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“On July 2, 1937, Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan departed from Papua New Guinea, approaching the conclusion of their historic trip around the globe, never to be seen again. However, that changed today.”
“Deep Sea Vision discovered what seems to be Earhart’s Lockheed 10-E Electra aircraft.”
On January 27, the underwater exploration company based in South Carolina shared a message on Instagram, accompanied by several yellow sonar images, showing a plane-shaped object resting 16,000 feet beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean.
The Charleston-based company has reason to believe that the shape they have found may be the long-lost plane of renowned American pilot Amelia Earhart, who disappeared 87 years ago. This potential discovery has the potential to finally solve one of the most baffling mysteries of the 20th century.
The 16-person team from Deep Sea Vision utilized a cutting-edge undersea drone called “Hugin” to explore over 5,200 square miles of the Pacific Ocean. After their search, they believe they have discovered the wreckage of Earhart’s plane.
A pilot and former US Air Force intelligence officer named Tony Romeo sold a commercial real estate portfolio to fund an $11 million search for Earhart, potentially resulting in the company’s exciting discovery.
“This is maybe the most exciting thing I’ll ever do in my life,” Mr Romeo told The Wall Street Journal.
”
I feel as though I am a child of ten embarking on an exciting treasure hunt.
“We have always believed that the pilots, rather than the mariners, would be the ones to find a solution to this problem.”
Amelia Earhart, born on July 24, 1897 in Atchison, Kansas, was a born explorer who encountered her initial aircraft at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines in 1907. She received her pilot’s license in 1922 and accomplished the first-ever female journey across the Atlantic by air in 1928, shortly after Charles Lindbergh’s famous solo flight.
After being transported by a Fokker F.VIIb from Trepassey Harbor, Newfoundland on June 17th, piloted by Wilmer Stultz and arriving in Pwll near Burry Port in South Wales after nearly 21 hours, Earhart gained notoriety and was given the moniker “Lady Lindy”. She was also sponsored by Lucky Strike cigarettes and generously compensated for a lengthy speaking tour.
Although she downplayed her part in the achievement, she stated, “Stultz did all the flying – he had to. I was just a burden, like a sack of potatoes… Maybe one day I’ll attempt it on my own.”
Four years after, she embarked on a solo journey from Newfoundland on 20 May 1932 in a Lockheed Vega 5B and successfully landed in a cow pasture in Culmore, located north of Derry in Northern Ireland.
Even though her original goal was Paris, Culmore’s accomplishment of flying close to Culmore garnered her international recognition. She received the United States Distinguished Flying Cross, France’s Legion of Honour, and the National Geographic Society’s Gold Medal. President Herbert Hoover also congratulated her on her achievement.
In 1937, Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan disappeared while attempting to become the first woman to fly around the world. They left from Miami, Florida on June 1st, after a failed first attempt. The journey would have taken them across South America, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and South East Asia.
On July 2, Earhart and Noonan were spotted at Lae Airfield in New Guinea, which was their second-to-last stop for refuelling during their attempt to fly around the world. However, shortly after, they lost contact and were not seen again near Howland Island. Their next destination was Honolulu in Hawaii, which was the final 7,000 miles of their total 29,000-mile journey.
Despite the US Navy and Coast Guard’s extensive search-and-rescue efforts, Earhart, Noonan, and their Lockheed were never located.
On January 5, 1939, the couple was officially declared dead in their absence. However, their story continues to captivate people and has served as inspiration for songs by Joni Mitchell and The Handsome Family, as well as movies featuring actresses such as Rosalind Russell, Diane Keaton, and Hilary Swank. In 2018, there was even a Barbie doll created in their honor.
Per Mr. Romeo, the Deep Sea Vision team’s submersible has captured an image that they believe to be the missing plane, located approximately 100 miles from Howland Island.
Nonetheless, opposing specialists are advising prudence in regards to the excessive enthusiasm surrounding the discovery, as there are multiple alternative theories presented regarding Earhart’s vanishing.
In 2018, Ric Gillespie, a specialist in the pilot’s career, shared with CBS News that he hypothesizes she crash-landed on Gardner Island, which is 350 nautical miles away from Howland. He believes she spent a week desperately calling for assistance before ultimately perishing when her plane was swept away by the ocean.
Mr. Gillespie informed that individuals using ham radio sets in Florida, Texas, Iowa, and Canada reported hearing distress signals believed to be from Earhart.
According to CBS, the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, which is led by the expert, asserts that it has discovered its own proof, such as human remains, to support their opposing theory.
Source: independent.co.uk