The mystery of Amelia Earhart may be coming to a close as a plane-shaped mass discovered in the Pacific Ocean last year may be her long-lost Lockheed 10-E Electra. Tony Romeo and his Deep Sea Vision team captured a sonar image of the object during an expedition and are planning a second trip to investigate further. The condition of the aircraft after nearly nine decades at 15,000 feet in the Pacific Ocean and the surviving damage could provide valuable information about the final moments of Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan.
The recovery of Amelia Earhart’s plane will be a long, arduous, and expensive mission due to the depth at which it is located. The wreck of the plane is nearly 3 miles undersea, making it risk to send people to investigate directly. Deep Sea Vision is considering using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to explore the site. Ocean engineering expert M. Reza Alam emphasized the fragile state of the remains and the need for caution during any recovery attempts, as marine organisms have taken over the aircraft.
Operation of the ROVs will be complex, considering the fragile state of the plane’s contents and the need for accurate movements to prevent further damage. The logistical challenges of the mission include the necessity of long cables for communication, potential environmental or weather-related issues, and the high cost of operating the equipment. The Deep Sea Vision team has not determined if humans will be sent to the site due to concerns about pressure, depth, communication, and weather conditions.
Following the recovery of the aircraft, it will undergo extensive investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board to identify it positively. Multiple stakeholders, including Purdue University, may be involved in the fate of Earhart’s infamous plane, which was registered as American aircraft. Romeo envisions a traveling exhibition across the country for the plane, with the potential final resting place at the National Air and Space Museum. He believes bringing Earhart and Noonan back home is a respectful tribute to their legacy.
The future of Earhart’s plane is uncertain, as it may disintegrate in the coming years. Plans for the second expedition to the site are still in progress, with a tentative launch date set for early 2025. The Deep Sea Vision team has kept the location of the crash zone secret since the discovery and may conduct a secret visit before the official second trip. The hopeful outcome of the upcoming missions is to confirm that the discovered mass is indeed Earhart’s plane and plan the steps for recovery. Romeo and his team are eager to solve the mystery of Amelia Earhart and bring closure to her story.
