Nearly nine decades after legendary aviator Amelia Earhart vanished during her attempt to fly around the world, a new investigation may finally reveal what happened to her.
Earhart, already a global icon as the first woman to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic, set out in 1937 with navigator Fred Noonan to become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe by air. They departed in a specially modified Lockheed Electra on March 17, but an early crash forced them to postpone the trip.
After repairs, they launched a second attempt on June 1, 1937, making a series of fuel stops along the way. But on July 2, with most of their journey behind them, Earhart and Noonan took off from Lae, Papua New Guinea, bound for Howland Island, and were never seen again.
Despite global efforts, no conclusive evidence of their fate has ever been found. That could change soon.
A possible breakthrough in 2025
Later this year, Purdue University, which originally helped fund Earhart’s ill-fated flight, will send a research team to a remote island in the Pacific based on a promising lead. Satellite images from 2015 appear to show the outline of a plane submerged near Nikumaroro, a small atoll once called Gardner Island. If confirmed, it could finally solve one of aviation’s greatest mysteries.
Early clues: Bones, metal, and personal items
Nikumaroro has long been suspected as the site where Earhart and Noonan may have crash-landed. In 1940, human bones and several items, possibly belongings of the missing aviators, were discovered on the island, including a freckle cream, per ABC.
Initially, the remains were identified as male, but later analysis suggested they more closely matched a woman of Earhart’s height and build. Forensic anthropologist Richard Jantz noted: “If the bones do not belong to Amelia Earhart, then they are from someone very similar to her.”
Over the years, more intriguing finds emerged. In 1991, The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) found fragments of a 1930s-era shoe heel, similar to footwear Earhart was photographed wearing. However, the shoe size was larger than what she was believed to wear, casting doubt.
TIGHAR also discovered a sheet of scrap metal, which was initially unidentified, Wired reports. Later photo analysis showed it may have matched a repair done to Earhart’s Electra before her second takeoff.
More evidence (and more questions)
In 2010, a small bone fragment recovered from the island was speculated to be a finger bone (possibly Earhart’s) but testing was inconclusive, and it couldn’t even be confirmed as human, according to NBC.
In 2012, a cosmetic jar believed to contain freckle cream was found at a possible castaway site. TIGHAR director Ric Gillespie pointed to its significance: “We know that Earhart had freckles and was self-conscious about them. This type of product was marketed exclusively to women in the U.S. during the 1930s.” One shard of the broken jar appeared to have been used as a cutting tool.
Then in 2015, satellite images surfaced showing what some researchers believe to be the silhouette of a plane partially buried in sand near Nikumaroro. While some believe it could be the Electra, Gillespie remains skeptical, suggesting the object might actually be a washed-up coconut tree.
The 2025 expedition
Now, Purdue University plans to put those satellite images to the test. A new research team will travel to Nikumaroro to investigate the potential crash site and search for aircraft debris.
If confirmed, the discovery could finally bring closure to a decades-old mystery that has captivated historians, aviation buffs, and conspiracy theorists alike.
All eyes will be on what the team uncovers beneath the waves, and whether they’ll finally answer the question that’s lingered since 1937: What really happened to Amelia Earhart?