The search for Amelia Earhart's missing plane has reached a critical phase as the expedition team has arrived on Nikumaroro Island in the Pacific Ocean. The 17-person Taraia Object team, led by Rick Pettigrew, arrived at the remote island after a five-day journey across the Pacific. The team is investigating a mysterious anomaly spotted in satellite imagery that some researchers believe could be Earhart's lost Lockheed Electra.
The expedition centers on the Nikumaroro Hypothesis, a theory that Earhart's plane crashed near the island. The team will divide into two groups, with one team accessing the lagoon through the Tatiman Passage and the other team cutting a trail through the jungle to connect the landing site to the southern side of the lagoon. Staging areas will be established on both ends of the jungle trail to support the team's work.
The team's first day on the island will focus on transporting equipment, clearing vegetation, and establishing operations at the beach and on the south side of the lagoon. On Wednesday, the team will move to the Taraia Peninsula. The expedition is being led by Purdue University, which has a long-standing connection to Earhart, who served as a career counselor and adviser to women students at the university in the 1930s.
The university became involved in the search after Pettigrew approached the Purdue Research Foundation in February 2025. If the Taraia Object is confirmed to be Earhart's airplane, the team hopes to conduct a full-scale archaeological excavation next year with the proper permissions. The eventual curation of the wreckage has been discussed with the Republic of Kiribati, with the goal of returning the plane to Purdue to be displayed, consistent with Earhart's original wishes.
Amelia Earhart disappeared on July 2, 1937, while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the globe by air. She was 39 years old at the time of her disappearance.
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