David Billings is typical of many "treasure hunters" who become somewhat obsessed with their "hunt"... and who look for clues that fit their ideas, rather than being very open-minded about clues, and doing research to verify statements as facts by having corroborating evidence.
This is a common approach by numerous police... and in particular, numerous detectives... who become obsessed with a particular scenario, and who then mold the facts, to fit their scenario, that they have decided, is the only answer.
It takes a particularly careful person not to become obsessed with a search result, that is already fixed in their mind. This fixation has led to the downfall of many. The 1941 wreck of HMAS Sydney is a classic.
The longer the search goes on, and the answer not found... the more obsessed many searchers become, that they have the only answer.
I have no doubt that David Billings is genuine, and highly knowledgeable in aeronautics. However, he is totally reliant in his theory, that EA only ever got to within 250 NM of Howland Island, and then turned back 180 degrees... and that stronger headwinds... the strength of which, he is only guessing at, played a big part in the whole exercise.
I find it hard to believe that he insists that EA could continue to broadcast positioning or advisory radio calls... yet not broadcast that she was turning back.
I have no doubt the veterans found something in the J of New Britain... but I think that DB will be disappointed if he ever does locate the wreckage again, that the veterans found.
It also seems very odd to me, that a serious investigation into the New Britain wreckage wasn't commenced, even if it was after WW2 ended.
After all, EA's disappearance is an enduring mystery that took the worlds attention in 1937, and for the 74 years since.
In 1945, EA's disappearance was still fresh in everyones mind, and I find it curious that he states that, "no-one even considered it could be EA's L-10, until the early 1990's".
If the Americans examined the tag, and concluded it was a civil registration wreck... then surely, someone, somewhere, should have asked the question... "Amelia Earhart?"
Interesting recent forum discussion involving DB personally, and the EA search...
Warbird Information Exchange • View topic - dr. robert ballard / amelia earhart's lockheed 10???