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‘No conclusive evidence’ of Amelia Earhart’s missing plane found in South Pacific expedition
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- An expedition by the Archaeological Legacy Institute and Purdue University to find Amelia Earhart’s missing plane near Nikumaroro island found no conclusive evidence of wreckage in the lagoon.
- The anomaly initially detected via satellite in 2020 was determined to be a collection of large trees and debris, not metallic plane parts, with much of it fragmented and washed away upon the team’s arrival.
- The reflective surface of the anomaly was identified as a carbonate veneer, disproving earlier theories that it was metallic.
- Despite not locating the plane, the expedition supports the castaway hypothesis that Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan may have landed and been marooned on Nikumaroro, citing artifacts like 1930s glass bottles and a woman’s makeup compact found on the island.
- The team discovered additional artifacts, including a steel tube in the lagoon, which will undergo further analysis as part of ongoing efforts to solve the mystery of Earhart’s disappearance.
