The mystery of Amelia Earhart explained as scientists 'finally discover' lost plane after 88 years
The mystery of Amelia Earhart remains one of the most fascinating missing persons' cases of modern history.
Earhart was an ambitious pilot and a pioneer during early twentieth-century flight, becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and the first person to first person to fly solo from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland.
Her achievements may not sound too impressive when compared to the ease and convenience of modern day flying, but aviation during the 1920s and 30s was a completely different world – one which Earhart was at the forefront of.
Earhart was also a huge advocate for women pursuing aviation and STEM careers, meaning she was not only a skilled pilot but also a feminist icon.
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However, Earhart's career would come to a premature end in 1937, when she disappeared while flying across the Pacific Ocean - with what is believed to be her plane finally being unearthed 88 years on in a groundbreaking discovery.
What happened to Amelia Earhart?
2 July marked the 88th anniversary of Earhart's infamous disappearance.
In May 1937, the 41-year-old announced her ambitious plan to circumnavigate the globe alongside navigator Fred Noonan. The pair picked an ambitious route along the equator, which began with a route flight across the United States before going on to make numerous stops in South America, Africa, Asia and Australia.
By 29 June Earhart and Noonan had landed in Lae, New Guinea and had just 7,000 miles (11,000 km) of their journey let to go, all of which would be over the Pacific Ocean.
On 2 July 1937, the pair departed Lae onboard their twin-engine Lockheed Electra and headed for Howland Island to refuel.
They would never make it.
What is the leading theory on Amelia Earhart’s disappearance?
The most likely explanation for Earhart and Noonan's disappearance was that the pair ran out of fuel and crashed into the Pacific.
This theory is backed up by the final radio transmissions ground crews received from Earhart, with the pilot relaying concerns about poor weather conditions and low fuel.
"We must be on you, but we cannot see you," Earhart told the nearby USS Itasca (via docsteach). "Fuel is running low. Been unable to reach you by radio. We are flying at 1,000 feet."
At 8:43 am Earhart added: "We are on the line 157-337, flying north and south," which indicated they were flying towards Howland Island.
This would be the last transmission from the pair. Several search and rescue missions would take place over the following couple of days, but they were called off two weeks later.
Both Earhart and Noonan were assumed to have perished in a crash, with the pair being declared dead in absentia in 1939.
What are the other theories on Amelia Earhart's disappearance?
The lack of concrete answers about what happened to Earhart and Noonan has also led to numerous other theories springing up over the years, some of which are a little more believable than others.
According to National Geographic, one theory is that Earhart and Noonan were ultimately taken prisoner by Imperial Japanese forces after failing to locate Howland Island.
Opinions over Earhart's ultimate fate in this theory are divided, with some people believe she and Noonan were executed as spies, while others argue the pair were able to return to the US under false identities.
Numerous other theories about Earhart surviving the crash have also popped up over the years, including the idea that she lived out the rest of her days as a castaway on Nikumaroro atoll - which is located about 400 miles southeast of Howland Island - with her body being eaten by giant coconut crabs after passing away.
Have scientists now found Amelia Earhart’s plane?
The Nikumaroro island theory has since gained further traction over the years, thanks to numerous artefacts linked to Earhart being recovered from the remote location.
In 1940, human remains and numerous possessions were recovered on the tiny strip of land. The remains were widely believed to have been Earhart's, however, this has been disputed.
The theory has recently made headlines once again after researchers at Purdue University - where Earhart had once taught - confirmed they would be launching a new investigation into satellite images taken in 2015 appeared to show Earhart's missing plane in a lagoon on Nikumaroro.
A research team will now head out to the tiny Kiribati island in November this year, with Steve Schultz, Purdue’s general counsel, telling NBC News the team would love to bring her aircraft back to the US.
"We believe we owe it to Amelia and her legacy at Purdue to fulfil her wishes, if possible, to bring the Electra back to Purdue," he said.
Maybe 2025 will finally bring an answer to one of the biggest mysteries of the twentieth century.
Topics: Community, History, Amelia Earhart
Brenna Cooper