A statue of Amelia Earhart is pictured at the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison, Kansas, US Feb 16, 2024. REUTERS/Arin Yoon
Published : 13 Oct 2026, 10:39 PM
Updated : 13 Oct 2026, 10:39 PM
A 17-strong research team is investigating a mysterious object spotted in satellite imagery on a remote Pacific island that may be the wreckage of Amelia Earhart’s plane, The Independent reports.
The team, funded by Purdue University, arrived at Nikumaroro Island in the Republic of Kiribati after a five-day ocean voyage and began its investigation on Wednesday, the university said.
Researchers are focusing on an anomalous object visible in satellite images of the area, which some believe could be Earhart’s Lockheed 10E Electra twin-engine aircraft.
Earhart, a pioneering aviator and the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, vanished on Jul 2, 1937, along with navigator Fred Noonan.
The pair, aged 39 and 44 respectively, were attempting to circumnavigate the globe when their plane ran low on fuel and disappeared over the Pacific.
They had been heading to Howland Island, around 400 miles north of Nikumaroro, when contact was lost.
According to The Independent, the Nikumaroro site has long been a focus of Earhart researchers, and the current expedition represents one of the most promising leads in decades.