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William shatner:
A transnational flight
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vanishes into thin air.
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A legendary explorer
is lost in the amazon jungle
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and is never seen again.
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And a notorious area
in the north atlantic,
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where entire airplanes...
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Disappear.
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When we find out
that someone is lost,
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we like to think
that their disappearance
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has a rational explanation
and that, at some point,
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they'll return.
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Hopefully safe and sound.
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But what happens
when people don't return
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and the circumstances
of their disappearance
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defy explanation?
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Well...
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That is what
we'll try and find out.
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♪ ♪
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shatner:
Malaysia airlines flight mh370
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prepares to depart from kuala
lumpur international airport
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en route to beijing.
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On board are 227 passengers
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and a flight crew of 12.
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John nance:
Malaysia 370
was a commercial flight.
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Malaysia airlines
was a routine procedure,
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a routine flight, as we say.
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The flight path was
more or less a straight line
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aimed from kuala lumpur
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out over the water
in, uh, the south china sea
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to the main landfall of china.
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As far as everybody
was concerned,
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it took off normally,
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was flying its route north
towards china.
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Tuttle:
Then, all of a sudden,
it turned off its communications
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and basically went dark.
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Shatner:
At about 1:20 a.M.,
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as the plane was flying
over the south china sea,
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ground control lost
all contact with the plane.
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One second,
the 240-ton boeing aircraft
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was emitting
a clear transponder signal
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to air traffic control,
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and then, mere moments later,
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there was nothing.
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The fact that
the signal disappeared--
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that was the unusual element.
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The fact that that transponder,
which was chirping back
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every time it was hit
by the radar beam
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from air traffic control,
went silent.
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Michio kaku:
Flight controllers
frantically tried
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to communicate
with the airplane.
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Nothing. What happened?
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How can you lose a jetliner?
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How can it vanish in thin air?
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Shatner:
Although the aircraft was lost
on civilian radar screens,
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unbeknownst to ground control,
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military radar was able to track
the plane for another hour.
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And what it detected
was baffling.
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At that point,
when the radios were turned off,
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the flight path did
a 90-degree turn to the left,
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basically on
a southwestern heading,
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and disappeared
into the vastness
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of the indian ocean.
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We don't know the motivation
for doing this.
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We just-- we don't know.
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Shatner:
Around 2:20 a.M.,
radar contact with the plane
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was lost for good.
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By 7:20 a.M., one hour after
it was scheduled to land,
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authorities in beijing realized
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that flight mh370 was not going
to reach its destination.
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A search and rescue operation
was immediately launched,
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and it quickly became
the most expensive and difficult
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in aviation history.
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The initial search
was basically, uh,
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aircraft searching
for the immediate wreck,
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looking for any survivors
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or telltale wreckage
on the sea surface.
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Unfortunately, after a while,
things sink.
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Survivors aren't there,
and you go from
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a search and rescue mission to
a search and recovery mission.
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Shatner:
When the wreckage
did not turn up,
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officials were eventually
forced to admit
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that all 239 people
on board the flight...
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Had perished.
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We were clueless as to what
could have caused this tragedy
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right under our noses
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in an era when we have
the internet, satellite,
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radar communication,
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it just disappears
off the radar screen.
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Shatner:
The wreckage of the plane,
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despite the efforts of the
world's top aviation experts,
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had seemingly vanished
without a trace.
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But then,
after months of searching,
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investigators finally
uncovered an important clue.
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Boeing had included
a maintenance reporting thing
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that goes by satellite.
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It was called an acar system,
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and boeing
had installed the system
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to report
maintenance information
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about the engines
in the airplane every hour.
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In this particular case,
it was still pinging away.
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It was saying essentially
to the satellite,
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"hey, I'm here.
You want any information?"
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shatner:
The information revealed
by the acar system was shocking.
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It showed that
the plane did not crash
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anywhere near
where it was last detected.
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It actually changed course
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and kept on flying.
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Greg liefer: It was flown
for another six hours
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after it made the initial
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diversion from
its intended flight plan,
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and it was flown, uh,
to a very remote area.
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Shatner:
Based on this data,
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aviation experts believe that
the plane most likely crashed
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somewhere in the southern
portion of the indian ocean
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after running out of fuel.
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It seems that the aircraft flew
in the wrong direction
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for thousands of miles
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to a distant part of the ocean
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where there was
no possible place to land.
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But how could
that have happened?
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Initially, the theory that was
proposed by a lot of the media
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was that the pilot in command
committed suicide.
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But, in fact,
the accident report
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clearly stated that...
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The pilot had no history of
emotional or physical problems
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that would preclude suicide,
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and family, friends
and coworkers said
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he had no abnormal behavior
before the flight.
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Kaku:
Other people say,
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no, it was some kind
of mechanical failure.
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If it were to catch on fire,
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the plane could
rapidly depressurize,
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meaning that people
would suffocate very rapidly.
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And I think that
what happened then was
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you had a ghost airplane.
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Everyone was
either dead or dying.
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It was randomly going
back and forth until it finally
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ran out of fuel and crashed
into the indian ocean.
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You had theories of, uh,
oxygen, uh, malfunction
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that incapacitated the pilots,
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but I don't think that makes
sense because the aircraft
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certainly appeared to me
like it was being flown manually
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for up to, uh,
at least 30 minutes,
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if not up to an hour, after
it made that hard left turn.
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The thing that
makes the most sense to me
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was some type of hijacking.
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The abrupt maneuvers
that it was making,
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the changes in altitude
and air speed and heading,
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all that indicates to me
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that it was a deliberate,
uh, manipulation
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by other people that took
control of the aircraft.
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But then that poses
the question,
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well, why did they
hijack the aircraft?
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What was the motive?
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And why fly
to the southern indian ocean?
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Shatner:
While the theory that the plane
was hijacked may sound logical,
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authorities thoroughly
checked the background
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of all the passengers and crew,
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and none of them
fit the profile of a hijacker.
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The truth is that, while several
of the explanations
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that have been put forth
seem to have merit,
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we simply don't have
enough information
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to verify any of them.
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We have no way of knowing
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because the cockpit voice
recorder is at the bottom
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of the indian ocean someplace.
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But the other
and the most important thing
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to keep in mind is we found
a piece of that airplane.
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A piece of the wing
was found and verified.
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It was washed up on, I believe,
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the shores of madagascar
or close to it,
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and it was definitively
from this particular airplane,
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so we knew then categorically
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that that airplane
had gone into the indian ocean.
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And in this case, this
particular piece of the plane
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had taken about
a year and a half to float
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all the way
across the indian ocean.
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Liefer:
It was one of 27 pieces
that were eventually recovered.
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And it was one of
three pieces out of the 27
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that was positively identified
as coming from the aircraft.
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The aircraft wasn't found,
occupants weren't found,
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but yet 17 months later,
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they find these pieces of debris
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thousands of miles away,
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and that's what makes
this mystery, I think,
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probably the biggest mystery
of all the aviation mysteries.
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Shatner:
Unfortunately, a few
scattered pieces of wreckage
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are all that remain
of flight mh370,
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its passengers and crew.
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Is the story
a frustrating reminder that,
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in modern times,
the truth can still be elusive
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in spite of all the knowledge
and technology at our disposal?
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For those of us who learned
about this disappearance
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in the news,
that seems to be the case.
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But how much more maddening
would it be to try
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and understand the disappearance
of someone you know?
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Perhaps the answer
can be found by examining
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the case of two
united states congressmen
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00:10:01,810 --> 00:10:03,935
who went missing
nearly 50 years ago
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00:10:04,021 --> 00:10:08,273
and whose families
are still searching for answers.
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Shatner: A cessna airplane
taxis into position
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00:10:19,870 --> 00:10:21,828
and prepares for departure.
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On board the small plane
are four people:
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00:10:24,416 --> 00:10:27,584
The pilot and three passengers.
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00:10:27,669 --> 00:10:31,921
Two of the passengers
are united states congressmen.
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00:10:31,965 --> 00:10:35,842
House majority leader
hale boggs of louisiana,
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00:10:35,927 --> 00:10:39,304
and alaskan
congressman nick begich.
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My dad had a habit
of bringing, uh,
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00:10:42,100 --> 00:10:43,642
his colleagues, uh, to alaska.
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And-and the reason he did is
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he wanted people to see
the vastness of it
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00:10:49,316 --> 00:10:51,816
and the richness of the state.
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00:10:51,902 --> 00:10:54,194
You can talk about a place,
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00:10:54,279 --> 00:10:56,237
but until you're in it,
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00:10:56,323 --> 00:10:59,157
you really have no concept
of-of any of it.
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00:10:59,242 --> 00:11:04,162
And alaska-- it's like 20%
of the landmass of the country.
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00:11:04,206 --> 00:11:07,165
And my dad, uh,
used small planes often
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00:11:07,250 --> 00:11:09,042
because you could take
the side trips,
219
00:11:09,127 --> 00:11:10,919
and he wanted to show
people things.
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00:11:12,130 --> 00:11:15,256
Shatner:
At 9:00 a.M., the plane took off
into the foggy morning sky
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and headed for juneau.
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00:11:16,927 --> 00:11:18,927
They were scheduled
to land there
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00:11:19,012 --> 00:11:21,930
sometime between 12:00
and 1:00 p.M.
224
00:11:22,974 --> 00:11:25,100
The pilot did not file
a flight plan
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00:11:25,185 --> 00:11:27,268
until ten minutes
after he took off,
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00:11:27,354 --> 00:11:29,187
which was, uh,
completely uncharacteristic.
227
00:11:29,272 --> 00:11:32,982
He filed the flight plan
by radio transmissions,
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00:11:33,068 --> 00:11:35,527
and the route of flight
he intended to take
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00:11:35,612 --> 00:11:38,571
was across
prince william sound to yakutat
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00:11:38,657 --> 00:11:41,366
and then from yakutat to juneau.
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We know the airplane,
in this particular case,
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00:11:44,663 --> 00:11:47,163
had six hours of fuel,
and it was only about
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00:11:47,249 --> 00:11:48,957
a three-and-a-half-hour flight.
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00:11:49,042 --> 00:11:51,084
And you could get
almost there and turn around
235
00:11:51,169 --> 00:11:53,837
and come back with the fuel
that you had in it,
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00:11:53,922 --> 00:11:56,631
but they never
made it to juneau.
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Shatner:
At about 1:15 p.M.,
air force officials
238
00:11:59,261 --> 00:12:03,263
were informed that the flight
was overdue to land at juneau.
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00:12:03,348 --> 00:12:06,391
When efforts to communicate
with the plane failed,
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00:12:06,476 --> 00:12:09,102
both the local authorities
and several branches
241
00:12:09,187 --> 00:12:11,229
of the united states military
242
00:12:11,314 --> 00:12:14,983
launched a massive, coordinated
search for the missing cessna
243
00:12:15,068 --> 00:12:17,402
and the two congressmen aboard.
244
00:12:18,947 --> 00:12:21,906
Throughout the search, there was
30 to 40 aircraft involved
245
00:12:21,950 --> 00:12:24,576
every single day,
and those included assets
246
00:12:24,619 --> 00:12:28,580
from the u.S. Air force,
the u.S. Army, civil air patrol.
247
00:12:28,665 --> 00:12:31,750
And there was a sea search
that was conducted by ships
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00:12:31,835 --> 00:12:35,086
from the u.S. Coast guard
as well.
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00:12:36,590 --> 00:12:39,507
Shatner:
After 39 days of searching,
250
00:12:39,593 --> 00:12:43,261
authorities announced that
the plane could not found.
251
00:12:43,346 --> 00:12:46,181
All flight members
were declared dead.
252
00:12:46,266 --> 00:12:50,018
What started as
an adventurous aerial tour
253
00:12:50,103 --> 00:12:53,104
of the alaskan wilderness
in a small plane
254
00:12:53,148 --> 00:12:55,231
while on the way to juneau
255
00:12:55,317 --> 00:12:58,359
somehow went horribly wrong.
256
00:12:59,738 --> 00:13:02,697
Begich:
My dad was a totally
energetic person.
257
00:13:02,783 --> 00:13:05,241
He was 40 years old
when he was lost.
258
00:13:05,327 --> 00:13:08,995
You never think someone's
going to die at-at that age
259
00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:12,665
and in the circumstances, uh,
that this happened.
260
00:13:12,751 --> 00:13:15,251
Shatner:
On the day of the flight,
the weather was reported
261
00:13:15,337 --> 00:13:19,923
"marginal," meaning that flying
conditions were less than ideal.
262
00:13:20,008 --> 00:13:22,801
But not everyone is convinced
that the weather is to blame,
263
00:13:22,886 --> 00:13:25,595
in part because no wreckage
of the crashed plane
264
00:13:25,680 --> 00:13:27,347
was ever found.
265
00:13:27,432 --> 00:13:29,265
And by all accounts,
266
00:13:29,351 --> 00:13:32,644
it should have been found.
267
00:13:32,729 --> 00:13:36,147
Liefer:
During the search,
every possible area was covered.
268
00:13:36,233 --> 00:13:39,484
They said there was
a 97% probability
269
00:13:39,569 --> 00:13:42,487
it would have been found.
Nothing was ever found.
270
00:13:43,949 --> 00:13:46,866
Begich:
They did this massive search
on every level
271
00:13:46,952 --> 00:13:50,203
to come up with
absolutely nothing.
272
00:13:50,288 --> 00:13:52,413
And that was it at the time.
273
00:13:52,499 --> 00:13:55,416
That was all we knew
at the time. The search ended.
274
00:13:57,087 --> 00:13:59,712
Shatner:
The families of the two
congressmen had no choice
275
00:13:59,798 --> 00:14:03,383
but to accept
that both men had died
276
00:14:03,468 --> 00:14:06,928
and that the full story
behind their disappearance
277
00:14:07,013 --> 00:14:08,680
might never be known.
278
00:14:08,765 --> 00:14:11,850
But then, two decades later,
279
00:14:11,935 --> 00:14:14,060
the family of congressman begich
280
00:14:14,145 --> 00:14:17,897
received some startling
new information.
281
00:14:17,983 --> 00:14:19,524
Begich:
Years later,
282
00:14:19,568 --> 00:14:21,776
a couple of boxes
of archives showed up
283
00:14:21,862 --> 00:14:23,945
on one of
my brother's doorsteps.
284
00:14:24,990 --> 00:14:27,991
And the files were from the fbi,
285
00:14:28,076 --> 00:14:31,327
and they said that people
had come into the fbi's office,
286
00:14:31,413 --> 00:14:33,079
they said they had
located the plane,
287
00:14:33,164 --> 00:14:34,539
and then said
there were two people
288
00:14:34,624 --> 00:14:36,082
still alive at the crash site.
289
00:14:36,167 --> 00:14:37,834
And so what the fbi had to do
290
00:14:37,919 --> 00:14:39,836
is verify
that the source was valid,
291
00:14:39,921 --> 00:14:43,047
that they really were who they
said they were, and they did.
292
00:14:44,217 --> 00:14:48,303
So you have an agency
confirming the authenticity
293
00:14:48,388 --> 00:14:51,389
of the people
that located the plane,
294
00:14:51,474 --> 00:14:54,142
and two people were
supposed to be alive then.
295
00:14:54,227 --> 00:14:56,728
And that was a shock
because we'd never heard this,
296
00:14:56,813 --> 00:14:59,814
and we had been in touch
with the fbi at the time.
297
00:14:59,900 --> 00:15:04,611
It was traumatic because you
had this unended open question
298
00:15:04,696 --> 00:15:06,988
that never received
a conclusion.
299
00:15:07,073 --> 00:15:09,657
When they were pursuing every
other thing and let us know
300
00:15:09,743 --> 00:15:12,118
about every other thing,
why not this?
301
00:15:12,203 --> 00:15:14,913
Shatner:
In the years since
the fbi documents revealed
302
00:15:14,998 --> 00:15:18,875
that their father may have
survived the initial crash,
303
00:15:18,919 --> 00:15:21,419
the begich family
has reexamined the case
304
00:15:21,504 --> 00:15:24,547
by requesting additional
documents and photographs
305
00:15:24,633 --> 00:15:26,716
related to the search
for the plane.
306
00:15:26,801 --> 00:15:30,303
But, on some occasions,
the government seems
307
00:15:30,388 --> 00:15:33,306
to have not fully cooperated
with their requests.
308
00:15:33,391 --> 00:15:36,309
For instance,
when they requested copies
309
00:15:36,394 --> 00:15:38,603
of aerial photographs
taken by the military
310
00:15:38,647 --> 00:15:42,690
sr-71 reconnaissance airplanes
that flew over the search area,
311
00:15:42,776 --> 00:15:45,735
they got an unexpected answer.
312
00:15:45,820 --> 00:15:49,781
When we asked for the records,
they told us there were none--
313
00:15:49,866 --> 00:15:53,660
that they had gotten rid of
all those sr-71 overflights,
314
00:15:53,745 --> 00:15:55,912
all of this material
was no longer available.
315
00:15:55,997 --> 00:15:57,538
Which is a lie.
316
00:15:57,624 --> 00:16:00,124
It's a lie because
the government never gets rid of
317
00:16:00,210 --> 00:16:01,751
those sr-71 overflights.
318
00:16:01,836 --> 00:16:03,878
They're too valuable,
they cost too much money,
319
00:16:03,964 --> 00:16:05,630
and they don't get rid of them.
320
00:16:05,715 --> 00:16:08,299
So, for some reason, they didn't
want us to have the data.
321
00:16:09,511 --> 00:16:11,344
Shatner:
Did the government
deliberately withhold
322
00:16:11,429 --> 00:16:14,597
aerial photographs
from the search for the plane?
323
00:16:14,683 --> 00:16:16,599
And, if so, were officials
324
00:16:16,685 --> 00:16:19,310
trying to cover up the
possibility that the pictures
325
00:16:19,396 --> 00:16:23,064
might reveal not only
where the plane crashed
326
00:16:23,149 --> 00:16:26,651
but also that two survivors
could have been rescued?
327
00:16:28,113 --> 00:16:30,488
I think all of the people
that engaged in the search
328
00:16:30,573 --> 00:16:32,991
sincerely looked at everything
329
00:16:33,076 --> 00:16:35,493
and continued
to follow up leads,
330
00:16:35,578 --> 00:16:39,622
but I question the honesty
of our government at that time.
331
00:16:39,708 --> 00:16:41,541
There was things
missing in this,
332
00:16:41,626 --> 00:16:44,544
and we don't have the truth
to this day, I'm sure.
333
00:16:44,629 --> 00:16:46,754
So it remains unresolved
334
00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:49,424
until, someday, uh, we can see
335
00:16:49,509 --> 00:16:51,759
the full body of-of the record.
336
00:16:53,054 --> 00:16:56,014
Shatner:
Nearly 50 years
after the disappearance
337
00:16:56,099 --> 00:16:59,308
of congressmen hale boggs
and nick begich,
338
00:16:59,394 --> 00:17:02,311
the questions and possibilities
339
00:17:02,355 --> 00:17:04,147
seem endless.
340
00:17:04,232 --> 00:17:07,525
While there are many theories
as to what took place,
341
00:17:07,610 --> 00:17:10,069
the truth about
what happened to these two men
342
00:17:10,155 --> 00:17:11,738
remains unknown.
343
00:17:12,741 --> 00:17:15,700
Just like the fate
of another figure who,
344
00:17:15,744 --> 00:17:18,369
after taking
an adventurous risk,
345
00:17:18,413 --> 00:17:19,996
never returned.
346
00:17:20,081 --> 00:17:23,207
An explorer who was
so bold, so daring,
347
00:17:23,293 --> 00:17:26,044
that he may have gotten lost
348
00:17:26,087 --> 00:17:28,379
because he didn't
want to be found.
349
00:17:39,267 --> 00:17:42,060
Shatner:
Three englishmen, accompanied
by two brazilian locals,
350
00:17:42,145 --> 00:17:44,937
make their way
through the dense foliage.
351
00:17:45,982 --> 00:17:48,691
The men are searching
for an ancient lost city
352
00:17:48,777 --> 00:17:50,693
that has been rumored
to be hidden deep
353
00:17:50,779 --> 00:17:52,195
within the rain forest.
354
00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:54,363
The leader of their quest
355
00:17:54,449 --> 00:17:57,700
is an ambitious explorer
who feels that he is on the cusp
356
00:17:57,786 --> 00:18:00,286
of a remarkable discovery.
357
00:18:00,371 --> 00:18:02,205
Colonel percy fawcett.
358
00:18:02,290 --> 00:18:05,291
Colonel percy fawcett
is a very interesting
359
00:18:05,376 --> 00:18:06,876
historical character.
360
00:18:06,961 --> 00:18:09,378
He was a geographer,
an explorer,
361
00:18:09,422 --> 00:18:12,423
a member of
the world geographic society,
362
00:18:12,467 --> 00:18:15,093
and also a military man
for most of his career.
363
00:18:15,178 --> 00:18:17,553
So a very capable individual,
364
00:18:17,639 --> 00:18:20,765
and he was responsible
for exploring and mapping
365
00:18:20,809 --> 00:18:24,769
a lot of the unknown regions
of south america.
366
00:18:24,813 --> 00:18:26,938
So, uh, colonel fawcett
makes an interesting
367
00:18:27,023 --> 00:18:28,773
and rather dashing figure.
368
00:18:30,151 --> 00:18:33,236
Shatner:
After decades spent trekking
through south america,
369
00:18:33,321 --> 00:18:37,323
fawcett became convinced
that a massive civilization
370
00:18:37,408 --> 00:18:42,120
had once existed somewhere
in the amazon jungle.
371
00:18:42,205 --> 00:18:45,498
Deyermenjian: Fawcett came upon
this particular manuscript
372
00:18:45,583 --> 00:18:49,794
that was supposed to have been
written by um bandeirante,
373
00:18:49,838 --> 00:18:52,463
a portuguese fortune seeker
374
00:18:52,507 --> 00:18:54,799
back in the 1700s.
375
00:18:56,261 --> 00:18:58,886
And it looks to be describing
376
00:18:58,972 --> 00:19:00,930
a particular city there
377
00:19:00,974 --> 00:19:03,099
in the brazilian amazon.
378
00:19:03,184 --> 00:19:06,269
Lynne mcneill:
That manuscript describes
379
00:19:06,312 --> 00:19:09,689
not just a lost city of ruins
380
00:19:09,774 --> 00:19:13,484
but a lost city
of epic proportions.
381
00:19:14,612 --> 00:19:17,405
A lost city of riches,
a city of gold,
382
00:19:17,490 --> 00:19:21,117
and architectural marvels,
technologically developed,
383
00:19:21,202 --> 00:19:24,912
things that you would
absolutely not expect to find
384
00:19:24,998 --> 00:19:27,498
in the middle
of the south american jungle.
385
00:19:28,626 --> 00:19:31,043
Shatner:
In time, fawcett's fascination
386
00:19:31,129 --> 00:19:35,006
with a lost city in the amazon
turned to obsession.
387
00:19:36,426 --> 00:19:40,303
He even came up with a name for
the place he was searching for.
388
00:19:40,346 --> 00:19:43,848
He called it
"the lost city of z."
389
00:19:44,893 --> 00:19:48,186
armed with clues
from the portuguese manuscript,
390
00:19:48,229 --> 00:19:51,022
he plunged into
the wilderness once more,
391
00:19:51,107 --> 00:19:54,150
determined to solve the mystery.
392
00:19:55,111 --> 00:19:58,196
His companions were his son jack
393
00:19:58,239 --> 00:20:01,157
and his son's friend
raleigh rimmel.
394
00:20:01,242 --> 00:20:03,743
The geographical challenges
along the routes
395
00:20:03,828 --> 00:20:07,205
that fawcett
and his party would face
396
00:20:07,248 --> 00:20:11,250
included things like rivers
that were extremely swift
397
00:20:11,336 --> 00:20:14,378
that one could easily have their
feet knocked from under them,
398
00:20:14,464 --> 00:20:16,589
and there would have been
piranha as well
399
00:20:16,674 --> 00:20:18,758
in these areas of brazil.
400
00:20:18,843 --> 00:20:21,886
And the swamps, the marshes,
401
00:20:21,930 --> 00:20:26,057
were particularly virulent
as far as disease, insects
402
00:20:26,142 --> 00:20:28,392
and geographical difficulties.
403
00:20:29,896 --> 00:20:33,397
Shatner:
As fawcett moved deeper
into the heart of the amazon,
404
00:20:33,441 --> 00:20:35,024
he wrote about his progress
405
00:20:35,068 --> 00:20:37,401
and gave his notes
to native guides
406
00:20:37,487 --> 00:20:39,737
who carried them
back to civilization.
407
00:20:39,781 --> 00:20:42,740
The newspapers eagerly
published the details
408
00:20:42,784 --> 00:20:45,785
of his latest exploits,
portraying the explorer
409
00:20:45,870 --> 00:20:50,248
as an international hero
on the verge of making history.
410
00:20:50,333 --> 00:20:53,793
Deyermenjian:
Colonel fawcett was
a world-known celebrity.
411
00:20:53,878 --> 00:20:56,504
His exploits were
followed in the press
412
00:20:56,589 --> 00:20:59,215
and, uh, were quite popular
and quite well known.
413
00:21:01,928 --> 00:21:04,595
We know what we know
of colonel percy fawcett
414
00:21:04,681 --> 00:21:07,390
largely from his own writings,
415
00:21:07,475 --> 00:21:11,102
stories about
encounters that he had
416
00:21:11,187 --> 00:21:14,355
with native peoples in brazil,
417
00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:18,109
stories of having arrows
drawn on him threateningly.
418
00:21:18,194 --> 00:21:22,488
He tells the story
of a 62-foot anaconda
419
00:21:22,573 --> 00:21:25,616
that he shot
in the spine and killed
420
00:21:25,660 --> 00:21:29,620
as he was canoeing through
the waters down the amazon.
421
00:21:31,624 --> 00:21:35,293
Layne: He writes a letter
to his wife and says,
422
00:21:35,378 --> 00:21:37,128
"there's no fear of failure."
423
00:21:37,213 --> 00:21:40,131
he apparently thinks
he's right on top of it,
424
00:21:40,174 --> 00:21:42,258
that he's going to find it,
425
00:21:42,343 --> 00:21:44,677
this lost city,
426
00:21:44,762 --> 00:21:46,304
and then he vanishes.
427
00:21:47,807 --> 00:21:50,141
Shatner:
Six weeks after
the expedition started,
428
00:21:50,226 --> 00:21:52,601
fawcett's letters
stopped coming,
429
00:21:52,645 --> 00:21:55,104
and people around the world
began to fear
430
00:21:55,189 --> 00:21:58,232
that something terrible
had happened to the explorer
431
00:21:58,318 --> 00:22:00,484
and his team.
432
00:22:00,528 --> 00:22:04,030
After weeks, months
and eventually years of waiting
433
00:22:04,115 --> 00:22:06,365
with no word from him,
434
00:22:06,451 --> 00:22:09,327
it became clear that
colonel percy fawcett,
435
00:22:09,370 --> 00:22:12,663
his son jack,
and friend raleigh rimmel
436
00:22:12,749 --> 00:22:15,458
would never return
from the jungle.
437
00:22:18,254 --> 00:22:20,880
Tok thompson:
There was a great interest
in what could have happened.
438
00:22:20,965 --> 00:22:22,882
Some people thought
he might have been murdered
439
00:22:22,967 --> 00:22:25,176
by the local indigenous groups.
440
00:22:25,261 --> 00:22:27,511
Other people thought that
maybe some, uh, bandits
441
00:22:27,597 --> 00:22:30,264
that were operating in this
area, uh, might have killed him.
442
00:22:30,350 --> 00:22:33,017
Some people even said that,
look, maybe he found it.
443
00:22:33,061 --> 00:22:35,394
Maybe he found
his lost city of z
444
00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:38,189
and just decided to stay there
the rest of his life.
445
00:22:39,275 --> 00:22:41,776
Shatner:
The lost city of z
446
00:22:41,861 --> 00:22:43,652
found at last?
447
00:22:43,696 --> 00:22:46,655
Is it possible
that fawcett's dream
448
00:22:46,741 --> 00:22:48,991
actually became a reality?
449
00:22:49,077 --> 00:22:52,161
Brian fawcett,
uh, his youngest son,
450
00:22:52,246 --> 00:22:55,331
reported that
there's a distinct possibility
451
00:22:55,416 --> 00:22:59,085
that percy fawcett
did not intend to return.
452
00:22:59,170 --> 00:23:01,295
That, for him,
if he did find it,
453
00:23:01,381 --> 00:23:05,007
it being the capstone
to what he was looking for,
454
00:23:05,093 --> 00:23:07,009
he might not have intended
455
00:23:07,095 --> 00:23:09,720
to ever leave the jungle.
456
00:23:09,806 --> 00:23:12,348
Layne:
If you have dedicated
your life now
457
00:23:12,433 --> 00:23:16,852
to finding this lost city
of treasure and gold,
458
00:23:16,938 --> 00:23:19,438
and you actually find it,
459
00:23:19,524 --> 00:23:22,900
maybe you don't want to reveal
it to the rest of the world.
460
00:23:22,944 --> 00:23:26,237
Maybe it's perfection,
it's paradise,
461
00:23:26,322 --> 00:23:29,198
maybe you can
make the choice to stay.
462
00:23:32,578 --> 00:23:35,371
Was the treacherous jungle,
463
00:23:35,456 --> 00:23:37,540
insufferable heat
464
00:23:37,625 --> 00:23:39,834
and a face-off
with a giant anaconda
465
00:23:39,919 --> 00:23:43,921
all too much for colonel
percy fawcett and his team?
466
00:23:43,965 --> 00:23:47,425
Or, as some people suggest,
467
00:23:47,510 --> 00:23:50,302
did fawcett make
such an incredible
468
00:23:50,388 --> 00:23:52,930
archaeological discovery
469
00:23:53,015 --> 00:23:56,183
that he chose to never leave it?
470
00:23:56,269 --> 00:23:59,478
Perhaps further clues about
the nature of obsessions
471
00:23:59,564 --> 00:24:02,106
and their consequences
472
00:24:02,150 --> 00:24:04,608
can be found by examining
the life of an author
473
00:24:04,652 --> 00:24:07,987
who helped to pioneer
the science fiction genre
474
00:24:08,072 --> 00:24:10,614
and whose greatest story
may have been...
475
00:24:12,034 --> 00:24:13,951
...His own disappearance.
476
00:24:23,463 --> 00:24:25,588
Shatner:
While serving in the union army,
477
00:24:25,631 --> 00:24:28,799
22-year-old
lieutenant ambrose bierce
478
00:24:28,885 --> 00:24:31,469
is shot in the head by a sniper.
479
00:24:33,389 --> 00:24:36,140
The bullet goes
into his left temple
480
00:24:36,184 --> 00:24:39,101
and lodges behind his left ear.
481
00:24:39,145 --> 00:24:41,812
And it's too deep, at that time,
482
00:24:41,898 --> 00:24:44,857
for them to do some kind
of operation to remove.
483
00:24:44,942 --> 00:24:48,110
So he lives the rest of his life
484
00:24:48,196 --> 00:24:50,654
with a bullet in his head.
485
00:24:50,740 --> 00:24:53,532
Layne:
Some of the people
who knew bierce say that
486
00:24:53,618 --> 00:24:58,162
this brain injury
caused him to become strange.
487
00:24:58,247 --> 00:25:02,500
It caused him to start seeing
the world in a more morbid way.
488
00:25:02,585 --> 00:25:06,295
And after his experience
in the civil war,
489
00:25:06,380 --> 00:25:09,840
he wrote
very memorable short stories
490
00:25:09,926 --> 00:25:12,676
that were filled
with the supernatural.
491
00:25:13,721 --> 00:25:15,429
Shatner:
Ambrose bierce is best known
492
00:25:15,515 --> 00:25:17,681
for writing short stories
that involve
493
00:25:17,725 --> 00:25:21,352
paranormal incidents
and strange disappearances.
494
00:25:21,395 --> 00:25:23,312
One intriguing story
495
00:25:23,397 --> 00:25:27,900
that he wrote for the
san francisco examiner in 1888
496
00:25:27,985 --> 00:25:31,529
was titled "the difficulty
of crossing a field."
497
00:25:33,783 --> 00:25:35,824
hawkes:
"the difficulty
of crossing a field"
498
00:25:35,910 --> 00:25:37,868
was about an alabama farmer
who one day
499
00:25:37,954 --> 00:25:40,037
was taking a walk
across the field...
500
00:25:41,707 --> 00:25:43,374
...When he just disappeared.
501
00:25:43,459 --> 00:25:45,209
He was gone.
502
00:25:45,294 --> 00:25:47,878
And years later, his wife
would say that she could hear
503
00:25:47,922 --> 00:25:49,547
his voice from time to time,
504
00:25:49,632 --> 00:25:51,924
but he wasn't there.
505
00:25:52,009 --> 00:25:55,177
In the story, ambrose bierce
was trying to show us
506
00:25:55,263 --> 00:25:58,013
that this man traveled
interdimensionally
507
00:25:58,099 --> 00:26:00,057
to another place.
508
00:26:00,101 --> 00:26:03,143
Shatner:
Bierce's stories hinted
at alternate worlds
509
00:26:03,229 --> 00:26:05,396
and parallel dimensions
510
00:26:05,481 --> 00:26:08,065
and helped to pioneer
the science fiction genre.
511
00:26:08,150 --> 00:26:11,902
But in December of 1913,
bierce, who by then
512
00:26:11,988 --> 00:26:15,114
was one of america's most
prominent literary figures,
513
00:26:15,199 --> 00:26:17,241
left the country.
514
00:26:19,787 --> 00:26:21,996
He headed south of the border
515
00:26:22,081 --> 00:26:24,957
because he wanted to witness
the mexican revolution
516
00:26:25,042 --> 00:26:26,709
taking place at the time.
517
00:26:26,794 --> 00:26:29,545
Layne:
He's 71 years old
518
00:26:29,630 --> 00:26:31,714
when he crosses the border
519
00:26:31,757 --> 00:26:34,592
to supposedly join pancho villa,
520
00:26:34,677 --> 00:26:38,178
the great
revolutionary of mexico.
521
00:26:38,264 --> 00:26:40,806
He writes
one letter in particular
522
00:26:40,891 --> 00:26:43,809
to his niece laura, and he says,
523
00:26:43,894 --> 00:26:47,438
"goodbye. If you hear
of my being stood up
524
00:26:47,523 --> 00:26:51,275
against a mexican stone wall
and shot to rags..."
525
00:26:51,319 --> 00:26:53,360
-man: Fire!
-(gunshots)
526
00:26:53,446 --> 00:26:56,071
"...Please know that I think
it's a pretty good way
527
00:26:56,115 --> 00:26:59,325
"to depart this life.
528
00:26:59,410 --> 00:27:02,286
Affectionately yours, ambrose."
529
00:27:03,372 --> 00:27:05,956
shatner:
While in the city of juárez,
530
00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:09,668
bierce joined pancho villa's
army as an observer.
531
00:27:09,754 --> 00:27:11,920
He then followed the army south
532
00:27:11,964 --> 00:27:14,131
as far as the city of chihuahua.
533
00:27:14,216 --> 00:27:16,967
On December 26, 1913,
534
00:27:17,053 --> 00:27:19,011
bierce sent
a letter to a friend,
535
00:27:19,096 --> 00:27:21,180
which he ended cryptically
by saying:
536
00:27:21,265 --> 00:27:24,308
"as for me, I leave tomorrow
537
00:27:24,352 --> 00:27:26,810
for an unknown destination."
538
00:27:29,899 --> 00:27:33,442
the eccentric author
was never heard from again.
539
00:27:33,486 --> 00:27:36,236
After writing about
people who disappear,
540
00:27:36,322 --> 00:27:38,906
bierce himself disappeared
541
00:27:38,991 --> 00:27:42,493
like a character
in one of his own stories.
542
00:27:44,163 --> 00:27:47,998
There are eyewitness reports
of ambrose bierce dying
543
00:27:48,084 --> 00:27:52,002
all over mexico
at different times
544
00:27:52,046 --> 00:27:54,546
separated by years.
545
00:27:54,632 --> 00:27:57,716
Mcneill:
We have a plethora
of different stories
546
00:27:57,802 --> 00:28:00,135
of people reporting
that he was executed,
547
00:28:00,221 --> 00:28:02,346
of people reporting that
he died of illness,
548
00:28:02,431 --> 00:28:05,015
of people reporting where
and when they last saw him
549
00:28:05,059 --> 00:28:06,392
and who he was with.
550
00:28:06,477 --> 00:28:10,187
All we know is that he was gone.
551
00:28:11,399 --> 00:28:13,315
Shatner:
Reports of bierce's death
552
00:28:13,401 --> 00:28:18,070
would continue to surface for
years after his disappearance.
553
00:28:18,155 --> 00:28:21,031
But for many, these stories
are not as convincing
554
00:28:21,075 --> 00:28:24,368
as the idea
that bierce traveled south
555
00:28:24,412 --> 00:28:26,662
not to join in a civil war
556
00:28:26,747 --> 00:28:30,499
but rather
to visit a remote location
557
00:28:30,584 --> 00:28:34,253
that had captured
his dark imagination.
558
00:28:34,338 --> 00:28:36,380
An area known as
559
00:28:36,465 --> 00:28:39,299
the zone of silence.
560
00:28:39,385 --> 00:28:43,721
One of the more popular theories
about his disappearance
561
00:28:43,764 --> 00:28:47,808
is that he follows pancho villa
into this mysterious area
562
00:28:47,893 --> 00:28:50,185
called the zone of silence,
which was locally known
563
00:28:50,271 --> 00:28:52,604
as a place where people vanish,
564
00:28:52,690 --> 00:28:55,232
where there are odd occurrences.
565
00:28:56,402 --> 00:28:59,236
Gander:
When bierce
takes that trip to mexico,
566
00:28:59,321 --> 00:29:01,989
if he wasn't killed
along the way,
567
00:29:02,074 --> 00:29:04,575
he would have passed through
the zona del silencio.
568
00:29:05,661 --> 00:29:08,912
The zona del silencio--
it's known as a place
569
00:29:08,956 --> 00:29:10,914
that's full of meteorites.
570
00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:14,543
There's a lot of magnetite
in the rock around,
571
00:29:14,628 --> 00:29:17,463
which people say
makes it certain
572
00:29:17,548 --> 00:29:20,674
that radio waves
don't travel out of there.
573
00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:23,427
The modern ranchers and
cattlemen that live in the area
574
00:29:23,471 --> 00:29:26,638
have lots of stories to tell
about strange lights in the sky,
575
00:29:26,724 --> 00:29:31,435
even strange encounters
with individuals in the desert,
576
00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:33,812
and it is indeed mysterious.
577
00:29:33,898 --> 00:29:35,981
Shatner:
Curiously, if you
trace the route
578
00:29:36,066 --> 00:29:38,609
that bierce traveled
with the mexican army,
579
00:29:38,694 --> 00:29:41,111
it appears that
he was headed directly
580
00:29:41,155 --> 00:29:44,156
for the center
of the zone of silence.
581
00:29:44,241 --> 00:29:48,118
But what was he hoping to find?
582
00:29:48,204 --> 00:29:50,954
Hawkes:
We don't really know
what happened to ambrose bierce.
583
00:29:50,998 --> 00:29:54,958
The theory is that bierce,
within the zone of silence,
584
00:29:55,002 --> 00:29:57,669
may have discovered or mastered
585
00:29:57,755 --> 00:29:59,838
supernatural methods
of traveling
586
00:29:59,924 --> 00:30:01,423
from one place to another
587
00:30:01,509 --> 00:30:05,135
and may have transported,
as in his stories,
588
00:30:05,221 --> 00:30:07,304
to an interdimensional space,
589
00:30:07,389 --> 00:30:10,432
never to be heard from again.
590
00:30:12,478 --> 00:30:15,145
Is ambrose bierce
591
00:30:15,231 --> 00:30:18,190
buried in some unmarked grave
south of the border?
592
00:30:18,275 --> 00:30:20,317
Or, perhaps more intriguingly,
593
00:30:20,402 --> 00:30:24,321
did ambrose bierce
even die at all?
594
00:30:25,616 --> 00:30:27,282
There are some who even suggest
595
00:30:27,326 --> 00:30:29,618
that he was
accidently transported
596
00:30:29,703 --> 00:30:31,787
into another dimension.
597
00:30:31,872 --> 00:30:33,789
Sounds preposterous, huh?
598
00:30:34,917 --> 00:30:38,627
Well, for those who are familiar
with the bermuda triangle,
599
00:30:38,712 --> 00:30:42,339
it's a question
that is not as crazy
600
00:30:42,383 --> 00:30:44,132
as it may seem.
601
00:30:54,770 --> 00:30:57,646
Shatner:
A squadron
of navy torpedo bombers,
602
00:30:57,690 --> 00:31:00,107
collectively known as flight 19,
603
00:31:00,192 --> 00:31:03,485
takes off for what is supposed
to be a routine training mission
604
00:31:03,529 --> 00:31:05,195
over the atlantic ocean.
605
00:31:08,075 --> 00:31:11,785
Liefer: It was five
u.S. Navy tbm patrol bombers
606
00:31:11,871 --> 00:31:14,162
that were flying on basically
607
00:31:14,248 --> 00:31:17,165
a, uh, practice
navigation mission.
608
00:31:18,252 --> 00:31:20,878
It was the last flight
609
00:31:20,963 --> 00:31:24,381
that was required by the cadets
before graduation.
610
00:31:25,551 --> 00:31:28,719
The flight leader said that
both of his compasses
611
00:31:28,762 --> 00:31:30,929
on board his aircraft
weren't operable.
612
00:31:31,015 --> 00:31:33,557
(alarm buzzing)
613
00:31:33,601 --> 00:31:37,060
well, the chances
of both compasses going bad
614
00:31:37,104 --> 00:31:39,563
at the same time
is just extremely remote.
615
00:31:39,607 --> 00:31:41,690
And there was also confusion
616
00:31:41,775 --> 00:31:45,235
between the flight leader
and the student pilots
617
00:31:45,279 --> 00:31:47,404
about which way
they should be going.
618
00:31:47,448 --> 00:31:51,158
Shatner:
All five planes experienced
equipment malfunctions,
619
00:31:51,243 --> 00:31:55,370
and then all five
disappeared from radar.
620
00:31:55,456 --> 00:31:57,706
Their last communication
consisted of
621
00:31:57,791 --> 00:32:01,084
nothing but eerie static.
622
00:32:03,589 --> 00:32:05,380
Kaku:
This is unprecedented.
623
00:32:05,466 --> 00:32:07,466
Navy crewmen in airplanes
624
00:32:07,551 --> 00:32:10,385
simply disappear
off the face of the earth.
625
00:32:10,471 --> 00:32:13,805
Now, of course, hundreds
of theories have been proposed.
626
00:32:13,891 --> 00:32:15,891
The most logical theory
is the weather.
627
00:32:15,935 --> 00:32:18,435
Perhaps there was
a sudden hurricane
628
00:32:18,479 --> 00:32:20,270
that came out of nowhere,
629
00:32:20,356 --> 00:32:22,439
and people got confused.
630
00:32:22,524 --> 00:32:25,692
And, as a consequence,
they dove right into the water.
631
00:32:26,820 --> 00:32:29,279
But the record
and the data is sparse,
632
00:32:29,365 --> 00:32:32,741
and that's because
our technology, our sensors,
633
00:32:32,785 --> 00:32:34,993
were very primitive back then.
634
00:32:35,079 --> 00:32:38,121
So there is a chance
that 100 years from now,
635
00:32:38,207 --> 00:32:40,791
we'll still be debating
what happened.
636
00:32:40,876 --> 00:32:43,251
Shatner:
The disappearance of flight 19
637
00:32:43,337 --> 00:32:45,921
is just one of the many
mysterious vanishings
638
00:32:46,006 --> 00:32:50,092
that have taken place in
that part of the atlantic ocean.
639
00:32:50,177 --> 00:32:53,470
An area that is now known as
640
00:32:53,555 --> 00:32:55,639
the bermuda triangle.
641
00:32:57,685 --> 00:33:00,602
Airplanes, boats and people
have just disappeared
642
00:33:00,688 --> 00:33:03,146
for as long as we've been
keeping records of travel
643
00:33:03,232 --> 00:33:04,439
through that area.
644
00:33:05,526 --> 00:33:08,151
And it's been
very much a mystery of:
645
00:33:08,237 --> 00:33:10,112
"is there something
special about it?"
646
00:33:10,197 --> 00:33:12,990
do the characteristics
of the bermuda triangle
647
00:33:13,033 --> 00:33:17,452
make it a unique or, uh,
individual body of water?
648
00:33:17,496 --> 00:33:19,162
In-in some ways, yes.
649
00:33:19,206 --> 00:33:21,123
You go from bermuda,
650
00:33:21,166 --> 00:33:25,002
1,000 miles southwest
to florida,
651
00:33:25,045 --> 00:33:28,505
you go about 1,000 miles
over to puerto rico,
652
00:33:28,549 --> 00:33:31,466
and then you go back 1,000 miles
north to bermuda.
653
00:33:31,552 --> 00:33:34,845
That is almost
a perfect isosceles triangle.
654
00:33:37,391 --> 00:33:39,057
Dennin:
The bermuda triangle area,
655
00:33:39,143 --> 00:33:41,268
because you're right near
the jet stream...
656
00:33:43,313 --> 00:33:46,356
...You do have extremes
of weather and ocean conditions.
657
00:33:49,695 --> 00:33:51,403
All of these will interact
658
00:33:51,488 --> 00:33:53,363
with the electromagnetic
field of the earth.
659
00:33:54,783 --> 00:33:57,242
And so it's
definitely a possibility
660
00:33:57,327 --> 00:34:01,371
that you have
some sort of magnetic anomaly.
661
00:34:01,457 --> 00:34:05,083
When you think about
possible reasons that people
662
00:34:05,169 --> 00:34:07,669
have weird experiences
in the bermuda triangle,
663
00:34:07,713 --> 00:34:09,838
that could be a potential cause.
664
00:34:10,924 --> 00:34:14,593
Shatner:
When flight 19
disappeared in 1945,
665
00:34:14,678 --> 00:34:16,178
there were many theories,
666
00:34:16,263 --> 00:34:18,388
but none of them
could completely explain
667
00:34:18,474 --> 00:34:21,683
the strange incidents
that continued to occur
668
00:34:21,727 --> 00:34:23,685
in this mysterious area.
669
00:34:25,481 --> 00:34:28,023
Then, in 1970,
670
00:34:28,108 --> 00:34:31,485
a young aviator happened to fly
through the bermuda triangle
671
00:34:31,570 --> 00:34:34,446
and had no choice
672
00:34:34,531 --> 00:34:37,240
but to face
the forces that exist there.
673
00:34:37,326 --> 00:34:41,578
But this time, the pilot
lived to tell the tale.
674
00:34:46,085 --> 00:34:49,669
Pilot bruce gernon
is flying his small plane
675
00:34:49,755 --> 00:34:51,922
100 miles
off the coast of miami.
676
00:34:52,966 --> 00:34:55,884
I've made
several hundred flights
677
00:34:55,969 --> 00:34:58,929
flying in the area
of the bermuda triangle.
678
00:34:59,973 --> 00:35:02,599
But this time,
I found myself surrounded
679
00:35:02,684 --> 00:35:04,434
by this strange storm.
680
00:35:06,563 --> 00:35:09,689
There was only one exit
that I could find,
681
00:35:09,775 --> 00:35:12,150
and I call it a tunnel vortex
682
00:35:12,236 --> 00:35:15,403
because these small
puffs of clouds formed
683
00:35:15,489 --> 00:35:17,489
around the walls of the tunnel,
684
00:35:17,574 --> 00:35:20,283
and it was rotating
slowly counterclockwise,
685
00:35:20,369 --> 00:35:25,205
and it was probably
700 feet wide when I entered it.
686
00:35:28,335 --> 00:35:31,711
I didn't want to do it, because
I've been taught not to fly
687
00:35:31,797 --> 00:35:35,423
through horizontal tunnels
between storms.
688
00:35:35,509 --> 00:35:38,468
But it was so critical
that I decided
689
00:35:38,554 --> 00:35:41,471
that I would go ahead and do it.
690
00:35:42,599 --> 00:35:44,683
Shatner:
Bruce experienced
some terrifying moments,
691
00:35:44,768 --> 00:35:47,310
but, fortunately,
he was able to make it
692
00:35:47,396 --> 00:35:49,479
out of the tunnel alive.
693
00:35:51,608 --> 00:35:54,276
But when he looked
at his flight readings,
694
00:35:54,361 --> 00:35:56,987
he realized that his escape
695
00:35:57,030 --> 00:36:00,073
was even more incredible
than he thought.
696
00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:03,160
Gernon:
When I entered
the tunnel vortex,
697
00:36:03,245 --> 00:36:06,913
my navigational instruments said
that I was 100 miles
698
00:36:06,999 --> 00:36:08,915
east of miami.
699
00:36:10,043 --> 00:36:13,837
I was in the tunnel for
three minutes and 20 seconds.
700
00:36:13,922 --> 00:36:15,922
And when I reached
the other end,
701
00:36:16,008 --> 00:36:19,134
I ended up
right over miami beach.
702
00:36:19,219 --> 00:36:23,471
So it only took
three minutes and 20 seconds
703
00:36:23,557 --> 00:36:25,473
to fly 100 miles.
704
00:36:25,517 --> 00:36:28,685
So I realized,
right at that point,
705
00:36:28,729 --> 00:36:31,271
that something unexplainable
had just happened.
706
00:36:31,356 --> 00:36:33,523
Shatner:
100 miles?
707
00:36:33,609 --> 00:36:35,901
In only three minutes
and 20 seconds?
708
00:36:35,986 --> 00:36:38,195
Bruce's plane would have
to have been traveling
709
00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:40,488
1,800 miles per hour
710
00:36:40,532 --> 00:36:43,408
to cross that distance
in such a short amount of time,
711
00:36:43,493 --> 00:36:45,118
a speed that his small plane
712
00:36:45,204 --> 00:36:48,288
was not even remotely
capable of.
713
00:36:48,373 --> 00:36:51,958
Does bruce's flight suggest
that the disappearances
714
00:36:52,044 --> 00:36:54,294
that take place within
the bermuda triangle
715
00:36:54,379 --> 00:36:59,382
are the result of time
and space being somehow altered?
716
00:36:59,468 --> 00:37:03,762
I believe that flight 19
experienced the same type
717
00:37:03,847 --> 00:37:07,015
of phenomenon
of the tunnel vortex
718
00:37:07,100 --> 00:37:08,850
that I experienced.
719
00:37:08,894 --> 00:37:11,061
They didn't know their position,
720
00:37:11,104 --> 00:37:12,938
and so you get totally confused
721
00:37:13,023 --> 00:37:17,484
and end up in a graveyard spiral
and crash into the sea.
722
00:37:17,569 --> 00:37:21,404
I was just fortunate
because I didn't get confused.
723
00:37:22,950 --> 00:37:25,700
If someone doesn't believe
what I experienced,
724
00:37:25,744 --> 00:37:27,327
I like to say to them
725
00:37:27,412 --> 00:37:29,829
the only way to discover
726
00:37:29,915 --> 00:37:32,249
the limits of the possible
727
00:37:32,334 --> 00:37:35,835
is to go beyond them
into the impossible.
728
00:37:35,921 --> 00:37:37,420
And that's what I did.
729
00:37:38,924 --> 00:37:40,715
Shatner:
Are the strange occurrences
730
00:37:40,801 --> 00:37:42,842
that take place
within the bermuda triangle
731
00:37:42,928 --> 00:37:46,096
proof that we don't
understand our planet
732
00:37:46,139 --> 00:37:48,056
as well as we think?
733
00:37:48,141 --> 00:37:50,183
It's an intriguing possibility.
734
00:37:50,269 --> 00:37:53,937
But if there are
locations on earth
735
00:37:54,022 --> 00:37:56,982
that cause bizarre vanishings,
736
00:37:57,067 --> 00:37:59,901
should we try
to investigate those places?
737
00:37:59,945 --> 00:38:03,780
Or are we better off
avoiding them
738
00:38:03,865 --> 00:38:13,790
at all costs?
739
00:38:13,875 --> 00:38:16,084
Shatner:
Photographer charles mccullar
740
00:38:16,169 --> 00:38:19,796
hikes around the rim of
this picturesque body of water.
741
00:38:20,966 --> 00:38:24,551
But what starts out as
a simple walk through nature...
742
00:38:24,636 --> 00:38:27,220
Quickly turns tragic.
743
00:38:28,682 --> 00:38:31,266
Erato:
Charles planned a two-day
excursion to crater lake
744
00:38:31,351 --> 00:38:33,351
to snap winter photography.
745
00:38:33,437 --> 00:38:35,937
But he trudged out
through the park entrance
746
00:38:36,023 --> 00:38:37,564
and was never seen again.
747
00:38:38,859 --> 00:38:42,819
Shatner:
Authorities tried for months
to find charles with no luck.
748
00:38:42,904 --> 00:38:44,779
It wasn't until
nearly two years later
749
00:38:44,823 --> 00:38:46,948
that they got
a break in the case
750
00:38:47,034 --> 00:38:50,827
when his body was found
in a remote part of the park.
751
00:38:53,206 --> 00:38:55,623
The most baffling aspect
of the charles mccullar case,
752
00:38:55,709 --> 00:38:58,084
besides the way that
the remains were found,
753
00:38:58,170 --> 00:39:00,170
was where
the remains were found.
754
00:39:00,213 --> 00:39:03,256
It's about 14 miles
from the park entrance,
755
00:39:03,342 --> 00:39:05,550
so he would have
had to trudge over
756
00:39:05,635 --> 00:39:07,427
105 inches of new snow,
757
00:39:07,512 --> 00:39:10,513
with some areas
having 20-foot snowdrifts,
758
00:39:10,557 --> 00:39:13,683
14 miles
to a remote part of the park.
759
00:39:13,769 --> 00:39:16,770
So how did charles
get that far into the park?
760
00:39:18,231 --> 00:39:22,400
Layne:
The weird part that
lingers with his story is:
761
00:39:22,486 --> 00:39:27,113
How did his human remains
end up so far away
762
00:39:27,199 --> 00:39:31,159
from where he was,
and why were they found
763
00:39:31,244 --> 00:39:34,662
so long after the fact
of his disappearance?
764
00:39:34,748 --> 00:39:36,998
Search teams
had been looking for him
765
00:39:37,042 --> 00:39:38,875
from the week he disappeared.
766
00:39:40,420 --> 00:39:44,047
Shatner:
The idea that someone
could hike 14 miles
767
00:39:44,132 --> 00:39:46,007
in eight feet of snow
768
00:39:46,093 --> 00:39:48,218
is a little hard to imagine.
769
00:39:49,429 --> 00:39:52,180
But, on the other hand,
crater lake has been the site
770
00:39:52,224 --> 00:39:57,227
of similarly inexplicable
occurrences for centuries.
771
00:39:58,271 --> 00:39:59,813
Erato:
Crater lake is a hotbed
772
00:39:59,898 --> 00:40:01,898
for stories
about paranormal activity
773
00:40:01,983 --> 00:40:04,901
and just
supernatural occurrences.
774
00:40:04,986 --> 00:40:07,404
There are stories
of people vanishing,
775
00:40:07,489 --> 00:40:10,532
and it ties back
to local native tribes
776
00:40:10,617 --> 00:40:13,535
that have lived in the area
thinking that it was
777
00:40:13,620 --> 00:40:16,538
basically the location for
the devil on the planet earth.
778
00:40:17,791 --> 00:40:20,625
Shatner:
Is it possible
for a place like crater lake
779
00:40:20,710 --> 00:40:24,212
to be imbued
with some kind of dark power?
780
00:40:26,800 --> 00:40:29,175
The native people of that area
781
00:40:29,261 --> 00:40:31,636
had a largely sacred
understanding
782
00:40:31,721 --> 00:40:33,555
of that particular
body of water.
783
00:40:33,640 --> 00:40:37,434
And when we have a place,
a geographic location,
784
00:40:37,519 --> 00:40:40,395
that's recognized as powerful,
785
00:40:40,480 --> 00:40:45,775
when individuals approach
that area, unknowing--
786
00:40:45,819 --> 00:40:48,278
or disrespectful,
perhaps, even--
787
00:40:48,363 --> 00:40:50,447
of the power that's there,
788
00:40:50,532 --> 00:40:53,283
the story never ends well.
789
00:40:54,453 --> 00:40:56,619
Erato:
When someone vanishes
in the wilderness,
790
00:40:56,705 --> 00:40:59,164
we have a lot of modern-day
technology that's used
791
00:40:59,249 --> 00:41:01,040
in the recovery
to go find people,
792
00:41:01,126 --> 00:41:02,750
and it works most of the time,
793
00:41:02,836 --> 00:41:04,961
but what drives
public fascination about
794
00:41:05,046 --> 00:41:08,006
a lot of these mysteries
are the vanishings
795
00:41:08,091 --> 00:41:10,467
where none of that technology
seems to work.
796
00:41:10,552 --> 00:41:13,428
We have all this stuff
at our disposal,
797
00:41:13,472 --> 00:41:15,180
and it turns up nothing.
798
00:41:15,265 --> 00:41:17,432
And nobody can explain why.
799
00:41:20,770 --> 00:41:24,481
So what do you think about
these bizarre vanishings?
800
00:41:24,566 --> 00:41:27,484
Could they all be the result
of tragic accidents?
801
00:41:27,527 --> 00:41:29,110
Foul play?
802
00:41:29,196 --> 00:41:34,199
Or might extra-dimensional
forces be at work?
803
00:41:34,284 --> 00:41:36,618
Well, in any case,
it's safe to say that
804
00:41:36,703 --> 00:41:39,704
these mysterious disappearances
805
00:41:39,789 --> 00:41:42,916
force us to challenge
our preconceived notions
806
00:41:43,001 --> 00:41:46,461
about what we believe is fact,
807
00:41:46,546 --> 00:41:48,838
what we believe is fiction
808
00:41:48,924 --> 00:41:53,176
and what we're willing
to accept as being simply...
809
00:41:53,261 --> 00:41:55,094
Unexplained.
810
00:41:55,180 --> 00:41:57,430
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