Object thought to be Amelia Earhart’s missing plane likely a 'collection of large trees', researchers find

An expedition to investigate if an anomaly seen on a satellite image of a remote island in the South Pacific was Amelia Earhart’s missing plane has ended without recovering the wreckage.

Following an expedition to Nikumaroro, an uninhabited coral atoll in the Phoenix Islands belonging to the Republic of Kiribati, researchers concluded the object was likely to be washed-up trees.

The team from the Archaeological Legacy Institute (ALI) and Purdue University had sought to identify the visual anomaly - known as the Taraia Object - that was first seen in satellite images in 2020.

Nikumaroro has long been speculated to be the landing site of Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, who disappeared in July 1937.

Earhart - who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic - was attempting to become the first female pilot to fly around the entire world.

After gathering evidence at the site, researchers concluded that the object was "likely a collection of large trees deposited along the peninsula's sandspit", Purdue University said.

By the time researchers arrived at the site, a significant portion of the debris had washed away, and the object's reflective surface was found to likely be caused by a naturally-occurring carbonate veneer.

Researchers found other artefacts on the island, including a steel tube, which will continue to be studied.

Steve Schultz, Purdue general counsel and expedition member, said: "Perhaps no words better capture this expedition than Amelia Earhart's own: 'Adventure is worthwhile in itself'.

"We set out to test a hypothesis, not to guarantee a particular result, and we followed the evidence to the end.

"While the Taraia Object did not prove to be what we hoped, the journey produced new discoveries, added to the world's knowledge of Nikumaroro, and wrote another extraordinary chapter in a story of discovery and exploration."

The team travelled five days by sea to Nikumaroro, before the expedition was extended due to poor weather.

Rick Pettigrew, ALI's executive director, said: "Amelia Earhart's spirit of courage and curiosity drove every step of the search.

"We accomplished our goal to determine what the Taraia Object was, and we're deeply grateful to the private donors who shared our vision and made this journey possible.

"Our team remains in great spirits and proud of what was accomplished."

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Earhart and Noonan departed Lae, Papua New Guinea, for the third-to-last leg of their trip on 2 July 1937. They were heading to Howland Island, about 400 miles northwest of Nikumaroro, when they vanished.

Earhart's Lockheed Electra plane, affectionately known as her "flying laboratory", was purchased with funds from the Purdue Research Foundation.

Earhart had intended to return the plane to Purdue when she completed her circumnavigation.

The team remains committed to the castaway hypothesis that Earhart and Noonan did not crash into the sea, but instead landed on the island and were marooned there.

They point to evidence including the discovery of human bones, a woman's shoe and a freckle cream jar on the island to support their theory. The team said they would continue their search to find the aircraft.

Mr Schultz said: "Amelia Earhart never gave up - she kept pushing boundaries and flying into the unknown.

"That same fire fuels our search. She kept flying, and we will keep searching."

(c) Sky News 2026: Object thought to be Amelia Earhart’s missing plane likely a 'collection of large trees