Shortly after 1800 hours (6 p.m.) as it became quite obvious that Flight 19 was lost, a PBY Catalina seaplane took to the air to search for Flight 19 and to guide it back home if found. At approximately 18:20 (6:20 p.m.) Taylor was again heard addressing his flight, “All planes close up tight. We’ll have to ditch, unless landfall. When the first plane drops below ten gallons, we all go down together!” Radio operators listened intently for more messages, but they weren't to come, this would be the last radio transmission heard from Flight 19. It is believed they were in the general vicinity of the SS Empire Viscount.

Shortly thereafter, two PBM-5 Mariner seaplanes were diverted from training exercises to join the search.One PBM-5 Mariner, BuNo 59225, took off from Banana River Naval Air Station at 19:27 (7:27 p.m.); at 19:30 (7:30 p.m.) a routine call was made by BuNo 59225 and it was never heard from again!

At 19:50 (7:50 p.m.) the SS Gaines Mills, a tanker, reported a mid air explosion that left flames of about 100 feet tall burning on the sea for about 10 minutes. Captain Stanley of the Gaines Mills conducted a search for survivors, but none were found. The escort carrier USS Solomons reported losing radar contact with an aircraft in the same location. They were both witnesses to the disappearance of the PBM. There were thirteen Naval personnel on board. As of this time, the disappearance of Flight 19 had costs the lives of 27 Navy and Marine personnel!

Shortly before midnight the phone rang in the NAS Operations building. Joan Powers of Mount Vernon, New York, wife of US Marine Corp Captain Edward Powers, had awakened from a peaceful sleep with a terrible feeling that something bad had happened to her husband! She was told that her husband could not be reached at that time. Captain Powers had been the pilot of aircraft FT-36, one of the five TBM Avengers of Flight 19.

The aircraft, pilots and crewmembers involved in Flight 19 were:

FT-28, Pilot Lieutenant Charles Carroll Taylor USNR, crewmembers AOM3c Robert Harmon, ARM3c Walter R. Parpart USNR.

FT-36, Pilot Captain Edward J. Powers, USMC, crewmembers SSgt. Howell O. Thompson, USMCR, Sgt. George Paonessa, USMC

FT-3, Pilot Ensign Joseph T. Bossi, USNR, crewmembers S1c Herman A. Thelander, USNR, S1c Burt E. Baluk Jr., USNR

FT-117, Pilot Captain George W. Stivers, USMC, crewmembers Pvt. Robert P. Gruebel, USMCR, Sgt. Robert S. Gallivan, USMC

FT-81, Pilot 2nd Lieutenant Robert J. Gerber, USMCR, crewmember Pfc. William E. Lightfoot (a second crewmember was given permission to miss the training exercise that day)

Pilot and crewmembers of the ill-fated PBM-5 Mariner were:

Pilot Lieutenant (JG) Walter G. Jeffery, USN,

Crewmembers:

Lieutenanct (JG) Harrie G. Cone, USN
Ensign Roger M. Allen, USN
Ensign Lloyd A. Eliason, USN
Ensign Charles D. Arceneaux, USN
RM3 Robert C. Cameron, USN
Seaman 1st Wiley D. Cargill, Sr., USN
ARM3 James F. Jordan, USN
AOM3 John T. Menendez, USN
Seaman 1st Philip B. Neeman, USN
AOM3 James F. Osterheld, USN
AMM1 Donald E. Peterson, USN
Seaman 1st Alfred J. Zywicki, USN

Following the disappearance of Flight 19, the U.S. Navy conducted an investigation and issued a 500 page report citing possible mechanical failure which led to misjudgement by Lieutenant Taylor. With no wreckage to inspect and no surviving eyewitnesses to interview, the investigating team was forced to rely almost exclusively on the short, intermittent and frequently garbled radio transmissions overheard from Flight 19. In short, the team seemed to be saying they had no way of reaching a definite conclusion, based on such flimsy evidence.

In the years following the incident, the story of Flight 19 was so embellished that it became the cornerstone of the Bermuda Triangle mystery! On several occassions TBF and TBM Avengers have been found in the area, but none has ever been positively identified as having been part of Flight 19.