A Purdue University-backed expedition searching for Amelia Earhart’s missing Lockheed Electra 10-E has ruled out a suspected wreckage site on Nikumaroro Island in the South Pacific. According to a Purdue announcement released Monday, researchers determined that an object identified in satellite imagery was likely a collection of large trees deposited along a sandspit in the island’s lagoon.
Suspected Wreckage Identified
The 17-member expedition focused on the so-called Taraia Object, an unusual shape first identified in satellite imagery in 2020. By the time researchers reached the site, much of the debris had broken apart or washed away, leaving a Y-shaped fragment. Investigators determined that its reflective appearance, previously believed to indicate a metallic surface, resulted from a carbonate coating.
“I think we accomplished our goal completely,” expedition leader Rick Pettigrew told National Geographic. “The hypothesis has been tested, and the results are in.”
Search Continues
Despite ruling out the suspected wreckage, the team recovered several other artifacts, including a steel tube approximately 30 inches long. Researchers plan to examine the findings to better understand how objects move through the island’s lagoon and accumulate along the Taraia Peninsula. Severe weather interrupted operations and extended the expedition to seven days near Nikumaroro, including four days spent ashore.
Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared July 2, 1937, while attempting to reach Howland Island during their round-the-world flight. The latest expedition was based on the theory that the pair landed on Nikumaroro’s reef and subsequently became stranded.
Ric Gillespie, co-founder of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, had previously questioned whether the suspected wreckage was an aircraft, suggesting it was a fallen tree. Although investigators have now ruled out the Taraia Object, Purdue says it remains committed to continuing the search.
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