$900,000 search for Amelia Earhart's missing plane ends with surprising discovery after 89 years

An American expedition hoping to solve the 89-year-old mystery surrounding Amelia Earhart's disappearance has ended in disappointment after an object believed to be her missing aircraft turned out to be a collection of trees.

The researchers travelled to Nikumaroro, a remote island in the Pacific Ocean, to investigate an unusual shape detected in satellite images in 2020.

The object, known as the Taraia Object, appeared to have a metallic surface, raising hopes that it could be wreckage from Earhart's Lockheed Electra 10-E aircraft.

But the $900,000 expedition, supported by Purdue University and private donors, discovered something entirely different.

According to the researchers, the mysterious object was likely a collection of large trees washed onto the island's sandspit. Its metallic appearance was caused by a reflective coating of carbonate material rather than aircraft metal.

However, the failed discovery has not convinced researchers to abandon their theory about Earhart's fate. They believe the American aviator and her navigator, Fred Noonan, may have landed on Nikumaroro before dying there as castaways.

Earhart disappeared on July 2, 1937, while attempting to fly around the world. She was 39.

The US government's longstanding explanation is that her aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed into the Pacific near Howland Island.

Interestingly, the latest expedition did uncover a 30-inch steel tube in the lagoon, although investigators have not established any connection to Earhart's aircraft.

The researchers plan to examine the object and other recovered materials for possible clues.