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| Wreckage may solve Amy Johnson mystery | |
| (7 months later) | |
| Steven Morris | |
| Mon 20 Oct 2003 02.25 BST | |
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| But a team of divers believes it may now have found the wreckage and is hoping to lift it from the seabed in the summer. | But a team of divers believes it may now have found the wreckage and is hoping to lift it from the seabed in the summer. |
| The divers are reluctant to speak about the find but the Guardian has learned that the team has informed the receiver of wreck, the official body which processes such reports, that it knows the location of the remains. | The divers are reluctant to speak about the find but the Guardian has learned that the team has informed the receiver of wreck, the official body which processes such reports, that it knows the location of the remains. |
| It is understood the wreckage found by the team has been quite well preserved in silt. If it proves to be the remains of Ms Johnson's twin-engined Airspeed Oxford, which plunged into the sea in January 1941, it may be possible to establish why it crashed. | It is understood the wreckage found by the team has been quite well preserved in silt. If it proves to be the remains of Ms Johnson's twin-engined Airspeed Oxford, which plunged into the sea in January 1941, it may be possible to establish why it crashed. |
| The sequence of events leading up to the crash has been well documented but the reasons for behind it remain a puzzle. | The sequence of events leading up to the crash has been well documented but the reasons for behind it remain a puzzle. |
| Ms Johnson, 37, who was working for the civilian Air Transport Auxiliary, was flying an Airspeed Oxford from RAF Prestwick in Ayrshire to RAF Kidlington in Oxfordshire, where it was to be used for training. On January 5, 1941, the plane plunged into the sea off the Kent coast. | Ms Johnson, 37, who was working for the civilian Air Transport Auxiliary, was flying an Airspeed Oxford from RAF Prestwick in Ayrshire to RAF Kidlington in Oxfordshire, where it was to be used for training. On January 5, 1941, the plane plunged into the sea off the Kent coast. |
| The most widely accepted version of why she crashed is that Ms Johnson could not land at Kidlington because of bad weather. She flew further east, presumably hoping to find a break in the cloud but ran out of fuel and baled out, possibly believing she was over land. | The most widely accepted version of why she crashed is that Ms Johnson could not land at Kidlington because of bad weather. She flew further east, presumably hoping to find a break in the cloud but ran out of fuel and baled out, possibly believing she was over land. |
| But there are more outlandish theories. Some have claimed she was on a clandestine mission, others that she was fleeing Britain with a lover. | But there are more outlandish theories. Some have claimed she was on a clandestine mission, others that she was fleeing Britain with a lover. |
| Another controversial theory - that she may have been a victim of friendly fire - was given some credence four years ago when retired gunner Tom Mitchell claimed that on the night of Ms Johnson's death he was ordered to fire on an unidentified plane which he came to believe was hers. | Another controversial theory - that she may have been a victim of friendly fire - was given some credence four years ago when retired gunner Tom Mitchell claimed that on the night of Ms Johnson's death he was ordered to fire on an unidentified plane which he came to believe was hers. |
| The wreckage has remained undiscovered for so long because diving is difficult in the area, a few miles off Sheerness on the north coast of Kent. The sediment means there is little or no light just 8 metres down. The currents are tricky and the area is close to shipping lanes. | The wreckage has remained undiscovered for so long because diving is difficult in the area, a few miles off Sheerness on the north coast of Kent. The sediment means there is little or no light just 8 metres down. The currents are tricky and the area is close to shipping lanes. |
| An RAF sub-aqua association team has spent the last two summers looking for the wreck without striking lucky. But a private team, guided by an air and maritime accident investigator, Leo Sheridan, has also been hunting for the wreckage. | An RAF sub-aqua association team has spent the last two summers looking for the wreck without striking lucky. But a private team, guided by an air and maritime accident investigator, Leo Sheridan, has also been hunting for the wreckage. |
| Mr Sheridan set out to find the remains because he believed Ms Johnson may have been shot down. | Mr Sheridan set out to find the remains because he believed Ms Johnson may have been shot down. |
| He said the team found what they believe is Ms Johnson's plane in the early summer. Their images of the remains are being enhanced by a laboratory. | He said the team found what they believe is Ms Johnson's plane in the early summer. Their images of the remains are being enhanced by a laboratory. |
| Mr Sheridan said: "We may be able to prove once and for all what happened to Amy Johnson. I've never believed the official explanation that she ran out of fuel." | Mr Sheridan said: "We may be able to prove once and for all what happened to Amy Johnson. I've never believed the official explanation that she ran out of fuel." |
| However, positive identification of the aircraft may be complicated by the fact that the numbers of the Cheetah engines were omitted from the official aircraft movement card. It will be down to the receiver of wreck to decide who should have custody of the wreck. | However, positive identification of the aircraft may be complicated by the fact that the numbers of the Cheetah engines were omitted from the official aircraft movement card. It will be down to the receiver of wreck to decide who should have custody of the wreck. |
| If it does prove to be those of Ms Johnson's craft it will almost certainly be donated to a museum and form a lasting memorial to the pioneering pilot. | If it does prove to be those of Ms Johnson's craft it will almost certainly be donated to a museum and form a lasting memorial to the pioneering pilot. |
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