New Expedition Launches to Investigate Mysterious Pacific Object Linked to Amelia Earhart
Researchers have launched a new Pacific expedition to examine a mysterious object near Nikumaroro that may be the long-lost plane of aviator Amelia Earhart.
POLICY WIRE — Nikumaroro, Kiribati — A dedicated research team has officially launched an expedition into the Pacific Ocean to investigate a submerged anomaly that experts believe could be the wreckage of Amelia Earhart’s missing aircraft.
The target, identified as the Taraia Object, first appeared in photographic records from 1938. This discovery occurred just one year after Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, vanished during their historic attempt to circumnavigate the globe in an Electra 10E.
The object is located within a lagoon on the island of Nikumaroro, situated in Kiribati roughly halfway between Australia and Hawaii. This site lies approximately 400 miles southeast of the pair’s intended destination, Howland Island.
Collaborators from Purdue University and the Oregon-based Archaeological Legacy Institute are leading the mission. The team previously stated there is very strong evidence suggesting the object is indeed the lost plane.
The recovery plan involves capturing high-resolution imagery before deploying sonar and magnetometers to scan the site. Following these surveys, the team intends to dredge the object from the water for formal identification, with the entire process documented by the Heritage Broadcasting Service.
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Richard Pettigrew of the Archaeological Legacy Institute maintains that Earhart and Noonan likely landed on Nikumaroro and survived for a period. He points to historical 1930s artifacts and human remains discovered on the island years ago as supporting evidence.
However, the theory faces pushback from other experts. Ric Gillespie, executive director of the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, expressed skepticism in 2025, stating, We’ve looked there in that spot, and there is nothing there.
The search for Earhart’s plane has spanned nearly a century. A 2024 expedition previously identified a sonar image resembling an aircraft, though that target was later confirmed to be a natural rock formation.
Reflecting on the enduring mystery, researcher Rover noted, Amelia Earhart was out there. She was going through that exact same thing. So yeah – what happened? What did happen? I would love to know.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
