Her next destination, and the most dangerous stop of the trip, was Howland Island, a tiny island in the Pacific ocean,2,556 ( 4,113 Kilometers ) away. Before she took off from Lae on July 1st ,there was confusion about which radio frequencies were to be used, which remained unresolved before she took off. As the scheduled time for her to approach the island neared, several transmissions were received form her, demanding to know the weather. A new weather report describing heavy clouds and rain northwest of Howland had been issued, and she had apparently run in to the storm. She transmitted several more times but never reached her destination, disappearing somewhere off the coast of the island. A large search party was quickly organized, but no remains of the crew and plane were ever found.
There are many theories surrounding the controversial disappearance of the plane on July 2nd 1937.The most commonly accepted theory is that the fliers got lost, ran out of gas, and went down somewhere in the pacific Ocean. However, as far as war between the United States and Japan was imminent, there were rumors that she had been on a spy mission for the U.S. and was supposed to photograph Japanese military installations. This theory says that she crash-landed and was captured by the Japanese, who imprisoned or executed her. A third theory was that her disappearance was staged to allow the U.S. Navy to conduct a search in the south Pacific.
Although only 39 when she disappeared, she accomplished a great deal and is considered a true hero of the 20th century, especially for women. She demonstrated courage, integrity , and an Independent spirit. She used her fame to advance the cause of women and showed that a determined women can achieve anything. Her efforts led a generation of women to seek new horizons and new roles for themselves.
