The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) believe part of the mystery surrounding the Bermuda Triangle has been solved.

According to findings by BBC journalist Tom Mangold, two British commercial planes may have plausible explanations for getting lost in the area one due to a technical failure, the other may have run out of fuel.

The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a vast triangular space between Bermuda, Florida and Puerto Rico where numerous aircraft and ships are believed to have gone missing. In many cases no wreckage, debris or bodies were ever found.

An article released on the BBC website read: "Sixty years ago, commercial flights from London to Bermuda were new and perilous. It would require a refuelling stop on the Azores before the 2,000 mile flight to Bermuda, which at that time was the longest in the world. The planes would have been operating at the limit of their range.

Today planes arriving at the tiny Atlantic island have sufficient reserve fuel to divert to the US East Coast 700 miles away, in case of emergency."

The BBC article continued: "And the planes of the post-war era were far less reliable than today's airliners. British South American Airways (BSAA), which operated the route, had a grim safety record. In three years it had had 11 serious accidents and lost five planes with 73 passengers and 22 crew members killed."

The BBC's examination suggests the BSAA Avro Tudor IV, which disappeared on January 30, 1948, had an unreliable heating system. To keep the aircraft warmer, the pilot perhaps decided to fly at 2,000 feet, burning fuel at a faster rate. The plane was also expected to be slightly off course, which means it was flying an hour later than planned.

The second accident, involving another Avro Tudor IV belonging to BSAA, took place on January 17, 1949. An hour after leaving Bermuda the pilot sent a routine communication of his position, then the plane vanished without a trace at 18,000 feet. In this instance the plane's design may have been to blame, suggest the BBC. The heater system may have caused gas to collect and thereby ignite.

The full article can be found at www.bbc.co.uk.