In July 1937, the world watched in anticipation as Amelia Earhart, the famed American aviator and women’s rights advocate, set off from Lae, New Guinea, on one of the most daring legs of her attempt to circumnavigate the globe. Alongside her navigator, Fred Noonan, Earhart’s journey was meant to be a triumphant chapter in aviation history. Instead, it became one of its greatest mysteries. Despite a massive and costly search—at the time, the most expensive in American history—no confirmed trace of Earhart, Noonan, or their Lockheed Electra 10E was ever found. Theories abounded, ranging from tragic crash to elaborate conspiracy, but the fate of the pioneering pilot remained unresolved—until now, perhaps.
Captain Justin Myers, a British pilot with nearly a quarter-century of experience, has reignited hope for closure. According to Daily Mail, Myers claims he is “99 percent certain” he has pinpointed the exact location where Earhart’s plane came to rest. His evidence? Not sonar scans or underwater drones, but something far more accessible: Google Earth.
It all started innocently enough. Inspired by a documentary about Earhart’s final flight, Myers began examining satellite images of Nikumaroro Island, a remote coral atoll in the Pacific Ocean that has long featured in theories about Earhart’s disappearance. “Poor sleep, upper wind predictions not being accurate, probably fatigue and some anxiety would likely have played a part in the disappearance,” Myers wrote in his blog, reflecting on what Earhart and Noonan might have faced during their fateful flight.
Guided by his own instincts as a pilot, Myers focused on the island’s east coast—a stretch of sandy shoreline that, under duress and dwindling fuel, might have seemed the only viable landing spot. Zooming in, he spotted something remarkable: a dark, perfectly straight object submerged just offshore. Measuring it with Google Earth’s tools, Myers found it to be 39 feet long—the exact length of the Lockheed Electra 10E. “A day or so later I had another look, just like that Bang!! 110ft to the west of the metal section was what appeared to be a perfect half exposed radial engine measuring 4-4.5ft in diameter. Just under the engine is a wheel, again half exposed, the wheel is perfect and is in absolute proportion in size; I was struggling to see this was anything other than the debris of a lost vintage aircraft that has been hidden away for years,” Myers explained, as reported by Popular Science.
For Myers, the evidence was compelling. He told Popular Science, “The bottom line is, from my interests from a child in vintage aircraft and air crash investigation, I can say that is what was once a 12-metre, 2-engine vintage aircraft. What I can’t say is that is definitely Amelia’s Electra. If this is not Amelia’s Electra 10 E, then it’s the answer to another mystery that has never been answered.”
Myers’ findings build on decades of speculation about Nikumaroro. According to Popular Mechanics, the theory that Earhart and Noonan landed on the atoll is “based on several on-site investigations that have turned up artifacts such as improvised tools, bits of clothing, an aluminum panel and a piece of Plexiglas the exact width and curvature of an Electra window.” These discoveries have fueled the belief that the pair may have survived the crash, only to perish later on the island.
Despite the persuasive nature of the satellite evidence, Myers has struggled to gain institutional support for a formal investigation. He reached out to the National Transportation Safety Board in the United States, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, and even the air crash investigation team in Brisbane, but received no response. Myers also contacted Purdue University, which has historical ties to Earhart—she was a visiting faculty member there and the university funded her ill-fated world flight. Yet, as Daily Mail notes, Purdue’s silence may be due to its own ongoing efforts to solve the mystery.
Indeed, last month Purdue University announced a new expedition to Nikumaroro, but their focus is a different anomaly: the so-called “Taraia Object,” a visual oddity inside the island’s lagoon. The mission is scheduled to launch on November 5, 2025, from Majuro in the Marshall Islands, with researchers planning to spend five days on-site. Should they find compelling evidence, a larger excavation is set for 2026. “What we have here is maybe the greatest opportunity ever to finally close the case,” said Richard Pettigrew, director of the Archaeological Legacy Institute, in a statement reported by Daily Mail. “With such a great amount of very strong evidence, we feel we have no choice but to move forward and hopefully return with proof.”
While the Taraia Object and Myers’ Google Earth findings are in separate locations, both underscore the enduring fascination with Earhart’s disappearance. Theories have ranged from the plausible—crash-landing on a deserted island—to the outlandish, such as capture by Japanese forces. But Myers’ use of modern technology adds a new twist to the investigation. “I picked an area which would probably have been what I thought to be best considering the circumstances. I zoomed in and there was a long sandy-looking shape. I measured the sandy section, which was over 50ft long, looked up the specifications of the Electra, and that measured 39ft. I laughed and thought ‘What do you think you are doing?’” Myers recounted, according to LADbible.
For now, Myers’ theory remains just that—a theory, albeit a tantalizing one. No expedition has yet been mounted to physically examine the objects he identified. The lack of institutional backing is a source of frustration for Myers, who believes that even if the wreckage is not Earhart’s, it could solve another aviation mystery. As he put it, “This finding could answer some questions to someone who disappeared many years ago.”
Earhart’s legacy, meanwhile, is secure. As the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, she broke barriers and inspired generations. She also helped found the Ninety-Nines, an organization supporting women in aviation, and advocated tirelessly for equal rights. Her disappearance, tragic as it was, only cemented her status as an icon.
With the November expedition approaching and renewed public interest thanks to Myers’ claims, the world may soon be closer than ever to solving a mystery that has lingered for nearly nine decades. Whether the answer lies beneath the waters of Nikumaroro or somewhere else entirely, the quest for closure continues to captivate—and perhaps, at last, the final chapter is within reach.