Brief
Expedition finds no conclusive evidence of Amelia Earhart’s plane on Nikumaroro
Researchers say the Tara Tara Object is likely debris, not the missing aircraft.
By Felo News Desk · Published
An expedition led by the Archaeological Legacy Institute and Purdue University reported Sunday that it found no conclusive evidence of Amelia Earhart’s missing Lockheed Electra 10‑E on Nikumaroro, a remote atoll in Kiribati.
What happened
The team departed Tarawa on Oct. 6, sailed five days to the uninhabited coral atoll, and began a five‑day investigation on Oct. 13. They focused on a satellite‑detected anomaly in the lagoon, dubbed the Taraia Object, which had been thought to be metallic wreckage.
What the reports add
According to the expedition’s news release, the anomaly turned out to be a collection of large trees and a carbonate veneer, not a metal surface. A remaining Y‑shaped fragment was only a small fraction of the original feature seen in satellite images. The researchers also recovered a 30‑inch steel tube and 1930s glass bottles, but said these do not confirm the presence of the aircraft.
What was said
Rick Pettigrew, executive director of the Archaeological Legacy Institute, told NBC News in a video message, “We think it’s most likely that the object was a collection of debris that accumulated here.” He added, “We accomplished our goal to determine what the Taraia Object was.”
How it came about
The search builds on earlier Felo News coverage of the same expedition, which noted the team’s aim to test the “castaway hypothesis” that Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan landed on the atoll after losing contact with the U.S. Coast Guard on July 2, 1937. While the latest findings do not solve the mystery, the effort continues to support that hypothesis.
Key facts
- The expedition found no conclusive evidence of Earhart’s plane on Nikumaroro. (nbcnews.com)
- The Taraia Object was identified as a collection of trees and carbonate sediment. (nbcnews.com)
- Researchers recovered a 30‑inch steel tube and 1930s glass bottles, but these do not confirm the aircraft’s presence. (nbcnews.com)
- Rick Pettigrew said the team achieved its goal of identifying the anomaly. (nbcnews.com)
Sources
- [1] nbcnews.com — originally reported as “‘No conclusive evidence’ of Amelia Earhart’s missing plane found in South Pacific expedition”
