'We are very confident': The finding that may solve the mystery of the vanished aviator

89 years after Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean, a team of 16 researchers will set out in October to Nikumaroro Island to examine a mysterious object in satellite images, 'Taraia object', which may be the remains of her plane. The researchers, from the Institute for Archaeological Heritage and Purdue University, hope to determine if it is a Lockheed Electra 10E. Archaeologist Richard Pettigrew leads the search but stresses it is only a hypothesis.

89 years after Amelia Earhart vanished without a trace over the Pacific Ocean, researchers are preparing to make another attempt to solve one of the most famous mysteries in aviation history. In October, a team of 16 people will set out for Nikumaroro Island to examine the 'Taraia object' – a mysterious object seen in satellite images inside the lagoon. The Institute for Archaeological Heritage and Purdue University hope to determine if it is the remains of the Lockheed Electra 10E that Earhart was flying when she disappeared on July 2, 1937, along with navigator Fred Noonan. Archaeologist Richard Pettigrew, who will lead the search, told USA TODAY: 'I'm very confident about this. I'm excited,' but stressed: 'It's a hypothesis. We won't know until we get there and identify it.' The new expedition is a joint effort of the Institute for Archaeological Heritage and Purdue University. The 16 team members are expected to depart in early October and make a sea journey of about six days to uninhabited Nikumaroro. They will focus on the lagoon and use a hydraulic dredge to remove sand and sediment above the object. If aircraft aluminum is discovered, they will attempt to identify it through structural features, including rivets. The caution is justified: in January 2024, a plane-like object was reported at a depth of five kilometers, but in November 2024 it turned out to be a natural rock formation. Since her disappearance, 19 organized searches have been conducted, and the current expedition will be the 20th. In 2019, an expedition by Robert Ballard and National Geographic mapped the seafloor around the island with no results. The plan is to return in 2027 for a large-scale excavation. Purdue University is in discussions with Kiribati about gaining custody of the aircraft remains. Pettigrew concluded: 'Something is there. It's either the Electra or it's not. Someone has to determine that – and we're the ones going to do it.'