Amelia Earhart researchers leave remote atoll empty-handed after ‘plane debris’ found to be a clump of trees

Expedition was drawn to Nikumaroro after spotting what was described as a metallic glint in waters off uninhabited island A US expedition that voyaged to a remote Pacific island in the hope of solving the mystery of what happened to pioneering pilot Amelia Earhart has said an object they suspected to be her plane was a clump of washed-up trees. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find that smoking gun,” said Steve Schultz of Purdue University, standing on the sand in front of a blue lagoon on the atoll of Nikumaroro, about halfway between Australia and Hawaii. Continue reading...

Oliver Holmes in Bangkok · Sun, Oct 18, 2026, 9:43 PM
US news | The Guardian

Amelia Earhart researchers leave remote atoll empty-handed after ‘plane debris’ found to be a clump of trees

Expedition was drawn to Nikumaroro after spotting what was described as a metallic glint in waters off uninhabited island

A US expedition that voyaged to a remote Pacific island in the hope of solving the mystery of what happened to pioneering pilot Amelia Earhart has said an object they suspected to be her plane was a clump of washed-up trees.

“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find that smoking gun,” said Steve Schultz of Purdue University, standing on the sand in front of a blue lagoon on the atoll of Nikumaroro, about halfway between Australia and Hawaii.

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