The mystery of Stardust has captivated me for many years. I remember seeing a documentary in which a relative of one of the passengers saying that they’d rather not have the wreckage found; as long as the plane’s whereabouts is unknown, they can believe that there is a chance that their loved one is still alive and happy somewhere. I also remember that Stardust wasn’t discovered until much later because after being covered by the initial avalanche of snow, it got swallowed up by a glacier. Stardust spent half a century making its way through the glacier until it was deposited at one of the deposit spots on the glacier, making itself visible again. There’s just so many fascinating things about this tragic incident. Amazing job with the video; please keep up the stellar work!
This is a common problem with poorly sent morse code, it is easy to hear something completely different if you are not expecting a certain word so SCTI AR can easily sound like STENDEC if the spacing is rushed.
it requires good spacing and sense of time . . . - . - . - . . . - . - . vs . . . - . - . - . . . - . - . they ARE very similar, and if someone had a slightly funny timing, they would transmit it the same way each time, i've never heard of STENDEC being a code in-and-of itself
@@terryhayward7905 The morse code identifiers on radio navigation aids are nice and slow and well spaced. Radio enthusiasts would laugh at the transmission rate but the pilots have to read them correctly in a difficult environment. The airline licence pass mark is 90% and it is the most intimidating of all the exams even if it only lasts about ten minutes.
As a radio ham and Morse user I was very interested in your interpretation of the mysterious STENDEC. Although I'd heard about the word for years I'd not heard of the destination airport code being a possible solution. One thing that's intrigued me is the finding of the wreckage on the mountain. Several years ago I bought a book called "Off the Beam", written by a Robert Chandler who spent his working life as an aviation radio operator and who flew for VSAA on the route to Santiago. In the 1970 book he refers to a Chilean or Argentine smuggler being detained and found to be wearing the wrist watch of one of the lost crew. The smuggler was the person who told the authorities where the wreck was and they mounted the first expedition that discovered Stardust. I've never seen the smuggler story in books or documentary films about the lost plane and wondered if anyone else had?
And just how the hell would they know it was one of the flight crews watch? Were they interrogating the guy and onenof them said "hey isn't that the co-pilots watch from the stednac plane crash?".
STENDEC have the same morse dots and lines than SCTI AR, SCTI stands for Los Cerrillos and AR was "over" in Morse code. Reginald Cook was in his first flight over the Andes, and jetstream was not known or understood in 1947, without VOR, GPS or any location system he thought he was 200 km west to his real position, he still was flying over Mendoza province when he started descent, even worse, Lancastrian max operation service height was 7000 m, barely above Tupungato (6800 m) or Aconcagua (6961 m). Greets from Buenos Aires.
I have been a licensed amateur radio operator since 1986 and love manually operated International Morse Code, otherwise known as Continental Code. AR means end of message not over. If you are turning the comm back over to the other station you send KN. KN means for that specific station to respond and no other station should respond. I also did comms for the U.S. Army in very strict and regulated military nets. The maker of the video did a fine job but what was and is used on radio is not Morse Code. The original Morse was used on telegraph before Nikola Tesla invented radio. ( It was not Marconi!) On radio we use what is known as Continental or International Morse Code. Several characters are different from Morse Code. VY 73 es Gud DX!
@@wa1ufo I remember when I first learned that the stuff we call Morse Code today differs from what it originally was, along with learning about other methods of transmitting signals in that manner. Those original means of transmitting text via electricity were really something. Both in terms of the systems (codes) created and the actual means of doing it. Archaic or quaint to a modern eye, but well worth a bit of appreciation in and of themselves. Not to mention what they would do to the world.
@@althepal6818 You need remedial English classes. Go reread what I said when I explicitly stated "... the stuff we call Morse code today". For your 8 year old brain to understand I shall explain. What a person *CALLS* something in the popular vernacular, often barely resembles what the word or term originally applied to. Since you cannot understand that EXTREMELY BASIC concept, we have nothing more to talk about. addendum: Just how addled is your brain to not understand simple things like that?
SCTI AR .... I think you've nailed it. If Stardust's RO was sending at high speed, and the ATC's RO was not up to that speed, he could very easily have misjudged the spacing of what he was hearing. As a Ham Radio operator (who can manage to read about 35 wpm) I can confirm that it is not uncommon to have to ask a contact who sends slightly faster, say 40 to 45 wpm, to slow down a little because he is difficult to read.
Yeah, I like this one too. The poor guy was getting beat up in the weather, probably trying to bang a straight key. Ain’t got time for long QSO’s here. I think he was simply trying to say “Extended” in short phrase.
This also sounds most likely to me... having struggled a few times to copy exceptionally fast morse from guys with an idiosyncratic swing to their sending style. And I wonder too just how cold the aircraft's operating position was during that snowstorm... 😐
If STENDEC were a commonly used thing for thr RAF and Allied pilots in WW2, we would have some documentation or even recordings of pilots using it. Not just some anecdote from a random person on the Internet.
@@bipolarminddroppings Except as the wireless operator was using Wireless Telegraphy aka CW or Morse Code, they were communicating using the 'Q Code.' Plus any communication from the aircraft is authorised by the pilot, the Wireless Operator would use standard methods of transmission and the code for any emergency is SOS SOS SOS DE callsign SOS SOS SOS. There is specific 'Q' code for use in Aviation. Oh and a 'Q' code is three letters sent as a question or answer such as QRZ? and the answer is QRZ callsign - in morse it is sent as --.- .-. --.. ..--.. // --.- .-. --.. callsign
@@bipolarminddroppings MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY means the is an immediate and irrevocable danger to the vessel, aircraft and life! It is always spoken as the equivalent in CW is SOSSOSSOS
The principle of Occam’s Razor tells us that the most likely solution is the simplest one - the slight reinterpretation of rapidly transmitted Morse code that you have described here.
But why was it so rushed, and just the stendec bit repeated, sounds like someone trying to urgently get out the message that they had all but zero time left. If it was just routine comms, why the speed.
I agree with your theory 100% It makes sense that the message would be mistranslated, especially if the calm sign was new to the airport. It's sad to think that all those people were lost that way. Hindsight is 20/20 and I'm glad now we live in a world where things like this happen much less frequently.
The message starts with ETA Santiago 17:45 hrs, telling when they expected to arrive. Why would they expect to arrive at Santiago at all, if STENDEC was a message saying they were crashing? So I fully believe your theory that it was a routine message that got misunderstood by the radio operator at Santiago. SCTI AR, not STENDEC. And since they crashed so far east of Santiago, but thought they were only four minutes away from landing, it seems very likely that they had met with stronger winds than they realized, and started descending way too early, just as you suggest. Very good and clear explanation of what (most likely) happened, thank you! I especially liked the part where you rearranged the spacing between the Morse code dots and dashes, to show how the meaning totally changed!
I'm not a pilot, but interested in aviation, and I fully see how wind conditions can influence airspeed. Four minutes over that travel time is less than 2% deviation from the flight plan. So quite plausible that they misjudged their actual location.
This was really interesting! Very nicely presented and laid out, and I agree; I think your favorite theory is the most reasonable one, which explains everything pretty nicely.
You just opened up a new rabbit hole to me. I found you through a comment on someone else’s video and I love aviation and maritime mysteries. They remind us that though we view ourselves as the lords of our realm we are still helpless when it comes to solving the mysteries put forth by those wide open spaces where no one can survive, and that these places unsurvivable places actually make up more of our world than we like to admit.
Sending morse code using a straight key at high speeds requires a high degree of skill so it is easy to imagine that the sender's timing could have off enough to be misread by the receiving station.
But why was he rushing, if a sending station realises the receiver is having trouble, (asking for a re-send) they tend to slow down and put greater effort into the spacing for improved comprehension. Instead the sender kept up the speed, like he knew he had no time left.
That's some Vox level documentary. I request everyone just not subscribe Spektator but also become a Patreon, this way we encourage Spektator to keep making these awesome videos for us. ❤❤
Have heard this story many times, and the rediscovery of the aircraft a number of years ago. The theories regarding STENDEC have hoever never been resolved and your video has shed a lot of light onto the possibilities ..., in particular the 4th one, (on the call sign for the airport and the speed of the transmission). Thank you very much
Well, you've earned yourself a new subscriber. UA-cam algorithm has recommended me your video based on what I was watching recently. And given that between number of gaming videos I was also interested in mysteries, this ended up being on my homescreen. About the crew - I feel really sorry for them. They greatly underestimated the weather conditions and especially being new to the airline in this area, they chew much more than they have been able to swallow. They had no idea they're about to perish in an extremely hard to access terrain and vanish for over half a century, only to be found torn apart. Must have been painless death though. They didn't even know they died. Imagine the last thing you see is a white snow storm and then you wake up next to your best friend who got shot in war. This is cursed.
Not going to lie. Stendec is the most kick ass name for a paranormal / ufo magazine. I dont know what makes it tick every box and tickle my nerves the right way
Unsure what sort of Morse key would have been standard for aircraft at the time. Either a straight key or bug would have been very difficult to use accurately in heavy turbulence.
If I remember correctly you asked for new subjects to explore.,here is one. On the 13th of October 1928 there was an awful train accident at Charfield in Gloucestershire. I believe that 15 or 16 people died in the inferno . However two small children were never identified and to this day nobody has come forward although it is said that a women dressed in black visited the memorial from 1929 till sometime in the 50s . Prior to the accident witnesses had seen the children at the station and I believe catching the ill fated train. This sad mystery might be worth following up as it is rather haunting to say the least...
Great video! I've been reading quite a bit about this incident, but never heard the explanation about the ICAO airport code before... this makes so much sense!
PBS broadcasted an hour long show on this several years ago. The conclusion they arrived at was that this plane was able to fly high enough into the jet stream and that there were very strong winds at that time. Thus the pilots thought they had already passed over the mountains but due to the jet stream they weren't. So they started to descend not knowing that they were flying right into the glacier.
I forgot to mention that in South America not a lot was known about the jet stream and its strong winds at that time. According to weather records the winds were more considerable that day.
UA-cam delivering a good recommendation is a bigger mystery than anything covered in this video! Really great work, looking forward to binging the rest of your videos!
As a radiotelegraphist, I can tell you, rearranging letters in not the way. It's just not that way it's work. Radio operator in aircraft and airport used Q codes and abbreviations that were basically always the same. So, they did not have to listen to dit and dah (point and marks) they would hear the entire word, not the letters. It's the way morse code is copied. By known word, not letter. that is unless, that word was unknown to the operator like a callsign, which are random letters or an unusual word or abbreviation. Numbers are too easy to be misunderstood. Most likely, it was a word or abbreviation he was not familiar with. Once you misunderstand a word or serie of letters in morse code, you tend to do the same error each time it is repeated. It's the same as if someone tell you a word you don't know, ever if he repeats, you will probably hear it wrong each time... There is more to it, radio communication is not always crystal clear, most often not. So, if there is interference, bad reception, static or adjacent transmission, it is even harder to understand a word you don't know. Also, like any language, the speed of ''talking'' and the quality of the pronunciation makes it harder to understand words your are not used to. So, my guess is, you will never find the answer. Sorry.
My thoughts are more on the speed and that the last bit was all that got repeated, like the sender knew he had little time, like he knew they were going down....
STENDEC is ultimately irrelevant to the crash. The plane was found and it appeared to be a controlled flight into terrain. A common occurrence as air travel greatly increased post-WW2.
Someone else is the irrelevant one. And it was NOT what you say. How do I know? Chilean from an aviator family. Kindly can your misinformation in the rußß¡$h bin.
The main point IS the crash. A plane and many Human Lives lost. Fuzzy "day after" message misinterpretation not being the crash cause is a minor matter. Doubly so the nonsense UFO related angle.
Another great video, cool graphics and clearly a great deal of research has gone into this. I also like the fact that you actually give an opinion as to what you think the correct answer is, many wouldn't bother. From my point of view I'd be inclined to agree with you as it best fits Occam's razor.
I like the SCTI+ theory. AR is sent not as 2 characters but as one .-.-. it can mean "+" or "end of message". In radio comms it is usual to include who the message is being addressed to and/or who it is from. So, Dennis Harmer may have included SCTI to indicate the message was intended for the Los Cerrillos Controller. I believe SCTI is still the ICAO code for Los Cerrillos, Santiago.
Dude this video was really well done. First time watching you. I can't believe you don't have more subscribers. This is one of the coolest coverages of an incident like this that I've heard in a long while
I appreciate your work. I know...Millions of theories. Mine? Well, I believe they were flying VFR and Low over snow capped mountains, and billows of snow capped mountains! In that type of environment, one can easily fly right into a mountain and a crew would have no warning until it was too late (Air New Zealand). On the Horizon the pilot sees what he believe is free Air, but its actually a snow covered mountain. In addition, I believe its possible that the crew could've been suffering from high altitude sickness. This could explain the pilots disorientation, and the Radio Operators Messages that didnt make any sense. Someone suggested ("Dave Morgan", I dont want to steal his thunder) attempted transmission of STENDEC, and that he may have been trying to say: "Starting Descent" Thats a good theory I believe. And if one is suffering from high altitude sickness proper transmissions are impossible. I copied my same response on another STENDEC you tube site. (FYI), in case someone reads this twice.
I slept through the whole day and basically woke up at night. Your Yogtse video was recommended through the algorithm and I’m so glad it did! You’re one of my favorite channels now and I’m binging every video this night :) Grabbed me some snacks, popped me a Xanax and some Oxy and do me a chill UA-cam video night 😴
What the video and many commenters miss is that if you are about to crash land you do not give your Estimated Time of Arrival and destination then - oh, by the way - we're going to crash into the mountain!
Of course. There was not a mechanical failure, lack of fuel, fire, no "emergency" involved. They were near ending a normal flight, only they crashed into an unknown and unseen mountain in very bad weather. So messages were normal Pilot-airport traffic.
I already knew the Stardust story and the enigma of 'STENDEC' but this is the first time I have heard of this misinterpretation hypothesis... Absolutely fascinating video. Huzzah!! 😮
Excellent and deeply puzzling story. Putting 'STENDEC' to one side, without that enigmatic word, the saga of 'Star Dust' seems to me to be a, once, sadly, common mistake made by aviators, the world over, during adverse weather conditions. Given the Skipper of Star Dust, R.J. Cook, flew fighters for two years during WW2 and joined BSAA in 1946; he would have known that his Lancastrian had a Service Ceiling of 24,300 ft (7,400 m) and an Absolute Ceiling of 25,000 ft (7,620 m) at maximum power. So, even though the pilot had not commanded a Lancastrian over the Andes; he would have known that, in normal weather conditions, his aircraft could clear the highest peak in that region; Mt Tupungato (6,750 m). At the time of this tragic mistake; the existence of the Gulf Stream was yet to be discovered. Its power to significantly alter the course of aircraft was the fatal 'unknown' in the story of the Star Dust. While the obsession with the puzzle of the last word sent from Star Dust is real enough; knowing what it means would not have changed the outcome of this doomed flight. The 'lead' in this story must be the new command pilot's lack of judgement in selecting the most dangerous route, given the weather conditions. Perhaps the only 'saving grace' is that the speed of the aircraft and by hitting the mountain side, nose first, the occupants would have perished before they became aware of what their fate would be. Technological advances in aircraft tracking and positioning are one of the many reasons we tend to take modern commercial aviation for granted. GPS satellites; modern radar systems and advanced communications save lives on an almost daily basis. It was a BSAA 'sister' Lancastrian that became the first take-off from the newly established London Heathrow Airport. Star Dust was the first Lancastrian to be involved in a crash with the loss of all life. Soon after a BSAA Tudor aircraft went missing over the Atlantic ocean and in a matter of months BSAA was merged with BOAC which, in turn, became British Airways. Thank you for this engrossing video. Cheers, Bill H.
I have been using Morse Code (CW for almost 50 years), both as a ham radio operator (WD5GYG) and as a US Merchant Marine Radio Officer back in the 1980s when CW was still in use. Any emergency messages would not use coded abbreviations, and the speed of the transmission would be about 15 words per minute which is slow, so there is no confusion. If it were an emergency it would have been sent as: SOS SOS SOS, name of plane and last known position and the nature of distress. Based on this report there would have been time enough to send that much information. STENDEC is a made up word. It is not recognized by any International agency. The base operator should have sent back: STENDEC??? AR. Asking to clarify this word. Rather than looking into the back ground of the pilot, I think it would be prudent to look into the background of the radio operator on this flight.
Interesting story I've never heard of! Your presentation is unique & perfect for this mystery ...Good Job *Spektator* & perfect sound effects also ...that inflated wheel is amazing after all those years ✈❄❄❄❄❄❄❄🕛👍👍👍👍👍
Ooooooooohhhhh I loved this video- especially the Length of it!! Obviously the content also! 😅 Also thank you for our lesson in MorseCode SpekTeacher 😂 Well done mate as always great work 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽 Keep them coming 🙏🏼🥰😁😌🧠⛰
This is a perfect example of a something i heard a pilot say once; “There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots”
Firstly, this is a very polished and professional video. Well done. Also, while I generally agree that the third theory is the most likely as it requires the least amount of logical hoops to jump through, I believe the idea he meant "Stardust" is still possible as hypoxia could have set in as he began to enter the phrase, making the latter half jumbled. The hypoxia would also be the only reason I could think of that he would give such unnecessary info since planes don't typically say their call signs at that point. Still believe your conclusion is more plausible, though.
Ah, the cocky and overconfident pilot - the bane of all innocent passengers who pay the ultimate price for unknowingly placing their lives in the hands of a fool.
Overconfident ex fighter jockey, lack of regulation when commercial flights were still in its infancy, inadequate navigation system… all were perfect combo of accident
This was a great video and I’m impressed with the theory of the meaning of stendec, I’ll go along with this. I watched a Simon Whistler video on this and he didn’t offer a theory of the meaning
It would suck to be a ghost, watching people not understanding your last, and then fixating on it like it was a major clue or something. Meanwhile, you're like "Nope... New guy just goofed."
A speed demon sender against a novice or a person who has less knowledge on speed will cause mistakes. And a WWII trained Brit is likely to have habits that will sometimes have issues against a civilian base operator. Just saying!! DE N2JYG
This was very interesting. I'm nearly 61, and I remember being taught Morse code at primary school. We were taught it in class for a few years before it just disappeared from the curriculum, or so I can only assume.
So in the early 1970’s there was a DJ on KPPC FM in Los Angeles Elliot Mintz. Sunday nights he did an unsolved mysteries show. I vividly remember an episode about the Brumuda Triangle and a plane that went missing. The last transmission by the pilot was STENDEC, STENDEC, STENDEC.
Reminds me of an old Lucky Luke comic, in which Joe Dalton, the hardened criminal, is released early from prison, for "good behavior". To everyone's surprise, but the telegram from the Governor says so. Turns out it was Joe Milton, the mild-mannered long-timer, who was supposed to be released. But the telegraph operator who received the message was new and had problems understanding the Morse code in the message, so he got D and M mixed up, and also A and I. The prison reports back that they have now released Joe Dalton, and immediately gets a message back, just one word, that the telegraph operator deciphers as "AMAOTS!" 🙂
Brilliant video. It's the first I've seen it's yours, I think. I just subbed. I agree with your concussion. At first I thought it could be the WW2 allied STENDEC phrase, but I think the crew were too switched on and professional to use such a non international code.
It's either a RAF term or a newly created term for the airport. It's easy to imagine the pilot was stressed due to poor weather conditions and reverted back to his air force training in a moment of panic or the operator wasn't up to date on the phrases used like the final theory. Honestly, this shouldn't be a mystery. It seems pretty straight forward
Excellent video. Masterful presentation. Excellent and attractive animation and graphic design. I hope you receive many more jobs and contracts for your work!
I've heard about this for years, but never heard a good explination for STENDEC. On one other video about it, they said the plane would probably have run out of fuel earlier than it should have while going that distance, because of the kind of turbulence being an "updraft" or something. I've always wanted to learn Morse Code but never have found a way to learn it and practice.
I love your interpretation of STENDEC. It's the only one I've heard where I've actually thought "yes, that makes sense" and it has a mundane explanation. The others are far too fanciful in my opinion.
Hard to believe that the one receiving the message wouldn’t know the acronym SCTI, but the sender would. Especially since the receiver belongs to that location.
Interesting story! Looking at the message shown in morse code (eg at 7:46 and 16:37 ), there is a "V" instead of "4". I assume this is just a typo and the original message was as transcribed. The misreading of the last word sounds quite plausible, for reasons pointed out in other comments (old style keying, turbulence, static noise etc.) Although the message was repeated with the same content, it could just be a case of confirmation bias on part of the operator. Messages are scribbled down when receiving. The second time the op would just listen to the retransmission while looking at the written down message and think, "Oh, yeah. Same."
I would go with your voncolusion being most likely. But if it was an emergancy signal we could see them using it in a panic and not thinking to use SOS as STENDEC would be enough or better in their mind. But reference the airport and typing AR at the end makes so mich more sense for the message
Flying during that era was based at times it should take to travel to traverse a distance. So pilot starts descent at a time based upon departure. Plane crashes onto a glacier short of the aeroport.
I remember seeing the Nova episode back then. It seemed like it was all about the DNA identifications, which were relatively new and science-y, and they didn’t dwell on the banalities of Morse code. I think you’re probably right about the interpretation. I’m glad I’ve discovered your channel.
Superb video- these just get better with each one you do, each one is more polished, slick and better-researched than the previous one. You set a VERY high standard for others to follow and I eagerly look forward to your next post! I didn't know about this crash and it's certainly not the only trans-Andean plane wreck, those mountains have claimed a few over the years. I would love to see you cover the Flannan Island lighthouse keepers disappearance sometime too.
... ..- -... ... -.-. .-. .. -... . ua-cam.com/users/Spektator
morse code says "SUBSCRIBE" by the way :)
Cute. You got me. :)
After watching your video on Toynbee tiles, I’m truly hooked to your amazing contents. I’m so glad I’ve discovered your channel!
At 01:23 in the video, there is an error in the Morse. You've typed '17:V5 hrs', not '17:45'.
lol "subscribe"
The mystery of Stardust has captivated me for many years. I remember seeing a documentary in which a relative of one of the passengers saying that they’d rather not have the wreckage found; as long as the plane’s whereabouts is unknown, they can believe that there is a chance that their loved one is still alive and happy somewhere.
I also remember that Stardust wasn’t discovered until much later because after being covered by the initial avalanche of snow, it got swallowed up by a glacier. Stardust spent half a century making its way through the glacier until it was deposited at one of the deposit spots on the glacier, making itself visible again.
There’s just so many fascinating things about this tragic incident. Amazing job with the video; please keep up the stellar work!
This is a common problem with poorly sent morse code, it is easy to hear something completely different if you are not expecting a certain word so SCTI AR can easily sound like STENDEC if the spacing is rushed.
it requires good spacing and sense of time . . . - . - . - . . . - . - . vs . . . - . - . - . . . - . - . they ARE very similar, and if someone had a slightly funny timing, they would transmit it the same way each time, i've never heard of STENDEC being a code in-and-of itself
Well conjured.
Rushed spacing is the worst. Always always make sure you have proper gaps between letters and words.
@@terryhayward7905 The morse code identifiers on radio navigation aids are nice and slow and well spaced. Radio enthusiasts would laugh at the transmission rate but the pilots have to read them correctly in a difficult environment. The airline licence pass mark is 90% and it is the most intimidating of all the exams even if it only lasts about ten minutes.
STENDEC is standard military shorthand for "Severe Turbulence Encountered, Now Descending, Emergency Crash-landing"
As a radio ham and Morse user I was very interested in your interpretation of the mysterious STENDEC. Although I'd heard about the word for years I'd not heard of the destination airport code being a possible solution. One thing that's intrigued me is the finding of the wreckage on the mountain. Several years ago I bought a book called "Off the Beam", written by a Robert Chandler who spent his working life as an aviation radio operator and who flew for VSAA on the route to Santiago. In the 1970 book he refers to a Chilean or Argentine smuggler being detained and found to be wearing the wrist watch of one of the lost crew. The smuggler was the person who told the authorities where the wreck was and they mounted the first expedition that discovered Stardust. I've never seen the smuggler story in books or documentary films about the lost plane and wondered if anyone else had?
this is really interestering,,, hm... 🤔
And just how the hell would they know it was one of the flight crews watch? Were they interrogating the guy and onenof them said "hey isn't that the co-pilots watch from the stednac plane crash?".
@@bradsanders407Hello from three months in the future. The watch could’ve been engraved.
Wow very interesting I've never heard of the smuggler watch story either
But very interesting indeed😮👍
I like playing Morse code over HAM radio without a license.
Literally glued to this. Your animation is actually unreal. Deffo deserve more subs.
STENDEC have the same morse dots and lines than SCTI AR, SCTI stands for Los Cerrillos and AR was "over" in Morse code. Reginald Cook was in his first flight over the Andes, and jetstream was not known or understood in 1947, without VOR, GPS or any location system he thought he was 200 km west to his real position, he still was flying over Mendoza province when he started descent, even worse, Lancastrian max operation service height was 7000 m, barely above Tupungato (6800 m) or Aconcagua (6961 m). Greets from Buenos Aires.
I have been a licensed amateur radio operator since 1986 and love manually operated International Morse Code, otherwise known as Continental Code. AR means end of message not over. If you are turning the comm back over to the other station you send KN. KN means for that specific station to respond and no other station should respond. I also did comms for the U.S. Army in very strict and regulated military nets. The maker of the video did a fine job but what was and is used on radio is not Morse Code. The original Morse was used on telegraph before Nikola Tesla invented radio. ( It was not Marconi!) On radio we use what is known as Continental or International Morse Code. Several characters are different from Morse Code. VY 73 es Gud DX!
@@wa1ufo I remember when I first learned that the stuff we call Morse Code today differs from what it originally was, along with learning about other methods of transmitting signals in that manner. Those original means of transmitting text via electricity were really something. Both in terms of the systems (codes) created and the actual means of doing it.
Archaic or quaint to a modern eye, but well worth a bit of appreciation in and of themselves. Not to mention what they would do to the world.
@@whyjnot420 Radio (International) Morse code has basically not changed. It is the telegraph code that has changed long time before this event.
@@althepal6818 You need remedial English classes. Go reread what I said when I explicitly stated "... the stuff we call Morse code today".
For your 8 year old brain to understand I shall explain. What a person *CALLS* something in the popular vernacular, often barely resembles what the word or term originally applied to.
Since you cannot understand that EXTREMELY BASIC concept, we have nothing more to talk about.
addendum: Just how addled is your brain to not understand simple things like that?
@@althepal6818 Do you not understand the difference between "original" and "what we call things today"?
SCTI AR .... I think you've nailed it. If Stardust's RO was sending at high speed, and the ATC's RO was not up to that speed, he could very easily have misjudged the spacing of what he was hearing. As a Ham Radio operator (who can manage to read about 35 wpm) I can confirm that it is not uncommon to have to ask a contact who sends slightly faster, say 40 to 45 wpm, to slow down a little because he is difficult to read.
Yeah, AR at the end sounds like a natural. Shame the receiving op didn't send a QRS if he was having a hard time keeping up.
Yeah, I like this one too. The poor guy was getting beat up in the weather, probably trying to bang a straight key. Ain’t got time for long QSO’s here. I think he was simply trying to say “Extended” in short phrase.
This also sounds most likely to me... having struggled a few times to copy exceptionally fast morse from guys with an idiosyncratic swing to their sending style. And I wonder too just how cold the aircraft's operating position was during that snowstorm... 😐
your channel is insanely underrated and you deserve way more subs. love how everything was presented in such an interesting manner. great job!
0:42 When the video starts out telling you how incredibly experienced the pilot was, you know you're about to hear a disaster story.
Very few mountain chains to cross between England and Berlin.
If STENDEC were a commonly used thing for thr RAF and Allied pilots in WW2, we would have some documentation or even recordings of pilots using it. Not just some anecdote from a random person on the Internet.
It's also a weirdly lengthy phrase for "I'm in trouble" in Morse. SOS was chosen specifically because it's short and simple, stendec is neither.
@@Religion0 or the common radio call "Mayday, Mayday" which is universally understood as "We're going down"
@@bipolarminddroppings Except as the wireless operator was using Wireless Telegraphy aka CW or Morse Code, they were communicating using the 'Q Code.' Plus any communication from the aircraft is authorised by the pilot, the Wireless Operator would use standard methods of transmission and the code for any emergency is SOS SOS SOS DE callsign SOS SOS SOS. There is specific 'Q' code for use in Aviation. Oh and a 'Q' code is three letters sent as a question or answer such as QRZ? and the answer is QRZ callsign - in morse it is sent as --.- .-. --.. ..--.. // --.- .-. --.. callsign
@@bipolarminddroppings MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY means the is an immediate and irrevocable danger to the vessel, aircraft and life! It is always spoken as the equivalent in CW is SOSSOSSOS
Whatever he tried to say he just messed up, no mystery here
The principle of Occam’s Razor tells us that the most likely solution is the simplest one - the slight reinterpretation of rapidly transmitted Morse code that you have described here.
But why was it so rushed, and just the stendec bit repeated, sounds like someone trying to urgently get out the message that they had all but zero time left.
If it was just routine comms, why the speed.
I agree with your theory 100%
It makes sense that the message would be mistranslated, especially if the calm sign was new to the airport.
It's sad to think that all those people were lost that way.
Hindsight is 20/20 and I'm glad now we live in a world where things like this happen much less frequently.
The message starts with ETA Santiago 17:45 hrs, telling when they expected to arrive. Why would they expect to arrive at Santiago at all, if STENDEC was a message saying they were crashing? So I fully believe your theory that it was a routine message that got misunderstood by the radio operator at Santiago. SCTI AR, not STENDEC.
And since they crashed so far east of Santiago, but thought they were only four minutes away from landing, it seems very likely that they had met with stronger winds than they realized, and started descending way too early, just as you suggest.
Very good and clear explanation of what (most likely) happened, thank you! I especially liked the part where you rearranged the spacing between the Morse code dots and dashes, to show how the meaning totally changed!
The simplest answer is most likely what happened.
I'm not a pilot, but interested in aviation, and I fully see how wind conditions can influence airspeed. Four minutes over that travel time is less than 2% deviation from the flight plan. So quite plausible that they misjudged their actual location.
This was really interesting! Very nicely presented and laid out, and I agree; I think your favorite theory is the most reasonable one, which explains everything pretty nicely.
You just opened up a new rabbit hole to me. I found you through a comment on someone else’s video and I love aviation and maritime mysteries. They remind us that though we view ourselves as the lords of our realm we are still helpless when it comes to solving the mysteries put forth by those wide open spaces where no one can survive, and that these places unsurvivable places actually make up more of our world than we like to admit.
Sending morse code using a straight key at high speeds requires a high degree of skill so it is easy to imagine that the sender's timing could have off enough to be misread by the receiving station.
But three times in a row?
@@veganbutcherhackepeter Yes, once he decoded the word the first time he just assumed the last two were the same word because they SOUNDED the same.
But why was he rushing, if a sending station realises the receiver is having trouble, (asking for a re-send) they tend to slow down and put greater effort into the spacing for improved comprehension.
Instead the sender kept up the speed, like he knew he had no time left.
I can do about 18WPM by hand key but this speed is ridiculous...
yes but the rest of the message came through fine ?
I do not usually leave comments on UA-cam, but you definitely deserve more recognition!
Thank you for your hard work and another excellent video!
That's some Vox level documentary. I request everyone just not subscribe Spektator but also become a Patreon, this way we encourage Spektator to keep making these awesome videos for us. ❤❤
Have heard this story many times, and the rediscovery of the aircraft a number of years ago. The theories regarding STENDEC have hoever never been resolved and your video has shed a lot of light onto the possibilities ..., in particular the 4th one, (on the call sign for the airport and the speed of the transmission). Thank you very much
Well, you've earned yourself a new subscriber. UA-cam algorithm has recommended me your video based on what I was watching recently. And given that between number of gaming videos I was also interested in mysteries, this ended up being on my homescreen.
About the crew - I feel really sorry for them. They greatly underestimated the weather conditions and especially being new to the airline in this area, they chew much more than they have been able to swallow. They had no idea they're about to perish in an extremely hard to access terrain and vanish for over half a century, only to be found torn apart. Must have been painless death though. They didn't even know they died. Imagine the last thing you see is a white snow storm and then you wake up next to your best friend who got shot in war. This is cursed.
This video was incredibly well done. Probably one of your best. Enjoyed it a lot.
Not going to lie. Stendec is the most kick ass name for a paranormal / ufo magazine. I dont know what makes it tick every box and tickle my nerves the right way
@spektator the way you organize the story and the way you tell it is amazing
STENDEC obviously stands for Send The Entire Navy Defend Every Cookie
Stendec Severe Turbulence Encountered, Now Descending, Emergency Crash-landing".
Absolutely wrong! He was English! He clearly was defending Cake!
Unsure what sort of Morse key would have been standard for aircraft at the time. Either a straight key or bug would have been very difficult to use accurately in heavy turbulence.
If I remember correctly you asked for new subjects to explore.,here is one. On the 13th of October 1928 there was an awful train accident at Charfield in Gloucestershire. I believe that 15 or 16 people died in the inferno . However two small children were never identified and to this day nobody has come forward although it is said that a women dressed in black visited the memorial from 1929 till sometime in the 50s . Prior to the accident witnesses had seen the children at the station and I believe catching the ill fated train. This sad mystery might be worth following up as it is rather haunting to say the least...
This was really good
I loved all of the possible interpretations of "stendec"
I've ended up sharing this video to a couple people
Good stuff👍
Every video is a work of art. The visuals are so illustrative and drive subject comprehension. Great work, glad to have been on board since early on!
Huge props, man. Came here because of the quality content and you always deliver 💯
Great video! I've been reading quite a bit about this incident, but never heard the explanation about the ICAO airport code before... this makes so much sense!
Great video as always! Love to discover niche events/mysteries from around the world I had no idea about.
May all souls on that flight rest in peace.
PBS broadcasted an hour long show on this several years ago. The conclusion they arrived at was that this plane was able to fly high enough into the jet stream and that there were very strong winds at that time. Thus the pilots thought they had already passed over the mountains but due to the jet stream they weren't. So they started to descend not knowing that they were flying right into the glacier.
I forgot to mention that in South America not a lot was known about the jet stream and its strong winds at that time. According to weather records the winds were more considerable that day.
Dude your work is great, editing skills are on point. Well researched, and great speaking voice! Wanted to say this before you take off!
UA-cam delivering a good recommendation is a bigger mystery than anything covered in this video!
Really great work, looking forward to binging the rest of your videos!
As a radiotelegraphist, I can tell you, rearranging letters in not the way. It's just not that way it's work. Radio operator in aircraft and airport used Q codes and abbreviations that were basically always the same. So, they did not have to listen to dit and dah (point and marks) they would hear the entire word, not the letters. It's the way morse code is copied. By known word, not letter. that is unless, that word was unknown to the operator like a callsign, which are random letters or an unusual word or abbreviation. Numbers are too easy to be misunderstood. Most likely, it was a word or abbreviation he was not familiar with. Once you misunderstand a word or serie of letters in morse code, you tend to do the same error each time it is repeated. It's the same as if someone tell you a word you don't know, ever if he repeats, you will probably hear it wrong each time... There is more to it, radio communication is not always crystal clear, most often not. So, if there is interference, bad reception, static or adjacent transmission, it is even harder to understand a word you don't know. Also, like any language, the speed of ''talking'' and the quality of the pronunciation makes it harder to understand words your are not used to. So, my guess is, you will never find the answer. Sorry.
I agree. Once you hear it wrong ya just keep hearing it wrong at least that's been my experiance
My thoughts are more on the speed and that the last bit was all that got repeated, like the sender knew he had little time, like he knew they were going down....
Only just come across your channel and have been binging your videos in recent days. Can't understand why you don't have more subs. Keep it up!
New subscriber here. I appreciate your narration and top notch editing. Keep up the good work!
This was really interesting . Love this channel . Thanks Spektator great work
STENDEC is ultimately irrelevant to the crash. The plane was found and it appeared to be a controlled flight into terrain. A common occurrence as air travel greatly increased post-WW2.
The point isn't the crash
Someone else is the irrelevant one.
And it was NOT what you say.
How do I know?
Chilean from an aviator family.
Kindly can your misinformation in the rußß¡$h bin.
@@LathropLdST What exactly is the misinformation here?
The main point IS the crash. A plane and many Human Lives lost. Fuzzy "day after" message misinterpretation not being the crash cause is a minor matter. Doubly so the nonsense UFO related angle.
So, what you're saying is that STENDEC actually means STENDEC and that it is relevant yp the crash.
Another great video, cool graphics and clearly a great deal of research has gone into this. I also like the fact that you actually give an opinion as to what you think the correct answer is, many wouldn't bother. From my point of view I'd be inclined to agree with you as it best fits Occam's razor.
I like the SCTI+ theory. AR is sent not as 2 characters but as one .-.-. it can mean "+" or "end of message". In radio comms it is usual to include who the message is being addressed to and/or who it is from. So, Dennis Harmer may have included SCTI to indicate the message was intended for the Los Cerrillos Controller. I believe SCTI is still the ICAO code for Los Cerrillos, Santiago.
Los Cerrillos closed in 2006, SCEL is the actual code for Santiago
Dude this video was really well done. First time watching you. I can't believe you don't have more subscribers. This is one of the coolest coverages of an incident like this that I've heard in a long while
This channel is great. I think this video has started to hit the algorithm so I'm sure you'll start getting some of that attention you deserve.
Interesting video - thanks for making it. Your theory is the most plausible I've heard.
This was such a good video. I'm a ham and learning Morse code. . What a story
Really impressed with this one, spektator! Looking forward to what you have for us next.
I appreciate your work. I know...Millions of theories. Mine? Well, I believe they were flying VFR and Low over snow capped mountains, and billows of snow capped mountains! In that type of environment, one can easily fly right into a mountain and a crew would have no warning until it was too late (Air New Zealand). On the Horizon the pilot sees what he believe is free Air, but its actually a snow covered mountain. In addition, I believe its possible that the crew could've been suffering from high altitude sickness. This could explain the pilots disorientation, and the Radio Operators Messages that didnt make any sense. Someone suggested ("Dave Morgan", I dont want to steal his thunder) attempted transmission of STENDEC, and that he may have been trying to say: "Starting Descent" Thats a good theory I believe. And if one is suffering from high altitude sickness proper transmissions are impossible. I copied my same response on another STENDEC you tube site. (FYI), in case someone reads this twice.
I slept through the whole day and basically woke up at night. Your Yogtse video was recommended through the algorithm and I’m so glad it did! You’re one of my favorite channels now and I’m binging every video this night :)
Grabbed me some snacks, popped me a Xanax and some Oxy and do me a chill UA-cam video night 😴
Care to share lol
What the video and many commenters miss is that if you are about to crash land you do not give your Estimated Time of Arrival and destination then - oh, by the way - we're going to crash into the mountain!
Of course. There was not a mechanical failure, lack of fuel, fire, no "emergency" involved. They were near ending a normal flight, only they crashed into an unknown and unseen mountain in very bad weather. So messages were normal Pilot-airport traffic.
I already knew the Stardust story and the enigma of 'STENDEC' but this is the first time I have heard of this misinterpretation hypothesis... Absolutely fascinating video. Huzzah!! 😮
Just got this recommended. Blown away by the quality. Hope the algorithm blesses you.
Excellent and deeply puzzling story. Putting 'STENDEC' to one side, without that enigmatic word, the saga of 'Star Dust' seems to me to be a, once, sadly, common mistake made by aviators, the world over, during adverse weather conditions.
Given the Skipper of Star Dust, R.J. Cook, flew fighters for two years during WW2 and joined BSAA in 1946; he would have known that his Lancastrian had a Service Ceiling of 24,300 ft (7,400 m) and an Absolute Ceiling of 25,000 ft (7,620 m) at maximum power.
So, even though the pilot had not commanded a Lancastrian over the Andes; he would have known that, in normal weather conditions, his aircraft could clear the highest peak in that region; Mt Tupungato (6,750 m).
At the time of this tragic mistake; the existence of the Gulf Stream was yet to be discovered. Its power to significantly alter the course of aircraft was the fatal 'unknown' in the story of the Star Dust.
While the obsession with the puzzle of the last word sent from Star Dust is real enough; knowing what it means would not have changed the outcome of this doomed flight.
The 'lead' in this story must be the new command pilot's lack of judgement in selecting the most dangerous route, given the weather conditions.
Perhaps the only 'saving grace' is that the speed of the aircraft and by hitting the mountain side, nose first, the occupants would have perished before they became aware of what their fate would be.
Technological advances in aircraft tracking and positioning are one of the many reasons we tend to take modern commercial aviation for granted. GPS satellites; modern radar systems and advanced communications save lives on an almost daily basis.
It was a BSAA 'sister' Lancastrian that became the first take-off from the newly established London Heathrow Airport.
Star Dust was the first Lancastrian to be involved in a crash with the loss of all life. Soon after a BSAA Tudor aircraft went missing over the Atlantic ocean and in a matter of months BSAA was merged with BOAC which, in turn, became British Airways.
Thank you for this engrossing video. Cheers, Bill H.
I have been using Morse Code (CW for almost 50 years), both as a ham radio operator (WD5GYG) and as a US Merchant Marine Radio Officer back in the 1980s when CW was still in use. Any emergency messages would not use coded abbreviations, and the speed of the transmission would be about 15 words per minute which is slow, so there is no confusion. If it were an emergency it would have been sent as: SOS SOS SOS, name of plane and last known position and the nature of distress. Based on this report there would have been time enough to send that much information. STENDEC is a made up word. It is not recognized by any International agency. The base operator should have sent back: STENDEC??? AR. Asking to clarify this word. Rather than looking into the back ground of the pilot, I think it would be prudent to look into the background of the radio operator on this flight.
Great video! I hadn't heard of this mystery before!
Very good analysis with a highly plausable outcome. Really enjoyed.
Interesting story I've never heard of! Your presentation is unique & perfect for this mystery ...Good Job *Spektator* & perfect sound effects also ...that inflated wheel is amazing after all those years ✈❄❄❄❄❄❄❄🕛👍👍👍👍👍
I liked that, I've subscribed, thanks for your work.
Wow. This is badass. I'm already glued to the screen. Very interesting indeed. 😎✌🔥🔥
Ooooooooohhhhh I loved this video- especially the Length of it!!
Obviously the content also! 😅
Also thank you for our lesson in MorseCode SpekTeacher 😂
Well done mate as always great work 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Keep them coming 🙏🏼🥰😁😌🧠⛰
Your content is excellent. I’m really surprised you don’t have more subscribers.
I think the narrator was spot on. Bad weather and a small mistake. Good to see and here the plane wreckage was found. Thanks, GB.
This is a perfect example of a something i heard a pilot say once; “There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots”
Firstly, this is a very polished and professional video. Well done. Also, while I generally agree that the third theory is the most likely as it requires the least amount of logical hoops to jump through, I believe the idea he meant "Stardust" is still possible as hypoxia could have set in as he began to enter the phrase, making the latter half jumbled. The hypoxia would also be the only reason I could think of that he would give such unnecessary info since planes don't typically say their call signs at that point. Still believe your conclusion is more plausible, though.
Excellent investigative review. This is the most likely explanation of the morse code transmission from the Stardust. Thanks, well done !
Ah, the cocky and overconfident pilot - the bane of all innocent passengers who pay the ultimate price for unknowingly placing their lives in the hands of a fool.
.... kinda like American politics 😂
Overconfident ex fighter jockey, lack of regulation when commercial flights were still in its infancy, inadequate navigation system… all were perfect combo of accident
Great video. You earned yourself a subscription with this. Keep up the good work.
Superb presentation. Subscribed
This was a great video and I’m impressed with the theory of the meaning of stendec, I’ll go along with this. I watched a Simon Whistler video on this and he didn’t offer a theory of the meaning
It would suck to be a ghost, watching people not understanding your last, and then fixating on it like it was a major clue or something. Meanwhile, you're like "Nope... New guy just goofed."
A speed demon sender against a novice or a person who has less knowledge on speed will cause mistakes. And a WWII trained Brit is likely to have habits that will sometimes have issues against a civilian base operator. Just saying!!
DE N2JYG
This was very interesting. I'm nearly 61, and I remember being taught Morse code at primary school. We were taught it in class for a few years before it just disappeared from the curriculum, or so I can only assume.
So in the early 1970’s there was a DJ on KPPC FM in Los Angeles Elliot Mintz. Sunday nights he did an unsolved mysteries show. I vividly remember an episode about the Brumuda Triangle and a plane that went missing. The last transmission by the pilot was STENDEC, STENDEC, STENDEC.
Great Stuff . . . always like visiting old ghosts and hearing their stories.
A perfect rational explanation without resorting.
this video serves as a good explanation of the shortcomings of morse code.
Sometimes These Enigmas Never Decipher/End Credits. Very clever. I love it.
Reminds me of an old Lucky Luke comic, in which Joe Dalton, the hardened criminal, is released early from prison, for "good behavior". To everyone's surprise, but the telegram from the Governor says so. Turns out it was Joe Milton, the mild-mannered long-timer, who was supposed to be released. But the telegraph operator who received the message was new and had problems understanding the Morse code in the message, so he got D and M mixed up, and also A and I. The prison reports back that they have now released Joe Dalton, and immediately gets a message back, just one word, that the telegraph operator deciphers as "AMAOTS!" 🙂
Never happened.
Brilliant video. It's the first I've seen it's yours, I think. I just subbed. I agree with your concussion. At first I thought it could be the WW2 allied STENDEC phrase, but I think the crew were too switched on and professional to use such a non international code.
Imagine seeing a rolls royce engine on a mountain and not knowing they made plane engines
Whenever I hear about the Andes mountains I think of the true story Alive.
Well done!
It's either a RAF term or a newly created term for the airport. It's easy to imagine the pilot was stressed due to poor weather conditions and reverted back to his air force training in a moment of panic or the operator wasn't up to date on the phrases used like the final theory. Honestly, this shouldn't be a mystery. It seems pretty straight forward
Excellent video. Masterful presentation. Excellent and attractive animation and graphic design. I hope you receive many more jobs and contracts for your work!
The wreckage and bodies were found in the Andes between 1998 and 2002.
I've heard about this for years, but never heard a good explination for STENDEC. On one other video about it, they said the plane would probably have run out of fuel earlier than it should have while going that distance, because of the kind of turbulence being an "updraft" or something. I've always wanted to learn Morse Code but never have found a way to learn it and practice.
This the first time hearing this and I believe what you said that it was the missed spacing. Great video!
I love your interpretation of STENDEC. It's the only one I've heard where I've actually thought "yes, that makes sense" and it has a mundane explanation. The others are far too fanciful in my opinion.
Hard to believe that the one receiving the message wouldn’t know the acronym SCTI, but the sender would. Especially since the receiver belongs to that location.
well done, subbed
Interesting story!
Looking at the message shown in morse code (eg at 7:46 and 16:37 ), there is a "V" instead of "4". I assume this is just a typo and the original message was as transcribed.
The misreading of the last word sounds quite plausible, for reasons pointed out in other comments (old style keying, turbulence, static noise etc.) Although the message was repeated with the same content, it could just be a case of confirmation bias on part of the operator. Messages are scribbled down when receiving. The second time the op would just listen to the retransmission while looking at the written down message and think, "Oh, yeah. Same."
Hope your channel goes big, you certainly put in the effort. Gotta pray to the algorithmic gods I guess :P
Great video - they keep getting better and better! Love this channel!
Thanks, Very interesting and I have no idea of the meaning, Very pleased they found the wreck in the end, Looking forward to more. Cheers
I'd always taken it as "STardust ENtering DEsCent" - but I'm pretty sure that you've nailed it, especially with the speed of the transmission.
So great! You gotta do the Bell Island Boom from 1978 in Canada, a great mystery!
I would go with your voncolusion being most likely.
But if it was an emergancy signal we could see them using it in a panic and not thinking to use SOS as STENDEC would be enough or better in their mind.
But reference the airport and typing AR at the end makes so mich more sense for the message
An excellent video in every way, IIMSS!
Unbelievable that this channel doesn't have more subscribers. Top quality content!
Flying during that era was based at times it should take to travel to traverse a distance. So pilot starts descent at a time based upon departure. Plane crashes onto a glacier short of the aeroport.
I remember seeing the Nova episode back then. It seemed like it was all about the DNA identifications, which were relatively new and science-y, and they didn’t dwell on the banalities of Morse code. I think you’re probably right about the interpretation. I’m glad I’ve discovered your channel.
Superb video- these just get better with each one you do, each one is more polished, slick and better-researched than the previous one. You set a VERY high standard for others to follow and I eagerly look forward to your next post! I didn't know about this crash and it's certainly not the only trans-Andean plane wreck, those mountains have claimed a few over the years. I would love to see you cover the Flannan Island lighthouse keepers disappearance sometime too.
Thank you so much, I’ll keep the standard as high as possible :)