After almost 87 years, they MAY have found the modified Lockheed Electra 10E that Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan crashed somewhere near Howland Island.
I've always thought that they likely crashed in the Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Howland Island, just based on the radio contact with the ship they were supposed to meet there. The whole "crash landed on another island" theory many people pursued was more likely to be romantic fantasy.
Anyway, Tony Romeo lead the search aboard the Deep Sea Vision and scanned more than 5,200 square miles of ocean floor centered around Howland Island and within a month had found the shape of ani airplane on sonar within 100 miles of the island. As far as they can tell, the images captured seem to conform to that expected of the aircraft they were flying at the time. However, until the next part of the expedition is carried out, which will involve actually getting a visual on whatever they found by sonar, they won't know for sure.
When will the next expedition take place? All the article says is "in the near future".
The question afterwards, if confirmed, will be how to salvage the aircraft. They believe that it should be in the Smithsonian.
I, however, believe some may have grounds to object. Warships, for example, are generally considered gravesites at sea and protected as such. The Titanic, though not a warship, was proclaimed to be a protected wreck site by the Titanic Memorial Act of 1986.
Though she does not have any direct living descendants, she was survived by her husband and his children (her step-children), David Binney Putnam and George Palmer Putnam, Jr., who passed away in 1992 and 2013 respectively. She was close to them. Both of them had at children, and in the case of George Jr., at least 10 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Her sister Grace Muriel Earhart Morrissey lived to 1998 and had two children, a son and a daughter. Both are deceased now, but the son, Pvt. David Allyn Morrisey left behind a wife and five children. Daughter Amy Otis Morrissey I can't find any information on.
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If this DOES turn out to be an airplane, it's distinct shape would be easily identified at an Electra 10E, and the registry number "NR16020" would be plainly located in several places on the aircraft: on both wings (top starboard and bottom port) and on the outboard sides of both rudders.
There were also unique modifications made to the aircraft, as well. It was one of 15 Model 10E's built by Lockheed, and had serial number 1055. The rear window was replaced with sheet aluminum. It carried four auxiliary fuel tanks in the passenger compartment, had a navigator's station aft of that, no passenger windows, a Sperry autopilot, and various radio/navigation equipment with extra batteries. The external antennas would have been unique, too.
Here are two pictures to illustrate the locations of the registry numbers:
I've always thought that they likely crashed in the Pacific Ocean in the vicinity of Howland Island, just based on the radio contact with the ship they were supposed to meet there. The whole "crash landed on another island" theory many people pursued was more likely to be romantic fantasy.
Anyway, Tony Romeo lead the search aboard the Deep Sea Vision and scanned more than 5,200 square miles of ocean floor centered around Howland Island and within a month had found the shape of ani airplane on sonar within 100 miles of the island. As far as they can tell, the images captured seem to conform to that expected of the aircraft they were flying at the time. However, until the next part of the expedition is carried out, which will involve actually getting a visual on whatever they found by sonar, they won't know for sure.
When will the next expedition take place? All the article says is "in the near future".
The question afterwards, if confirmed, will be how to salvage the aircraft. They believe that it should be in the Smithsonian.
I, however, believe some may have grounds to object. Warships, for example, are generally considered gravesites at sea and protected as such. The Titanic, though not a warship, was proclaimed to be a protected wreck site by the Titanic Memorial Act of 1986.
Though she does not have any direct living descendants, she was survived by her husband and his children (her step-children), David Binney Putnam and George Palmer Putnam, Jr., who passed away in 1992 and 2013 respectively. She was close to them. Both of them had at children, and in the case of George Jr., at least 10 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Her sister Grace Muriel Earhart Morrissey lived to 1998 and had two children, a son and a daughter. Both are deceased now, but the son, Pvt. David Allyn Morrisey left behind a wife and five children. Daughter Amy Otis Morrissey I can't find any information on.
Amelia Earhart’s Lost Plane May Have Been Found, Says Pilot Who Spent $11 Million to Fund Search
A crew searching for the Amelia Earhart's plane believes they may have a spotted the long-lost wreckage at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
If this DOES turn out to be an airplane, it's distinct shape would be easily identified at an Electra 10E, and the registry number "NR16020" would be plainly located in several places on the aircraft: on both wings (top starboard and bottom port) and on the outboard sides of both rudders.
There were also unique modifications made to the aircraft, as well. It was one of 15 Model 10E's built by Lockheed, and had serial number 1055. The rear window was replaced with sheet aluminum. It carried four auxiliary fuel tanks in the passenger compartment, had a navigator's station aft of that, no passenger windows, a Sperry autopilot, and various radio/navigation equipment with extra batteries. The external antennas would have been unique, too.
Here are two pictures to illustrate the locations of the registry numbers:
