Overview

• Purdue Research Foundation and the Archaeological Legacy Institute will mount a field expedition this November to Nikumaroro Island to examine a satellite-detected anomaly called the Taraia Object.
• Richard Pettigrew asserts the object’s dimensions and location align with Earhart’s Lockheed Electra 10E and the origin points of her final radio calls.
• Ric Gillespie of TIGHAR disputes the aircraft theory, identifying the feature as a coconut palm root ball and reporting no wreckage found at the site in past searches.
• Purdue has extended a $500,000 line of credit for the mission and pledges to repatriate any recovered Electra parts to campus in honor of Earhart’s legacy.
• The five-day on-island dig will focus on uncovering serial-numbered components or other artifacts required to deliver conclusive proof of the Electra’s identity.