Six Mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle

March 25, 2009 — -- Miami, Puerto Rico and Bermuda are separately some of the most sought-after vacation spots in the world.

But together, lines between them make up the approximate boundary of one of the most mysterious and deadly areas on the planet: the Bermuda Triangle.

Ever since Christopher Columbus sailed through the region in 1492, some weird, unexplained stuff has taken place over the Atlantic Ocean there.

Everything from bad weather to supernatural forces have been blamed for several high profile disappearances.

Here are just a few of the tales that deliver more questions than answers.

1945: Bomber Squad Disappears, So Do Rescuers

Although it was not the first unexplained occurrence in the area, many say that what happened to a bomber squadron in December 1945 sparked the legend of the Bermuda Triangle.

The five-plane squadron, Flight 19, with 27 men, set out on a training mission from their base in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and never returned.

According to the Navy's report of the accident, the disappearance was due to "causes or reasons unknown."

Staff Sgt. Howell O. Thompson, pictured above, was a member of the crew of the now infamous Flight 19.

A rescue mission of 13 men was sent to search for Flight 19, but those men, too, never returned.

1918: U.S. Battleship Goes Missing With 306 on Board

The USS Cyclops was a collier that operated between the East Coast and the Caribbean, servicing the Atlantic fleet for a time and then ran trans-Atlantic journeys until February 1918.

After fueling British ships in the south Atlantic in Brazilian waters, the ship embarked from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 16, 1918, came into Barbados in early March and then promptly disappeared completely.

The 306 crew and passengers were never heard from again and, while there are many theories, according to the Naval Historical Center, it "is one of the sea's unsolved mysteries."

1948: DC-3 Commercial Flight Vanishes

On Dec. 28, 1948, Capt. Robert Lindquist took off from San Juan with two crew members and 29 passengers heading for Miami.

When the plane was 50 miles away from Miami, Lindquist reportedly radioed the Miami airport for landing instructions. The airport's reply was met with silence. The plane was never seen again.

According to an investigation by the Civil Aeronautics Board, the plane had electrical difficulties and low battery power. Those findings have not stopped many from blaming supernatural forces on the disappearance.