As the NOVA program "Vanished!" makes clear, modern science has answered most
of the questions surrounding the 1947 crash of the civilian aircraft
Stardust in the Andes east of Santiago, Chile. Yet one mystery remains:
STENDEC, the final enigmatic Morse-code message sent by Stardust's radio
operator just before the plane went down. For more than half a century,
experienced radio operators, Morse code enthusiasts, relatives of the 11
passengers and crew members who perished in the crash, and others have tried to
find a meaning for STENDEC. But to date, no theory has emerged as the
unequivocal explanation.
Below we offer a summary of STENDEC theories, a primer on Morse code, the official 1947 accident report, and the theories of readers who responded in the week following the initial broadcast on January 30, 2001. Use these to take a stab at solving STENDEC yourself.
