Amelia Earhart Expedition Targets Crab-Infested Island in Search for Lost Plane

A multi-university expedition has launched an ambitious search for Amelia Earhart's lost aircraft, focusing on a remote South Pacific atoll known for its large, aggressive coconut crabs. Researchers from Purdue University and the Archaeological Legacy Institute (ALI) are investigating a submerged object in a lagoon on Nikumaroro island, which they believe could be the final resting place of Earhart's Lockheed Electra 10E.

The 17-member team arrived at the island on October 12, utilizing a floating hydraulic dredge to clear sediment from the underwater site. The focus is on the "Taraia Object," a shape identified in satellite imagery in 2020 that historical photographs suggest has been in the lagoon since 1938. Researchers aim to confirm its identity by examining aluminum skin and rivet patterns.

This expedition marks the 20th organized search for Earhart, who disappeared with navigator Fred Noonan on July 2, 1937, while attempting to circumnavigate the globe. The current theory posits that Earhart and Noonan miscalculated their course, landing on Nikumaroro instead of their intended destination, Howland Island, which is approximately 350 miles to the north.

Nikumaroro, part of the Phoenix Islands and now under the jurisdiction of Kiribati, is overrun by massive coconut crabs, some measuring up to three feet. These crustaceans, known for their powerful claws and scavenging habits, have fueled speculation about the fate of any potential remains of Earhart and Noonan. The research team is sleeping aboard their vessel each night for safety.

Previous searches have been hampered by natural underwater formations. However, researchers point to post-landing radio distress signals and artifacts discovered on Nikumaroro as evidence supporting its role in Earhart's final flight. In 1940, human bones were found on the island and later analyzed in 2018, reportedly consistent with a woman of Earhart's build. Remnants from the 1930s, including a woman's shoe and a jar of freckle cream, have also been recovered, suggesting the pair may have survived for a time as castaways before the aircraft was lost.

If the team confirms the wreckage during their five-day operational window, they plan to map the site and aim for a full recovery mission next year. Purdue University is in negotiations with the government of Kiribati to potentially return any recovered wreckage to the United States.

Earhart had a significant connection to Purdue University, serving as a career counselor for women and an advisor to the Department of Aeronautics in 1935. Her aviation achievements include being the first woman to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932 and the first person to fly solo nonstop across the United States.