Expedition to locate Amelia Earhart

A expedition Attempting to locate Amelia Earhart’s plane on a remote Pacific island has been delayed until next year, Purdue University said Monday.

A team of researchers planned to travel to Nikumaroro Island in early November to determine whether something known as the Taraia Object (a visual anomaly seen in satellite and other images) is Earhart’s plane. They are now awaiting additional clearances from local authorities as they work on permit approval, and are unable to travel later this year due to the start of the cyclone season, according to a news release.

“We have overcome other challenges for this project over the past four years, and we will overcome this one as well,” Richard Pettigrew, executive director of the Archaeological Legacy Institute, said in the statement. “Due to the compelling evidence in front of us, we have to go to Nikumaroro and take a closer look at the Taraia Object. Rest assured, we will do just that, so stay tuned! We will have a revised project schedule soon.”

The underwater object has been visible in photographs dating back to 1938, a year after Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan missing while Earhart, piloting a Lockheed 10-E Electra, attempted to become the first female aviator to fly around the world.

Researchers previously said that there are “very strong” evidence that the object, found in a lagoon on Nikumaroro, a small island in Kiribati halfway between Australia and Hawaii, is the iconic aviator plane. Some, however, have expressed skepticism. “We’ve searched that location and there’s nothing there,” Ric Gillespie, executive director of the International Historic Aircraft Recovery Group, told NBC News in July.

A team of researchers from Purdue and the Archaeological Legacy Institute plan to take photographs and videos of the site and then use magnetometers and sonar devices to scan the area. The object will then be dredged and removed from the water so researchers can attempt to identify it.

Expedition member Steve Schultz, senior vice president and general counsel at Purdue University, said, “Marine expeditions require thorough preparation and numerous clearances.”

“We have gained valuable insights throughout this process and are very confident and determined to continue this pursuit with an expected exit in 2026,” he said.