The search for Amelia Earhart's missing plane has hit a snag due to severe weather conditions near Nikumaroro, a remote island in the Pacific Ocean. The 17-person expedition, led by the Archaeological Legacy Institute and Purdue University, was forced to pause field operations after winds and rough seas made it too dangerous to reach the island by transport boat.
The team is investigating a mysterious object, known as the Taraia Object, which is believed to be a visual anomaly in the island's lagoon. Researchers think it could be the wreckage of Earhart's Lockheed Electra 10-E, which disappeared on July 2, 1937, while attempting to become the first woman to fly around the world. Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, vanished during one of the final legs of their journey after departing Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island.
Despite the weather delay, the expedition remains on schedule, with two more days of field operations planned before the team must depart the atoll and return to Tarawa, Kiribati. An update on the identification of the Taraia Object is expected in the coming days, although no specific release time has been given. Because Nikumaroro is 17 hours ahead of Eastern time in the United States, an update could come as early as Saturday.
The university has cautioned that it is too early to draw conclusions about the Taraia Object, and that a complex scientific process is underway to collect and analyze data. The team is collecting data on the object, but it will take time to reach sound conclusions.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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