Purdue team says suspected Earhart plane debris was likely washed-up trees

The Sansasyonel - International (English) · Oct 19, 2026 · 1m

A U.S. team exploring a secluded atoll in the Pacific for insights into Amelia Earhart's fate has determined that a suspected fragment of her aircraft was instead a group of driftwood. According to Purdue University, the object visible in satellite images near Nikumaroro Atoll in Kiribati was most likely a collection of large trees resting on a narrow strip of sand. The shiny appearance, which some believed could be metal, was actually a carbonate layer, stated the university. “Regrettably, we didn’t come across that definitive evidence,” said Steve Schultz from Purdue, who participated…