Amelia Earhart's Long-Lost Plane Possibly Found: A New Lead in a Century-Old Mystery

 

One of aviation’s most enduring mysteries, the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, may be a step closer to being solved. In early 2024, an ocean exploration team from Deep Sea Vision announced a potential breakthrough after capturing sonar images of what appears to be Earhart’s Lockheed Electra at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The object was discovered around 100 miles from Howland Island, where Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, were scheduled to refuel during their fateful 1937 flight​

opb.WLRN.

This discovery is the result of a deep-sea expedition that covered over 5,200 square miles between Australia and Hawaii. Using advanced unmanned underwater drones, the team spotted the airplane-shaped object that matches both the size and distinctive tail shape of Earhart’s aircraft. Tony Romeo, founder of Deep Sea Vision and a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer, expressed optimism, saying, "It would be hard to convince me that this is not an airplane, and not Amelia’s plane"​

Maine Public.

The potential discovery reignites interest in the theory that Earhart’s plane ran out of fuel and sank into the ocean. However, there are still other theories suggesting that Earhart and Noonan may have crash-landed on an island or been captured by Japanese forces during the tense prelude to World War II​

opb

​

Hawaii Public Radio.

As the team plans further exploration of the site, the world waits to see if this long-standing mystery will finally be solved.