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Researchers from Indiana's Purdue University are expected to arrive today on Nikumaroro Island in the Pacific, continuing the search for Amelia Earhart's missing plane. The expedition, called the Taraia Object mission, aims to investigate a visual anomaly in the island's lagoon that may be the wreckage of Earhart's Lockheed Electra aircraft.
Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, vanished on July 2, 1937, during their attempt to fly around the world along the Equator. Their disappearance has puzzled experts for nearly 90 years. The U.S. government conducted its largest-ever search for a lost aircraft, but after two weeks, no trace was found, and they were declared legally dead in 1939.
The current expedition, a joint effort by the Purdue Research Foundation and the Archaeological Legacy Institute, involves a 16-person team led by archaeologist Richard Pettigrew. "I am feeling very confident about this," Pettigrew said. The team plans to use magnetometers and sonar devices to examine the Taraia Object, which has been visible in photos since 1938.
In 1940, skeletal remains found on Nikumaroro reportedly matched Earhart's description. Recent research by University of Tennessee's Richard Jantz supports the theory that Earhart and Noonan landed and died on the island. Jantz's analysis showed that the bones found on the island closely matched Earhart's bone structure.
The mission has received approval from the Kiribati government, and if the object is confirmed as Earhart's plane, a full-scale archaeological excavation will follow. Purdue University plans to display the findings if the wreckage is identified.
Despite skepticism from some experts, like Ric Gillespie of the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, who previously searched the area, the team remains hopeful. The researchers plan to provide daily updates and expect to announce their findings around October 16.