The mystery of the Star Tiger

Macmillian found that the crew had vast aeronautical experience and were well-versed with the London to Kingston route. It concluded that the airline "did not sufficiently ensure that significant changes in the weather ahead of an aircraft would be known to it."

But they couldn't determine if weather was what brought the plane down. Nor did they believe radio or mechanical failure, fuel exhaustion, or meteorological hazards caused the Star Tiger to disappear.

"In closing this report," wrote Lord Macmillian, "it may truly be said that no more baffling problem has ever been presented for investigation. In the complete absence of any reliable evidence as to either the nature or the cause of the disaster to Star Tiger, the court has not been able to do more than suggest possibilities, none of which reaches the level of probability. A breakdown may occur in either separately or in both in conjunction. Or some external cause may overwhelm both man and machine. What happened in this case will never be known."

The possibility of sabotage was raised by BSAA with the suggestion that Sir Arthur Coningham was the intended target.

However, the inquiry did not probe claims that a known war resister was spotted near the Star Tiger shortly before takeoff. In 1992, Coningham biographer Vincent Orange revealled that British prime minister Clement Atlee had dismissed any calls for a new investigation, despite being pressured by BSAA. The company's director, Donald Bennett, a former air commodore, insist that nefarious forces plotted to bring down the plane but Atlee was willing to turn a blind eye to these claims.

Bennett again raised the spectre of foul play when, almost one year later, on Jan. 17, 1949, another Tudor IV, the Star Ariel, disappeared between Bermuda and Jamaica under unexplained circumstances.

The Star Tiger's fate remains speculative, but the vanishing gave rise to the Bermuda Triangle legend. While there are some who believe there was a plot to kill Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham, many others embrace the paranormal aspects of the case.

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