A team of American researchers is making significant progress in their quest to locate what remains of aviator Amelia Earhart’s missing plane near a remote island in the South Pacific. The search operation is led by Steve Schultz from Purdue University and Richard Pettigrew from the Archaeological Legacy Institute. The team commenced this meticulous search on Wednesday, focusing on potentially locating Earhart’s Lockheed Electra 10-E plane.
“We’re exploring the land and searching for artifacts related to Amelia Earhart,” Pettigrew informed CBS News. Schultz noted, “We are still in the preliminary stage of data gathering.” The expedition team is conducting their search in a lagoon near the island of Nikumaroro. They are inspecting an area referred to as the Taraia Object, a previously undetected visual anomaly visible in aerial photos from 1938 and discovered via satellite imagery in 2020, which led to this new expedition.
The 17-member team reached the remote search area after a five-day voyage. They aim to determine within a few days whether the discovered site could be Earhart’s aircraft. “Our next move involves a thorough analysis of the gathered data followed by using a hydraulic dredge to clear sediment,” shared Pettigrew. Earhart vanished on July 2, 1937, during an attempt to become the first person to fly around the equator. Her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared alongside her 22,000 miles into their journey.
Nikumaroro is positioned within Kiribati’s archipelago, situated about 400 miles southeast of Howland Island, which researchers identify as the intended final destination of Earhart and Noonan’s expedition. Their fate has been one of the most enduring mysteries. “We are the only team that has crafted a plan for this type of investigation, making ours entirely unique,” stated Pettigrew.
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