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The recent revelation of a grainy sonar image by a private pilot has reignited interest in the enduring mystery surrounding Amelia Earhart's disappearance during her around-the-world flight in 1937.
Despite previous expeditions yielding no results and confirming vast ocean areas without her twin-tailed monoplane, Tony Romeo, the founder of a South Carolina-based sea exploration company, is now convinced that his team has captured an outline of Amelia Earhart's iconic Lockheed 10-E Electra. This development has sparked optimism among archaeologists and explorers.
Over the weekend, the Deep Sea Vision team, headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, revealed a significant discovery, sharing that they've obtained a sonar image in the Pacific Ocean that they believe could be Amelia Earhart's Lockheed 10-E Electra aircraft.
Deep-sea discovery sparks hope in Amelia Earhart's mystery
The team has turned to social media to express their optimism that the recently discovered wreckage could indeed be the Lockheed 10-E Electra that disappeared 87 years ago during Amelia Earhart and co-pilot Fred Noonan's failed circumnavigation attempt.
On January 27, Deep Sea Vision, an ocean exploration company, posted footage of their undersea expedition on their Instagram account. As reported in the post, the team used the Kongsberg Discovery HUGIN 6000, the most advanced unmanned underwater drone, to map over 5200 square miles of ocean bottom with a sixteen-person crew.
Their efforts have potentially led to the discovery of Earhart’s legendary Lockheed 10-E Electra. The enduring mystery surrounding Earhart's disappearance has fascinated researchers for years, and this topic is still of interest today.
In 2017, a History Channel documentary presented a thrilling hypothesis, claiming that Earhart and Noonan survived the crash, found their way to the Marshall Islands, and were subsequently captured by the Japanese. The documentary even speculated that the US government might have been aware of the fate of the aviators from the beginning.
Expert's view on Amelia's tragic Pacific disappearance
Dorothy Cochrane, the Aeronautics Department curator at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, offered a perspective on Amelia Earhart’s disappearance. She believed that the plane likely crashed near Howland Island when it ran out of fuel.
In an interview with the BBC, she mentioned that, with how strong Earhart’s radio call to the USCG Itasca was, waiting at Howland Island, according to her analysis, Earhart and her companion Fred Noonan were only a few miles away from the island. Cochrane observed sadly that it seemed they were unable to locate the tiny island before having to ditch the Electra into the Pacific Ocean, referring to Earhart's statement before her demise, which was:
"We must be on you..."
Doubts and Theories: Experts assess Earhart's mysterious disappearance
Despite Cochrane's fairly certain belief about Earhart's fate, she remains skeptical of the recent discovery, emphasizing the sole evidence being a sonar image.
Cochrane expressed the need for further identification through photography, stating that it would greatly assist in confirming the object's identity. She remains optimistic about Deep Sea Vision's (DSV) search near Howland Island, speculating on the possibility of another expedition.
Richard Jantz, professor emeritus of anthropology and director emeritus at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Forensic Anthropology Center, has put forth his own theory. In 2018, he re-evaluated bone measurements from 1940, revealing errors and suspicions that the bones could be of Amelia Earhart.
His research showed a significant resemblance in over 99 percent of individuals, implying Earhart's demise on Nikumaroro, about 640 kilometers south of Howland, where the bones were discovered.
Jantz, when speaking to the BBC, affirmed that his stance remains unchanged despite the recent discovery. He emphasized,
"To disprove the Nikumaroro hypothesis, the aircraft would need to be definitively identified as Earhart’s Electra."
Jantz stressed that until such identification occurs, speculating about a connection to Amelia Earhart is premature.
Amelia Earhart's fate: Gillespie's confidence in Nikumaroro Theory
Richard Gillespie, founder of the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery and a leading authority on Earhart's disappearance, staunchly supports the Nikumaroro theory.
Even after overseeing 12 expeditions and dismissing the recent sonar discovery as not being Earhart's plane, Gillespie emphasizes the need for conclusive evidence, arguing that the grainy image lacks significance and suggests a resemblance to a US Navy fighter jet rather than the Lockheed Electra.
Nevertheless, many individuals are content to embrace the enduring mystery surrounding Earhart's disappearance. For nearly a century, Earhart's story has held a captivating allure worldwide.
For those who have been captivated by Amelia Earhart's enigmatic tale, the confirmation of the aircraft as hers would be a long-awaited resolution. As experts and enthusiasts alike eagerly await further investigations, the hope remains that the truth behind Earhart's final journey will be unveiled, bringing closure to a century-old enigma.
