Amelia Earhart’s Plane: A Rock, Not a Resolution

The enduring mystery of Amelia Earhart’s disappearance took another turn when an underwater exploration company announced that a promising sonar image thought to show her lost plane was, in fact, a natural rock formation.

Deep Sea Vision (DSV), a South Carolina-based company, initially believed they had located Earhart’s Lockheed Electra 10E near Howland Island, where she and her navigator, Fred Noonan, were expected to refuel in July 1937. Using high-tech underwater drones, the team surveyed over 5,200 miles of the ocean floor, capturing a sonar image that matched the aircraft’s dimensions. The discovery sparked hope, but further investigation proved otherwise.

“After 11 months, the waiting has ended,” DSV wrote on Instagram. “Unfortunately, our target was not Amelia’s Electra—just a natural rock formation.”

Earhart’s ill-fated journey began in 1937 when she set out to become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe. After covering 22,000 miles, her plane lost radio contact near Howland Island, about 7,000 miles from completing the trip. Despite extensive searches, neither the plane nor its occupants were ever found.

While theories abound—from a crash landing to capture by Japanese forces—DSV remains committed to solving the mystery. The team returned to the site in November, using advanced autonomous underwater vehicles to capture high-resolution images, only to confirm the plane-shaped formation was a cruel trick of nature.

Undeterred, DSV has expanded its search area to nearly 7,700 square miles. “The plot thickens,” the company wrote, vowing to continue their efforts.

Despite setbacks, the fascination with Earhart’s story endures, and the search for answers continues, keeping alive one of aviation’s greatest unsolved mysteries.