I've been reading about this mystery my whole life, some of you probably have too. For those of you who don't know who she is, she was a feminist icon who came to fame by breaking flying records.
She was the first woman to fly solo across the United States and the first woman to fly across the Atlantic.
She disappeared during a flight around the world in 1937 along with her navigator, Fred Noonan.
They were in the Pacific, New Guinea... headed for Howland Island but they never made it. The official government version is that they ran out of fuel and crashed into the ocean.
But the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR), which has spent the last 25 years investigating Earhart’s ill-fated final voyage, has another answer.
There were a couple of things that happened which caused them to get off course and forced them to make an emergency landing. I'll talk about those things later.
There's a small, uninhabited atoll (which is an island made of coral) named Nikumaroro and located 350 miles from Howland Island. In 1940 bones were found there by an expedition searching for Emelia.
Here's Fred and Emelia:
At first they thought the bones were hers but then determined that they were men's bones.
But TIGHAR archaeologists found a campfire site which was made about the time of the disappearance. They also found makeshift tools, parts of a pocket knife and clam shells that had been broken open.
Another important item they found was an ointment jar which was shaped like the one that Emelia carried with her. It was to cover up freckles. She had freckles and didn't think they were attractive.
But the big item was a section of a plane. It was an aluminum plate which was used on that particular plane to cover a window near the rear.
Here's a photo of her plane showing the aluminum patch towards the rear. This was taken by the Miami Herald moments before she took off on her last flight in 1937:
The shape and rivet holes matched up exactly and the TIGHAR researchers said that this was as unique to her plane as a fingerprint is to a human.
Here's the patch found on Nikumaroro:
TIGHAR want to go back but they haven't been able to make it there for another expedition which costs over 2 million dollars. Lack of funds.
Another recent bit of evidence
Professor Richard Jantz, who is a professor at the University of Tennesee, a professor emeritus of anthropology and director emeritus of UT’s Forensic Anthropology Center, is convinced the bones found on Nikumaroro in 1940 are indeed those of Emelia.
Forensic technology has come a long way since 1940 and although the bones are no longer available, there are many photos of them along with their dimensions.
Mr. Jantz analyzed them with a computer program and determined that they were a direct match for her height, weight, age and gender.
Oh, the researhers who found the bones in 1940 also found part of a woman's shoe. Unfortunately the bones and the shoe part were lost in WWII.
Well guys, I'm up against the clock and this is getting long but tomorrow I have more evidence, clues, and news that the man who found the Titanic is now joining the search for Emelia's plane. If he he can't find it no one can.
Thanks for stopping by folks, God bless you all!
-jonboy
Texas