Mystery of Amelia Earhart's plane could be solved in days

Key points

• Researchers may find Amelia Earhart's plane within days near Nikumaroro in the South Pacific.
• The team is examining the Taraia Object, a visual anomaly seen in 1938 aerial photos and 2020 satellite imagery.
• Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan vanished on July 2, 1937, during a flight around the equator.

American researchers say they could know within days whether they have found the remains of Amelia Earhart's plane off a remote South Pacific island. An expedition led by Steve Schultz of Purdue University and Richard Pettigrew of the Archaeological Legacy Institute began searching on Wednesday for what may be Earhart's Lockheed Electra 10-E.

The team is searching a lagoon off Nikumaroro, part of the archipelago nation of Kiribati, about halfway between Australia and Hawaii. Stormy weather slowed their work on Wednesday, but members said they expect a definitive answer about the object in the coming days.

Focus on the Taraia Object

The expedition is inspecting a visual anomaly known as the Taraia Object, which has been visible in aerial photos dating back to 1938 and was first noticed in satellite imagery in 2020. That imagery inspired the new expedition.

The search area is so remote that the 17-member team took five days at sea to reach it. Pettigrew said the next step is complete analysis of the data gathered, then using a hydraulic dredge to remove sediment from the bottom.

We're looking at the land, we're looking for artifacts that might relate to Amelia Earhart

— Richard Pettigrew

Earhart's 1937 disappearance

Earhart went missing on July 2, 1937, while attempting to become the first person to fly around the equator. She and her navigator, Fred Noonan, vanished 22,000 miles into the journey.

Nikumaroro is about 400 miles southeast of Howland Island, which researchers say was the final destination of Earhart and Noonan's flight. Their disappearance remains one of the world's greatest mysteries.