Amelia Earhart investigators begin expedition to study mysterious object in Pacific: “Follow the evidence”

Updated on: October 6, 2026 / 11:54 AM EDT / CBS News

A team searching for Amelia Earhart's lost plane has begun its expedition to the Pacific, where it plans to study a mysterious object that researchers say may be her aircraft.

The item, known as the Taraia Object, has been visible in photos dating back to 1938, the year after Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean during Earhart's attempt to become the first female pilot to circle the world. Earhart, Noonan and their Electra 10E plane were never found.

Researchers identified the "visual anomaly" in a lagoon on Nikumaroro, a small island in Kiribati about halfway between Australia and Hawaii. The island is about 400 miles southeast of Howland Island, where Earhart and Noonan were planning to travel.

Now, a team of researchers from Purdue University and the Oregon-based Archaeological Legacy Institute are traveling to Nikumaroro to examine the object. The research team previously said in a news release that there is "very strong" evidence that the object is Earhart's lost plane.

The team previously said they will take photos and videos of the lagoon and Taraia Object. Then, they will use magnetometers and sonar…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/