On December 5, 1945, five TBM Avenger torpedo bombers departed Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on a routine navigation exercise known as "Navigation Problem No. 1." The flight was led by Lt. Charles C. Taylor, an experienced naval aviator with approximately 2,500 flight hours. The mission involved a bombing practice run followed by a triangular navigation course over the Bahamas before returning to Florida.

The first phase of the exercise proceeded normally. Problems began during the navigation portion of the flight when Taylor reported difficulty determining his location. Radio transmissions intercepted by naval personnel indicate that he believed his compasses were malfunctioning and that he was lost. As the afternoon progressed, communications became increasingly confused, with pilots discussing uncertain positions and struggling to determine which direction would lead them back to Florida.

As fuel reserves diminished, naval stations attempted to guide the aircraft home through radio instructions and direction-finding efforts. Weather conditions also worsened as evening approached. The final transmissions suggest the aviators remained uncertain of their position and were preparing for the possibility of ditching at sea. Radio contact was subsequently lost.

A Martin PBM Mariner flying boat carrying 13 crew members was launched on a search-and-rescue mission. Shortly after departure, that aircraft also disappeared. Contemporary reports and later investigations suggested the PBM may have suffered an in-flight explosion, a hazard occasionally associated with the aircraft type. No confirmed wreckage of the search plane was recovered.

The U.S. Navy conducted an extensive investigation. Evidence reviewed by investigators suggested that Taylor may have mistaken Bahamian islands for the Florida Keys, causing the formation to fly farther into the Atlantic rather than toward the mainland. The Navy's findings were ultimately amended to list the cause as "unknown."

Folklore and Legacy

For nearly two decades, Flight 19 remained primarily a military aviation mystery. During the 1960s and 1970s, writers exploring unusual disappearances in the western Atlantic increasingly incorporated the case into what became known as the Bermuda Triangle. As the legend grew, Flight 19 evolved into the most frequently cited aviation disappearance associated with the region.

Many later accounts incorporated speculation involving magnetic anomalies, extraterrestrials, time distortions, Atlantis, and other paranormal explanations. No evidence supporting such claims was found during the original Navy investigation. Nevertheless, the absence of recovered aircraft and the disappearance of both the training flight and search plane ensured the case remained a staple of aviation mystery literature and paranormal folklore.