Purdue University to lead expedition to find Amelia Earhart's airplane

NBC News ^ | July 2, 2025 | Tom Costello, Jay Blackman, Melissa Chan

[WonkyTonky]

Purdue University will lead a new expedition to locate Amelia Earhart's airplane on Nikumaroro Island in Kiribati, based on a satellite image and evidence suggesting the airplane might be buried in sand.

[WonkyTonky]

I hope they find her airplane after all these years

[BenLurkin]

She’s going to seated at the controls.

[AZJeep]

She is long dead, this is a waste of money!

[plain talk]

Worth a try and wish them well.

[READINABLUESTATE]

Research grant scam.

[linMcHlp]

I suspect that the aircraft slipped off the reef-shelf-”beach” - carried so, by ocean tidal and wave forces; but the she might have landed “inland” along the edge of the lagoon.

[PAR35]

She’s going to seated at the controls.

No, the Nips probably ate her.

[fidelis]

It’s like looking for the Lost Dutchman mine. People will keep looking, but they’ll probably never find it. My guess is that, since they haven’t found it yet, that plane is at the bottom of the ocean far from any island or landmass.

[WonkyTonky]

Yes, I agree, I think they landed on the reef because people heard her radio calls later, which could of only happened if one of her engines was running. She and Noonan survived the landing but the ocean probably took her airplane out with the tide and destroyed it eventually, I think both of them died on that island unfortunately.

[Salvavida]

I wish they’d get after rare earth minerals, or something else that is useful.

[HYPOCRACY]

Probably a reality show in the works.

[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, okay. File under "NTSA". Adding to the catalog but not pinging.

• The Taraia Object: Amelia Earhart's Aircraft? [04/03/2025]
• Hopes of finding Amelia Earhart's missing plane are DASHED once again: Sonar image thought to be the wreckage of her aircraft turns out to be a 'bunch of rocks' [11/06/2024]
• Amelia Earhart's Plane 'Found' in Depths of Pacific After $11M Search [01/30/2024]
• Former Intelligence Officer Believes He Discovered Amelia Earhart's Missing Plane [01/28/2024]
• Huge breakthrough in search for Amelia Earhart's missing plane as downed aircraft seemingly appears on the ocean floor in new SONAR image: Experts are 'intrigued' by impressive clue 87 years after her mysterious disappearance [01/27/2024]
• The wreckage in the jungle[Amelia Earhart] [08/06/2018]
• Scientist '99 percent' sure bones found belong to Amelia Earhart [03/07/2018]
• Amelia Earhart mystery solved? Scientist '99 percent' sure bones found belong to aviator [03/07/2018]
• New evidence suggests Amelia Earhart died as a castaway on remote Pacific island [11/01/2016]
• Group: Piece of metal may solve mystery of Amelia Earhart's disappearance [10/30/2014]
• Earhart search's sugar daddy says her plane was found in 2010 [06/12/2013]
• Earhart's Electra Found? [05/30/2013]
• Earhart expedition team says video possibly shows plane debris [08/17/2012]
• Latest Amelia Earhart search falls short [07/23/2012]
• Search for Earhart's Wrecked Plane Continues [07/19/2012]
• In South Pacific, search is on for Amelia Earhart's plane [07/04/2012]
• Is the Amelia Earhart mystery finally about to be solved? (Diving for plane) [03/03/2011]
• Bones found on island may belong to Amelia Earhart [12/17/2010]
• Amelia Earhart's Final Struggle Possibly Revealed by Newly-Discovered Artifacts: Researchers [06/07/2010]
• Is This Earhart's Final Landing Site [07/14/2007]
• Island Prison Hunt for (Amelia) Earhart [04/07/2005]
• Fate of Amelia Earhart prompts jail excavation [03/30/2005]
• Jail Where Amelia Earhart Said Held to Be Probed [03/29/2005]
• Amelia Earhart's Gravesite Found? [10/20/2003]

[willk]

My dad told me when I was a kid that it was the Japanese (he served on a WWII destroyer and cruiser in the Pacific).

[lee martell]

A Rich Fool’s errand, i.e. Titanic excavations,
D.B. Cooper discovery, Loch Ness Monster Hunt,
“New” Shroud of Turin discovery, Jimmy Hoffa remains,
Chupacabra sightings. Granddaughter of a Time Traveling Pharaoh writes memoir.

[Doctor Congo]

Looks like Noonan did a good job and found them a landing spot. I suspect the plane had a problem and had to land somewhere quick.

[pricilla]

You are about to enter one of the dark corners of.................the twilight zone

[mass55th]

Must be they’ve got government grant money to blow.

[mass55th]

"Research grant scam."

Spend that Federal money since you won't be getting as much now, or none at all.

[South Dakota]

A skeleton was found there years ago.
It was assumed it was a man but now they think it would as a woman.
Of course the skeleton has disappeared

[DIRTYSECRET]

Would Mitch Daniels allow it? Just asking.