Possible Earhart plane wreckage on Pacific island likely washed-up trees, researchers say

Researchers who travelled to Nikumaroro in Kiribati to investigate a possible clue to Amelia Earhart’s disappearance now believe the object they examined was probably washed-up trees, not wreckage from her aircraft.

The so-called Taraia Object was first spotted in satellite images in 2020. Its shape and reflective appearance led researchers to consider whether it might be part of a small plane in shallow water. Purdue University, which played a leading role in the study, said it was likely a collection of large trees deposited on a sandspit.

By the team’s arrival, much of the debris had broken apart and washed away, leaving one Y-shaped section, the university said. The researchers spent four days investigating the site.

Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared in 1937 while trying to reach Howland Island, about 644km from Nikumaroro, during her attempt to fly around the world. One theory is that they reached Nikumaroro and that Earhart died there after ditching the plane.

Project director Rick Pettigrew said the latest search had not resolved the mystery, but he believed conclusive evidence might eventually be found on the island. [1]