing. 488 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:02,000 Wherever these hunters decided to grab a sandwich, 489 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,000 maybe where they found the white bird. 490 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:14,000 Definitely looks like an elevation change over here. 491 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:15,000 Excellent. 492 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:18,000 My lunch sense starts tingling. 493 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,000 I mean, great ledge right here. 494 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:23,000 Look at this. 495 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:24,000 Wow. 496 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,000 This feels perfect to the description, right? 497 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:30,000 Sit right here, legs are dangling. 498 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:31,000 Wreckage. 499 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:33,000 It's a great place to have lunch. 500 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:34,000 It's consistent. 501 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,000 I mean, the real question though is that after all these years, all this deadfall here, 502 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:38,000 would any of that stuff still be showing? 503 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:39,000 Possibly not. 504 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:42,000 This is a good place to break out the metal detector and sweep this whole area. 505 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:43,000 Okay, great. 506 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:44,000 Let's do it. 507 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:50,000 We quickly assemble our metal detectors and fan out into the trees. 508 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:01,000 Metal detecting, as I'm sure you all know by now, is feast or famine. 509 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:04,000 And so far, we're going hungry. 510 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:08,000 So a lot of area to search, a lot of difficult area to search. 511 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:18,000 Hey, hey, hey, guys, come here. 512 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:19,000 Whoa, what do you got? 513 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:20,000 James, come here. 514 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,000 Piece of metal over here. 515 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:24,000 It's aluminum. 516 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:25,000 Wow. 517 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:26,000 That screams aviation. 518 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:27,000 It really does, right? 519 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:29,000 It really does. 520 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,000 This looks like it's from an airplane. 521 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:32,000 It does. 522 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:33,000 It's all riveted on this side? 523 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:34,000 Yeah. 524 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:35,000 It's got white paint on it. 525 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:36,000 Wow, I mean, that is white paint, right? 526 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:37,000 Is the red the primer? 527 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:38,000 Yeah, I think so. 528 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:39,000 Yeah, the red's the primer. 529 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:40,000 Yeah, so it's white. 530 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:41,000 This was painted white, whatever it was. 531 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:43,000 So there's not a lot of metal on the white bird. 532 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,000 I mean, what's on it that's metal? 533 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,000 The three fuel tanks, which were riveted, those were riveted large. 534 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,000 And there are a few other aluminum panels on the aircraft. 535 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:52,000 There's stuff on the belly, right? 536 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:54,000 Yeah, it strikes me as aviation. 537 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:55,000 Yeah. 538 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:58,000 So, I mean, first question, I guess, is there anything else right here? 539 00:22:58,000 --> 00:22:59,000 Everybody look around for a second. 540 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:00,000 Yeah, a second look. 541 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:01,000 Anything like right here? 542 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:02,000 Yeah. 543 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:13,000 We mark the location of the find on GPS and fan out in a circle to search the surrounding area. 544 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:17,000 Everybody keep your eyes open, camera as well, just anything you see that looks out of place here. 545 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:18,000 Whoa, whoa, whoa. 546 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:19,000 You got something? 547 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:20,000 Whoa. 548 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:21,000 We got beer. 549 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:22,000 What is it? 550 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:23,000 I don't know. 551 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:24,000 It looks like an airframe. 552 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:25,000 A what? 553 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:26,000 Holy s***, look at this. 554 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:37,000 In the wilds of Maine, searching for the remains of the legendary plane, the white bird, we've 555 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:40,000 found what might be a piece of aviation history. 556 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,000 That's a wreck. 557 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:46,000 Whoa, whoa, whoa, yeah. 558 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,000 That's an airplane wreck. 559 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:50,000 That's an airplane. 560 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,000 That's an airplane wreck. 561 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,000 That's an airplane wreck. 562 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:56,000 That's an airplane wreck. 563 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:57,000 That's an airplane. 564 00:23:57,000 --> 00:23:58,000 That's an airplane. 565 00:23:58,000 --> 00:23:59,000 That's an airplane. 566 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:01,000 That's a s*** airplane, yes? 567 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:02,000 Yeah, it's an airplane. 568 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,000 Come here, bring a camera over here. 569 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:05,000 Look, there's wood in this. 570 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:07,000 This is part of the plane, right? 571 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:08,000 Yeah. 572 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,000 This is actually part of the construction of the plane. 573 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:11,000 Yeah, that's the wingspar, yes. 574 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:12,000 Right, you've got a wooden wingspar. 575 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:15,000 I mean, this thing is what, like 20s, 30s? 576 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,000 Yeah, early aircraft. 577 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:18,000 That's amazing. 578 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,000 Josh, look around that tree right at the base right there. 579 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:22,000 The ring. 580 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:23,000 That collector? 581 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:24,000 That's an exhaust collector ring from a radio aircraft. 582 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:25,000 That's from the radio engine? 583 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:26,000 Yeah. 584 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:27,000 Oh, did the tree grow through it? 585 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:29,000 The tree has grown up through it over the years, yes. 586 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:32,000 Well, that gives you some idea of how long this plane has been here. 587 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:33,000 We've got to be in the right era. 588 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:34,000 Yeah. 589 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:35,000 Whoa, whoa. 590 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,000 Is that fuel or oil? 591 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:39,000 That's a portable fuel can. 592 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:41,000 That's one of those four-gallon portable fuel cans 593 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:43,000 that you used to fuel the aircraft with. 594 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,000 Do you have any sense of what this is? 595 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:46,000 It's an aircraft. 596 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:47,000 It's not our aircraft. 597 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:49,000 This is well that steel frame. 598 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:51,000 Right, it's not the white bird. 599 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:54,000 So what is it? 600 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:56,000 You see that piece of aluminum right there on the wingspaw? 601 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:57,000 Yeah. 602 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:59,000 That piece of aluminum right there is very distinctive 603 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,000 to the early Fairchild bush planes. 604 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:07,000 It was an old Canadian mail plane that went down around 1930. 605 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:11,000 The Canadian Airways Fairchild 71 was on an early postal route 606 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:15,000 between St. John New Brunswick and Montreal, Quebec, 607 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:18,000 when the engine on the plane quit and refused to restart. 608 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:22,000 Both the pilot and mechanic aboard survived and hiked out, 609 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:25,000 but the aircraft was lost to the wilderness. 610 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:27,000 Has anybody been out here to see this? 611 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:30,000 I'm not sure anybody has ever found it and photographed it. 612 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:31,000 That's nuts. 613 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:34,000 I mean, this is a piece of history sitting here. 614 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:36,000 This is a very historic site, 615 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:38,000 and that's why we look for these things. 616 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:42,000 And to think that nobody's been out here to see this thing 617 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:47,000 since two guys crawled out of it almost 100 years ago is insane. 618 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:50,000 For a second, I saw the white bird, but no. 619 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:51,000 Hey, I'll take it. 620 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:52,000 Outstanding. 621 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:53,000 Nice work, guys. 622 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,000 Another aviation mystery solved. 623 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:59,000 Our expedition in the woods has revealed the lost resting place 624 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,000 of a missing aircraft. 625 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,000 Peter and James will continue to document the wreck 626 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,000 and scour the forest for other evidence. 627 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,000 But as for me, Maine is not the only place 628 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:12,000 where the white bird is being hunted. 629 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:15,000 I pack my bags so I can travel to my third country 630 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:20,000 on Nunjesser's Trail, 800 miles north in Newfoundland, Canada. 631 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:31,000 Welcome to the island of Newfoundland, 632 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:34,000 a place I have always wanted to visit. 633 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:38,000 Behind me is the easternmost point in all of North America, 634 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:42,000 and below, nestled in this rocky harbor, is St. John's, 635 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:46,000 the oldest European-founded city on the continent. 636 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:50,000 The official name of the province is Newfoundland and Labrador, 637 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:54,000 and if you're a dog person, you know exactly what I'm about to cut to. 638 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:59,000 I don't know whose dog this is, but you're coming home with me. 639 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:01,000 Oh, you are the best dog. 640 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:05,000 St. John's is home to wildly dramatic shorelines 641 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:09,000 and rainbow-hued homes designed to lift people's spirits 642 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,000 during dark winter months, which around here 643 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:13,000 are basically all but three of them. 644 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:17,000 But fear not, the locals will warm your spirits, 645 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:19,000 and so will the booze. 646 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:22,000 Welcome to Newfoundland. 647 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:25,000 I could spend a week walking through St. John's, 648 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:28,000 but I have an appointment at The Rooms, 649 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:33,000 a museum dedicated to preserving Newfoundland's rich cultural legacy. 650 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:37,000 Waiting for me is the executive director of the International Group 651 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:41,000 for Historic Aircraft Recovery, my old friend Rick Gillespie. 652 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:42,000 Hey, Rick, how are you? 653 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:43,000 Josh, how are you doing? 654 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:44,000 I'm good, good to see you, man. 655 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:45,000 Good to see you. 656 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:50,000 Long-time EXU fans will remember Rick from the very first episode of this show 657 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:54,000 when he helped educate me about the search for Amelia Earhart's lost plane. 658 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:58,000 And now, here we are talking about another great aviation mystery. 659 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:01,000 Just as big a mystery and a more important mystery, 660 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:06,000 this might be the most important missing airplane in history 661 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:08,000 and one of the least known. 662 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:11,000 That's one of the things that really drew me to this story. 663 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:13,000 To many people in the States, it's just unknown. 664 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:14,000 That's right. 665 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:22,000 And the white bird and its disappearance is a key to the Lindbergh triumph. 666 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:23,000 Right. 667 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:26,000 If these guys had succeeded in flying the Atlantic, 668 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:28,000 Lindbergh would not have flown the Atlantic, 669 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:33,000 and every school child in America would know the names of Charles Nugessar 670 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:36,000 and Francois Collis and Wuzzleblanc. 671 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:37,000 That's right. 672 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:38,000 It would be a different world. 673 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:43,000 Now, there have been a lot of theories as to where the white bird disappeared. 674 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:44,000 I've been to Maine. 675 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:45,000 You've looked there as well, right? 676 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:47,000 For eight years, we looked in Maine. 677 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:48,000 Right. 678 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,000 You have another theory that's brought me here to St. John's? 679 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:54,000 No, I have evidence that brought you here to St. John's. 680 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:55,000 I love this. 681 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:56,000 Okay. 682 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,000 How convinced are you that the white bird is here? 683 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:00,000 Well, let me show you the Newfoundland evidence. 684 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,000 Rick has been scouring the archives here at the rooms 685 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:07,000 and has uncovered sworn affidavits from 1927. 686 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:11,000 Witnesses to what Rick believes could be the white bird. 687 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:15,000 I, James Petle, was walking out on Cottage Road when I heard the sound 688 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,000 like an airplane out of the northeast. 689 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:20,000 About two minutes after hearing this sound, 690 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:24,000 I saw what I am certain was an airplane of white color 691 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,000 for a few moments, then she turned quickly about south. 692 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:29,000 Using these witness statements, 693 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:33,000 Rick has been able to establish a potential flight path for the white bird. 694 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:37,000 But there are some that have told Rick not just about the position of the plane, 695 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,000 but her condition as well. 696 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:41,000 One such witness was John Dobbins. 697 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:46,000 Dobbins sees an airplane headed toward Redhead, 698 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,000 which is a terrain feature along this coastline, 699 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:54,000 tall red-colored cliff, very prominent feature. 700 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:57,000 He's cutting wood and he sees an airplane 701 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:02,000 that he says is trailing white smoke. 702 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:03,000 White smoke? 703 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:06,000 An airplane on fire doesn't trail white smoke, it trails black smoke. 704 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:07,000 Big time. 705 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:11,000 Well, the white bird had a liquid-cooled engine, 706 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:14,000 and if one of the coolant pipes ruptured, 707 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:19,000 the airplane is going to trail a huge cloud of white steam. 708 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:23,000 And one person, Rick discovered, may even have been an ear witness 709 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:25,000 to the white bird's final moments. 710 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:32,000 Nicholas McGraw on the Redhead River hears three loud explosions off in the distance. 711 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:33,000 Boom, boom, boom. 712 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:35,000 And has no explanation. 713 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:37,000 So your theory is that what happens? 714 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:41,000 The white bird had three fuel tanks lined up right behind the engine. 715 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:44,000 He's got to find calm water to land this airplane on. 716 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:47,000 And sure enough, he turns inland, 717 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:51,000 and the first acceptable pond, it's the gall pond. 718 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:56,000 But because the white bird is what it is with these three big fuel tanks 719 00:30:56,000 --> 00:31:01,000 and an engine way out there, he can't see over the nose at all. 720 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:06,000 What he doesn't see is a rocky island in the middle of the pond. 721 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:11,000 And he lands, touches down, hits that island. 722 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:18,000 So we actually can complete the line down the coast to Dobbins, 723 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:22,000 across the bay, Redhead, to the gall pond. 724 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,000 There are accounts of wreckage out there. 725 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,000 It is an established story. 726 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:31,000 Oh, the gall pond, yeah, that's the pond with the plane in it. 727 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:32,000 Wow. 728 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:37,000 And so have you been out to this place? Have you been to gall pond? 729 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:39,000 I have been to the pond many times. 730 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:43,000 So when you went out there, you didn't find the wreckage of a plane 731 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,000 just sitting on that little rocky island? 732 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:49,000 No, we didn't. But we did find something. 733 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:50,000 You did find something out there? 734 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,000 Yes. You want to see it? 735 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:53,000 You have it? 736 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:56,000 It's right here in the archives. 737 00:31:56,000 --> 00:32:00,000 Rick brings me down to the museum's special collections, 738 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:04,000 where director Laurie Temple has something very special indeed. 739 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:07,000 So you have something here that Rick found? 740 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:08,000 I do. 741 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:10,000 This is the highlight of the collection here at the rooms, right? 742 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:14,000 It is one of the many treasures, but my favorite. 743 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:18,000 Get out of here. 744 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,000 You found this out at that pond? 745 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,000 Get out of here. 746 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:33,000 We found it with a metal detector off the end of a little rocky island 747 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:35,000 in the middle of the gall pond. 748 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:39,000 Aviation investigator Rick Gillespie believes this debris 749 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:43,000 might be from the legendary lost plane, the white bird. 750 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:45,000 Can we inspect it? 751 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:47,000 Sure. We'll just put some gloves on. 752 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:49,000 For sure. 753 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:54,000 Is there anything on it that's diagnostic? 754 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:58,000 I mean, is there any rivets or any markings that we can discern on it? 755 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:01,000 The only thing on it is paint. 756 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:03,000 Oh, look at that. Yes. 757 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:05,000 Yeah, kind of a light blue-grey paint. 758 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:06,000 Look at that. 759 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:10,000 And the steel parts of the white bird were painted gray blue. 760 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:14,000 I mean, I have seen the only part of the white bird that's left, 761 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:18,000 and there is paint on it that looks really similar to that. 762 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,000 I mean, there is. 763 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:23,000 Whatever this is, it has a story. 764 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:26,000 We just don't know what its story is. 765 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:28,000 All right, so is there more out there? 766 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:31,000 I mean, one thing I've never heard is anybody saying 767 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:33,000 they pulled an engine block out of that pond. 768 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:34,000 No. 769 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:37,000 Which, if it's the white bird, weighed almost 1,000 pounds 770 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:41,000 and was roughly as big as the table we're standing in. 771 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:42,000 So where is it? 772 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:44,000 Could it be out at that pond? 773 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:47,000 There's only one way to know. 774 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:49,000 We have to go look. 775 00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:54,000 With fog rolling in, bad weather in the forecast, 776 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:58,000 and no roads to gull pond, this is going to be interesting. 777 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:00,000 Let's do it. Here we go. 778 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:06,000 The trip takes us over some of the most remote terrain on Earth, 779 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:10,000 an endless expanse of rocks, bogs, and ponds. 780 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:15,000 Yeah, once you get outside the city, it's just wilderness. 781 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:16,000 It's incredible. 782 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:19,000 We got the caribou over here at 3 o'clock. 783 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:21,000 Look at that. Beautiful. 784 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:22,000 Wow. 785 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:25,000 We're coming up on Redhead. 786 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:27,000 These clips right here. 787 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:32,000 We are now really in the exact place where Dobbins saw this airplane 788 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:35,000 for the last time, point last seen right here. 789 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:40,000 We're doing about 100, 110 knots, 790 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:43,000 which is just what the white bird would have been doing. 791 00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:46,000 They're coming in this hot, no landing gear, no wheels. 792 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:47,000 That's right. 793 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:49,000 I mean, I can totally understand that. 794 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:53,000 I'll put myself in this position of desperately looking for a place to land. 795 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:57,000 Josh, this is Gulpot. This is it. This is the place. 796 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:01,000 And this is for sure the largest body of water I've seen out here. 797 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:05,000 This is a place you could try to put a plane down, for sure. 798 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:07,000 And where's that island? 799 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:08,000 Right over here. 800 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:12,000 So all those stories and the metal that you found from that little island? 801 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:13,000 Yep. 802 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:16,000 Okay. Now we just got to find a place to land. 803 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:20,000 The helicopter drops us off to meet Redhead. 804 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:25,000 The helicopter drops us off to meet Rick's team who have already choppered in. 805 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:28,000 Magnetic imaging experts and drone operators, 806 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:31,000 Kiyavish Parver and Andrew Ganyon-Nandrum 807 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:34,000 and airplane archaeologist Lisa Daly. 808 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:36,000 Okay, let's talk about this beast right here. 809 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:38,000 This is a drone? 810 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:41,000 Yeah, right here we have a commercial multi-copter drone 811 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:44,000 that we use for geophysical surveys. 812 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:48,000 Andrew has mounted a powerful magnetometer to his drone, 813 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:52,000 allowing him to conduct the first ever aerial mag scan of the lake. 814 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:55,000 The hope is to get a hit on the aircraft's engine. 815 00:35:55,000 --> 00:36:01,000 What we're hoping to detect is probably the only thing that's left of the white bird 816 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:06,000 because the airplane was wood and fabric and it blew up and burned. 817 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:12,000 The hypothesis that we're testing is that the airplane came in from the east, 818 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:16,000 attempted to land on the pond and struck this rocky island. 819 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:19,000 I'm going to press GO and it's going to follow its GPS track and start surveying. 820 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:20,000 Mowing the lawn. 821 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:21,000 Mowing the lawn, exactly. 822 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:23,000 All right, mow away. Let's do it. 823 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:30,000 The drone lifts off and begins its pre-programmed grid over the pond, 824 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:35,000 flying 100 feet in the air to cover almost 100 acres of territory 825 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:38,000 in a fraction of the time it would take from the ground. 826 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:41,000 So how long is it going to take to scan this whole pond? 827 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:45,000 The whole lake will take about three to four hours to fly. 828 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:47,000 All right, so we get some time in our hands. 829 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:58,000 A few hours later, the drone has landed and the data is in. 830 00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:01,000 I'm excited to see if we've bagged the white bird. 831 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:03,000 So walk us through the color patterning first. 832 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:10,000 So blue would be low magnetic intensity and the reds into the purples and the pinks are the higher end. 833 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:13,000 So the bedrock here does have a lot of magnetic signal. 834 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:18,000 So what we're looking for here is a few of the smaller outliers that sort of don't fit the pattern. 835 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:21,000 We can't really explain based on the geology. 836 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:23,000 And did you find targets like that? 837 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:24,000 Yes. 838 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:29,000 We have four or five suspicious targets that I cannot explain geologically. 839 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:32,000 Like this one, kind of like a butterfly thing, as you can see. 840 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:33,000 Right. 841 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:36,000 And that is not what geology does in this area. 842 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:37,000 All right. 843 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:39,000 Can you show us where we are in relation to the island? 844 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:45,000 Yeah, the island is here and the anomaly that we just saw is over here. 845 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:48,000 That's why I'm like a little bit more suspicious on downward. 846 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:50,000 Second target is going to be this one. 847 00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:52,000 So it's this here we're talking about? 848 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:53,000 Right near the island. 849 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:54,000 Yes. 850 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:55,000 Okay. 851 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:56,000 So something there that may not be natural. 852 00:37:56,000 --> 00:37:57,000 Exactly. 853 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:07,000 The scan has revealed several promising targets that could support the theory that the white bird crashed under the small rocky island in the middle of Galpond. 854 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:09,000 And now we just need to get a closer look. 855 00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:12,000 If there are answers, that's where they are. 856 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:14,000 To check out our targets, we're going to need boats. 857 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:16,000 The good news is we brought some with us. 858 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:20,000 The bad news, some assembly is required. 859 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:24,000 Use the hand or foot operated air pump to inflate the boat. 860 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:27,000 Inflation must be done by a train geologist. 861 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:29,000 It's a good thing we're here then. 862 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:31,000 Just trying to get out of it. 863 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:35,000 Fill each chamber until it is stiff to the touch, but not hard. 864 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:39,000 Moving on. 865 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:44,000 I got it, Rick. 866 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:45,000 I got it. 867 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:46,000 I know you do. 868 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:52,000 White bird, meet the white boat. 869 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:57,000 The water is near freezing, so we don immersion suits. 870 00:38:57,000 --> 00:39:02,000 This far from civilization, hypothermia is not something you want to mess with. 871 00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:05,000 Then it's finally time to launch. 872 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:08,000 Here we go. Nice and slow, it's slippery out here. 873 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:10,000 And if you fall, fall toward the boat. 874 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:12,000 That's a good advice. 875 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:18,000 And hey, speaking of engines, our portable boat doesn't have one. 876 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:21,000 But hey, no motor, no problem. 877 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:27,000 There's really no good place to bring this ashore, 878 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:29,000 so let's really slowly try to walk it in here. 879 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:31,000 Watch out for these sharp rocks. 880 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:35,000 So, where did you find that piece of metal? 881 00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:38,000 Right off this end of the island. 882 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:39,000 Right in here. 883 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:42,000 Okay, well, we've got strong metal detectors with us. 884 00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:45,000 We'll definitely scan this whole area again. 885 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:47,000 Maybe we get lucky, who knows. 886 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:53,000 Hey, Rick, I'm going to start scanning over here and work my way around to you. 887 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:57,000 It shouldn't take long to cover an island this small, 888 00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:01,000 but the terrain turns a simple task into an arduous affair. 889 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:05,000 I mean, it's so rocky here with so many little nooks. 890 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:08,000 Who knows, there could be debris anywhere out here. 891 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:11,000 Nothing out here. 892 00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:13,000 Rick, you got anything in there? 893 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:14,000 No. 894 00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:20,000 I'm going to head a little further out. 895 00:40:20,000 --> 00:40:21,000 Maybe we get lucky out here. 896 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:30,000 Hey, Josh, I got a hit over here. 897 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:31,000 You got something? 898 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:38,000 The Rooms is a repository for Newfoundland's history, 899 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:43,000 including a personal connection that Melanie Tucker is helping me explore for the first time. 900 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:49,000 So, all I really know is that my grandmother on my father's side came from Newfoundland. 901 00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:50,000 Okay. 902 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:52,000 So, what'd you find? 903 00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:56,000 I looked her up, found her birth record, and we found her parents' names. 904 00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:58,000 Samuel and Trefina? 905 00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:00,000 These are my great grandparents. 906 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:01,000 That's right. 907 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:04,000 And do we know anything about my grandmother's siblings, about their children? 908 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:07,000 Here they are in the 1945 census. 909 00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:12,000 John King and Lily, and they lived here in St. John's. 910 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:13,000 They lived here in St. John's. 911 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:15,000 He was with the police department. 912 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:16,000 Uh-huh. 913 00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:20,000 And they were listed in the 1960s as living at one Fort Townsend. 914 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:21,000 Guess where you're standing? 915 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:23,000 It was here? 916 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:24,000 This is Fort Townsend. 917 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:25,000 They lived right here? 918 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:26,000 They lived on this spot. 919 00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:28,000 So, you're telling me I own this whole place? 920 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:29,000 Is that... 921 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:31,000 This is all mine, everybody. 922 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:38,000 Hey, Josh, I got a hit over here. 923 00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:39,000 You got something? 924 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:40,000 Well, I got a hit. 925 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:46,000 Aviation investigator Rick Gillespie and I are hunting the lost plane known as the White Bird, 926 00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:49,000 and we might just have found something. 927 00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:50,000 Okay, what do you got? 928 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:53,000 Good news is I've got a strong hit. 929 00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:57,000 The bad news is it's under a giant rock. 930 00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:58,000 Yeah, look at this thing. 931 00:41:58,000 --> 00:41:59,000 Big flat rock. 932 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:03,000 Oh, yeah. 933 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:05,000 I got it. 934 00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:09,000 Something there. 935 00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:12,000 Oh, let's think about this for a second. 936 00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:14,000 Rock doesn't grow. 937 00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:15,000 No. 938 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:18,000 And we're not getting any return off the rocks. 939 00:42:18,000 --> 00:42:20,000 It's not like we've got hot rocks out here. 940 00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:21,000 No. 941 00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:26,000 So, it's got to be a piece of metal that got under that rock somehow. 942 00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:28,000 Hold this, will you? 943 00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:30,000 You're going to pick up the rock. 944 00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:31,000 I'm not that strong. 945 00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:32,000 You're Josh Gates. 946 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:33,000 Come on. 947 00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:37,000 But I may be able to reach down a little bit. 948 00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:38,000 Yeah. 949 00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:39,000 Come on, what is this? 950 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:41,000 Oh, I got something. 951 00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:43,000 Oh, ow. 952 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:44,000 I just found something sharp. 953 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:46,000 I got something. 954 00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:50,000 What is that? 955 00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:51,000 I don't know. 956 00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:54,000 It's a fishing hook. 957 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:55,000 I don't think it is a fishing hook. 958 00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:56,000 No. 959 00:42:56,000 --> 00:42:57,000 It's not a fishing hook. 960 00:42:57,000 --> 00:42:58,000 No, it's not. 961 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:00,000 It's a piece of wire. 962 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:02,000 Is it safety wire? 963 00:43:03,000 --> 00:43:09,000 Safety wire is used to this day in order to lock fasteners in place where vibration can cause them to loosen or fall out. 964 00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:12,000 For example, in a biplane in 1927. 965 00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:17,000 I don't know what that is, but it's fascinating that it's here. 966 00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:19,000 I mean, it's not a piece of fishing tack, I don't think. 967 00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:22,000 I don't know if I broke it on the end or if there's anything else down there. 968 00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:25,000 There is more. 969 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:26,000 Oh, there is more. 970 00:43:26,000 --> 00:43:27,000 There's more. 971 00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:28,000 It's something sharp here. 972 00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:33,000 I just don't know if it's a rock or trying to free it. 973 00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:38,000 We've been so busy digging in the rocks, we fail to notice some important big picture details. 974 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:39,000 Are you there? 975 00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:42,000 As I learn when my producer Dave calls on the radio. 976 00:43:43,000 --> 00:43:44,000 What's going on, Dave? 977 00:43:44,000 --> 00:43:45,000 We got weather coming in. 978 00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:50,000 Like coming in right this second, we need to leave or coming in sooner than expected? 979 00:43:54,000 --> 00:43:56,000 Yeah, we can see those clouds as well. 980 00:43:56,000 --> 00:43:57,000 Wind's definitely picking up. 981 00:43:57,000 --> 00:44:01,000 Let's have the helicopter take a first load of people out and we'll start making our way back to shore. 982 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:02,000 Copy you. 983 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:05,000 I'm going to give this two more minutes and then I'm getting out of here. 984 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:07,000 Suddenly, we're in a race against time. 985 00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:12,000 The last thing we want is to be trapped on this tiny island when a thunderstorm hits. 986 00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:16,000 But I can't bring myself to leave for just a few more seconds. 987 00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:17,000 I got something. 988 00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:18,000 Oh, I got something else. 989 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:19,000 Hold on. 990 00:44:20,000 --> 00:44:21,000 I got something else. 991 00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:22,000 Hold on. 992 00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:28,000 I don't know. 993 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:29,000 Can lid? 994 00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:30,000 What do you think? 995 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:32,000 No, it's not a can lid. 996 00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:33,000 It's way too heavy. 997 00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:37,000 Let's keep that underwater because if we expose it to air, it will deteriorate. 998 00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:40,000 So we put it in a bag of water. 999 00:44:40,000 --> 00:44:43,000 As much as it looks like a can lid, I don't think it is. 1000 00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:47,000 This lid is too heavy and thick to be from a common can. 1001 00:44:47,000 --> 00:44:53,000 It feels like a plate or a cover to a piece of equipment and could be a significant piece of evidence. 1002 00:44:53,000 --> 00:44:54,000 That was it. 1003 00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:55,000 We got nothing else down here. 1004 00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:56,000 You got the wire as well? 1005 00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:57,000 I've got the wire as well. 1006 00:44:57,000 --> 00:45:00,000 Hey, Peter, the helipilot says we've got to get out now. 1007 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:03,000 You don't want to f**k with this weather. 1008 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:07,000 That leaves us a target out in the deeper water there, but I don't think we're going to get to that. 1009 00:45:07,000 --> 00:45:08,000 Rick, I've got some bad news for you. 1010 00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:10,000 You're going to have to come back to this island again, I think. 1011 00:45:10,000 --> 00:45:12,000 I've never had a better reason to come back to this island. 1012 00:45:12,000 --> 00:45:13,000 There you go, exactly. 1013 00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:14,000 All right, guys, here we go. 1014 00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:15,000 Let's get off this island. 1015 00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:22,000 We pile back into the boat as the rain intensifies and flee our small island. 1016 00:45:22,000 --> 00:45:26,000 I'm glad we stuck around, but we're paying for it on the way back. 1017 00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:31,000 The wind and rain are upon us as we row for shore just ahead of the storm. 1018 00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:38,000 Rain is coming down now. 1019 00:45:38,000 --> 00:45:42,000 Hustle, hustle, hustle. 1020 00:45:42,000 --> 00:45:43,000 Let's get everything wrapped up. 1021 00:45:43,000 --> 00:45:45,000 We've got to get people out of here. 1022 00:45:56,000 --> 00:45:57,000 Okay, we're aboard. 1023 00:45:58,000 --> 00:46:01,000 All right, well, let's get in our teeth. 1024 00:46:01,000 --> 00:46:02,000 Let's get in our teeth. 1025 00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:03,000 Nice work. 1026 00:46:03,000 --> 00:46:04,000 Thank you. 1027 00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:05,000 Yeah, beautiful. 1028 00:46:08,000 --> 00:46:12,000 Though we are forced to flee, Gulpond remains. 1029 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:18,000 Rick and his team will return when the conditions improve to further explore the magnetometer hits we discovered. 1030 00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:26,000 The two pieces of potential evidence we recovered were sent to the rooms in St. John's for conservation and analysis. 1031 00:46:26,000 --> 00:46:28,000 And now we have an update. 1032 00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:37,000 X-ray fluorescence reveals that the disc is made of steel and does not appear to match any common or mass market lid that can be identified. 1033 00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:44,000 It is plated with nickel and zinc on one side to prevent rust, but more curious is the slight convex depression. 1034 00:46:44,000 --> 00:46:50,000 If it was not a feature of the disc's manufacture, it may suggest evidence of an explosion. 1035 00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:59,000 As to the wire, it's made of copper and turns out to be a perfect match for aviation safety wire used in the era of the white bird. 1036 00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:08,000 Along with the mysterious debris that Rick previously recovered, the evidence is mounting that there may be more to Gulpond just waiting to be found. 1037 00:47:09,000 --> 00:47:12,000 Sometimes history turns on a single event. 1038 00:47:12,000 --> 00:47:23,000 Charles Lindbergh's success only 12 days after the disappearance of the white bird positioned the United States as the aviation innovator in the period leading into World War II. 1039 00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:32,000 But if Charles Nundgeser and François Collie had reached New York, Charles Lindbergh would merely be a footnote in another aviator's heroic story. 1040 00:47:33,000 --> 00:47:43,000 Investigators like Rick Gillespie and Peter Nadin will carry the torch for the spirit of exploration that inspired Nundgeser and Collie to attempt the impossible. 1041 00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:54,000 Through their dedication, perhaps those of us on this side of the pond will finally come to remember and appreciate the bravery and sacrifice of the white bird's crew. 1042 00:47:54,000 --> 00:47:59,000 Not in Lindbergh's shadow, but as the pioneers they truly were.