Shortly afterward, while gazing down on the majestic coastline view below, Pete Rustinberghe called Miami. “This is Pete Rustinberghe of Argosy Flight 902. We’ll be going to Havana, Cuba, and I’d like to get the weather along the route and all the goodies if I could please.”

   Miami came back: “OK, first of all no fronts or systems going down. That tropical wave is still south of Haiti, not affecting the ah weather in Cuba at all. International forecast wise: just lower scattered to broken cumulous, patchy scattered to broken middle clouds bases around 8 to 10 thousand with isolated thunderstorm and rain shower activity along that route.”

   The weather report being good, Hamilton and Rustinberghe kicked back for a routine flight. Departing the Key’s chain of islands, Argosy 902 flew over the deep blue Gulf Stream. Thick clouds billowed here and there, casting their shadows over the busy Gulf Stream traffic below.

     Hamilton called Miami: “Miami Center, this is Argosy nine zero two at six thousand feet.” At this point Argosy 902 experienced selective radio communication. In this case, Miami did not respond. Moments later, at 12:25 p.m., Argosy 902 emerged on Havana’s radar scopes, but Havana could not read any of the messages from the flight due to static. As a courtesy, a high altitude plane relayed the messages to Havana. At 12:35 p.m. the messages became loud and clear.

     Havana was ready to guide Argosy 902 in. The next sweep of the scope showed the DC-3 902 to the right of its course. Then after only a single sweep of the scope, at 12:43 p.m., Argosy Flight 902 was gone. There was no more green blip on the scope. There was no SOS. There was no ELT signal.

   Miami and Havana coordinated an immediate search. USAF and US Coast Guard units raced to the scene, while Cuban air patrol made over-flights within the first hour. By afternoon Coast Guard cutter Steadfast was coordinating the surface effort. The search was expanded to all traffic, plus 4 more cutters, a helicopter and a C-131.  On the 24th of September the search was discontinued with negative results. Nothing, as in the many others losses, was ever located.

     Hamilton had amassed 15,227 total flight hours, 3,000 in DC-3s. Standard conclusions held no speculations. “Aircraft Damage and Injury Index Presumed.”