By Tim Binnall
A Purdue-backed expedition searching for Amelia Earhart's lost plane has arrived at the tiny island of Nikumaroro, where the pioneering pilot's Lockheed Electra may have come to rest. The highly anticipated endeavor, organized by the Purdue Research Foundation (PRF) and the Archaeological Legacy Institute (ALI), will see a 17-person team of experts examine an unusual anomaly resembling a small aircraft sitting in a lagoon on the uninhabited atoll. Dubbed the 'Taraia Object,' the curious formation has intrigued Earhart researchers since it was first spotted in satellite images in 2020 and was compelling enough that the currently unfolding expedition was launched last week to get an on-site look at the oddity.
In an update posted on Monday, Purdue indicated that the first stage had been completed as the team arrived at the shore of Nikumaroro that evening, local time, following a five-day journey to the island. The group intends to make landfall on Tuesday morning, with one set of researchers establishing an aquatic route to the lagoon and another creating a land trail through the jungle. The team hopes to begin investigating the Taraia Object on Wednesday, with a search grid first being created by maritime specialists and then a direct examination of the peculiar spot using a magnetometer, sonar, and a hydroprobe. The final stage of the search will see a water induction dredge deployed to sweep away sediment so that the uncovered anomaly can be more fully observed.
In a testament to the rarity of such an endeavor, the Purdue project is the first authorized on-site search of Nikumaroro in seven years, and no one has been to the site of the anomaly in over 15 years, long before it was spotted in satellite images. ALI executive director and expedition leader Rick Pettigrew expressed understandable excitement about arriving at the island, musing that "it is incredibly rewarding to be this close to completing our inspection of the Taraia Object." To that end, in light of how Purdue has been providing continuous updates on the project, one is optimistic that the findings from the search will be revealed this week rather than making the public wait until the team returns from Nikumaroro with answers about the anomaly.