CA, US & World
Purdue University Team Arrives at Remote Pacific Island to Search for Amelia Earhart’s Missing Plane
A research team backed by Purdue University has arrived at a remote South Pacific island to begin a new search for Amelia Earhart’s missing airplane.
The team reached the waters near Nikumaroro after a five-day voyage that included rough seas and challenging weather. Researchers are preparing to make their way through dense vegetation to reach a lagoon where they hope to find evidence of the aircraft.
Earhart, a pioneering American aviator, disappeared in 1937 while attempting to fly around the world with navigator Fred Noonan. Nearly 90 years later, what happened to the pair remains one of aviation’s most enduring mysteries.
Some researchers believe Earhart and Noonan may have crash-landed on Nikumaroro, an island near the region where some believe her final radio calls for help originated.
Over the years, investigators have reported finding several items on the island that they believe could be relevant to the search. Those discoveries include glass bottles dating to the 1930s, a U.S.-made zipper, a woman’s makeup compact, a medicine vial with partially legible lettering and a partial shoe. Researchers have also reported finding a human skull believed to be female near an old campsite, along with a sextant navigation box.
The significance of those items remains uncertain, and the discoveries have not conclusively established what happened to Earhart or Noonan.
Purdue University is supporting the expedition, reflecting Earhart’s historical connection to the school. She served as a faculty member there, and the university helped finance her aircraft.
The expedition includes 17 team members who will return to their boat at night, sleeping in special pods below deck before continuing their work on the island.
Researchers hope the search will provide new clues about the missing aircraft and help resolve questions that have persisted for generations. The team expects to learn more as the investigation progresses over the coming days.
By: NBC Palm Springs
October 13, 2026
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