The day is July 2, 1937, and the world’s first woman to fly across the Pacific solo, Amelia Earhart, goes missing as she attempts to circumnavigate the globe at the equator. Earhart was preparing to land for refueling and for more supplies at the Howland Islands, where the Coast Guard along with the ship Itasca were deployed to aid her in landing. Earhart radioed the ship to inform them that she was low on fuel; but the Itasca could not pinpoint her location nor could she pinpoint theirs, despite the Itasca pumping miles of black smoke into the air. She radioed “one-half hour fuel and no landfall” and later tried to give information on her position.1 Soon after, contact was lost, and Earhart presumably tried to land the Lockheed on the water.2 After this, no news of Earhart emerged, and she was officially declared missing, along with her copilot, Fred Noonan. What happened to Amelia Earhart?
Theories suggest that Earhart crash landed near Nikumaroro, an island near her original destination, Howland Island. It is said that Itasca, the nearby ship sent out by the Coast Guard, was able to pick up her transmissions, which is why it is believed that she was near the Howland Islands. In 1940, the colonial administrator of Howland Islands, Gerald Gallagher, discovered thirteen bones in what seemed to be the remnants of a campfire. The bones were shipped to Fiji to be examined by Physician D.W. Hoodless, who examined the bones and determined that they belonged to a stocky, short man of European descent, which would seem to rule out Earhart and Noonan. After deciding this conclusion, Hoodless discarded the bones, completely eliminating the chance for further examination. However, the International Group for Historical Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) took Hoodless’s original measurements and found that the bones could have possibly belonged to a tall woman of European descent.3 Earhart was known to be around 5’7 to 5’8. To entertain the bone evidence, TIGHAR Director Ric Gillespie states that the lack of bones could be caused by the island’s coconut crab population. Coconut crabs are known to grow up to three feet long, and can break open coconuts with their claws. The crabs could have possibly carried the remains of bone and flesh to their burrows for feeding.
Along with these bones, a shoe sole was found with writing on it, stating, “Cats Paw Rubber Company USA.” The sole was from the same type of shoe that Earhart was pictured wearing in Indonesia shortly before her disappearance. However, the sole belonged to a size-nine shoe, which would have been too big for Earhart’s feet, disproving the possibility of it being hers. But along with the sole, a sextant, an instrument used to find latitude and longitude, was discovered with the bones and campfire.4 This instrument could have belonged to Earhart, as it was very common for pilots to navigate through longitude and latitude using a sextant. It made sense that Earhart and Noonan could have used the instrument to determine their location after landing. To further this theory, across the island are findings of campfires, along with remains of fish, clams, birds, and turtles. Based on the way the clams were opened and the way the fish were eaten without their heads, it is more plausibly the activity of non-pacific islanders.
A less likely theory suggests that Earhart and Noonan were given orders that if they could not find the Howland Islands, to crash land near the Marshall Islands, which at the time were controlled by Japanese forces. The purpose of this could be so that the US army could move towards the area, claiming that they were “searching for Earhart.” Another claim is that Earhart and Noonan were captured by the Japanese Army and eventually killed.5 Evidence exists that shows that at the time, locals claimed seeing the plane crash on the island. Also, in 1944, an Army Sergeant named Thomas E. Devine claimed that he came across a group of US Marines guarding a hanger containing Earhart’s Electra, on the formerly settled Japanese Island Saipan.
Furthermore, a photo found in the national archives suggests that the photo contains Earhart and Noonan after landing on the Marshall Islands. However, the photo was subsequently found in a Japanese textbook published in 1935.6 Furthermore, experts claim that at the time, Earhart would not have had enough fuel to make it to the Marshall Islands, considering that in her last radio transmission, she claimed to have only seventy-four gallons remaining.
In conclusion, despite theories ranging from survival on islands to alien interference, most enthusiasts speculate Earhart crashed into the ocean, burned up in the crash, and sank to the bottom of the ocean. However, the world will never know what happened to Amelia Earhart unless the aircraft or a body is discovered. For now, the case of Amelia Earhart remains a mystery.
- Women In World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia, 2002, s.v. “Amelia Earhart,” by Doris L. Rich. ↵
- Candace Flemming, Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart (New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2011), 30-36. ↵
- Kristina Killgrove, “The Mysterious Disappearance Of Amelia Earhart’s Skeleton,” Forbes Science Journal 02, no.1 (November 2016): 1-3. ↵
- TIGHAR Project Amelia, “The Sextant Box Mystery,” Earhart Project Research Bulletin 2, no.12 (January 1999): 1-2. ↵
- Johnny Dodd, “Does This Photo Prove Amelia Earhart Survived Her Flight,” Journal Of Human Interest 14, no. 4 (July 2017): 1-2. ↵
- Two Leaf Yakosubi Store, The life line of the sea My figure of the South Sea: South Sea archipelago photo book (Two Leaf Yakko Cloth Store, 1935), 34-35. ↵
83 comments
Julia Aleman
It’s stories like these that will forever have me scared of flying over the ocean. Amelia Earhart was an inspiring woman who took the risk that no one had ever done. It is quite sad to see that the mystery will likely never be solved on her death or her disappearance, but it is a good learning lesson for the publics eyes. It was very interesting to hear about the bones and the evidence that they had found, but the only real truth teller in this story is Amelia Earhart herself.
Nicolas Llosa
Amelia Earhart was a role model for women across the world. Being the first woman to fly across the Pacific solo is a brave goal. It is sad that she couldn’t finish it. She is a perfect example of perseverance and bravery, as well as passion. It is crazy how until this day, there is no evidence of Amelia Earhart, even with the technology that there is now. It is sad that such an amazing, brave, empowered women couldn’t finish her goal of flying solo across the pacific. She still left an incredible legacy for young girls to follow and will always be praised and remembered. I found this article very interesting and informative.
Nathan Castillo
Learning about Amelia Earhart at a young age really gave me interest into this article and gave me knowledge on what they tried to do when looking for her. It was a tragedy to what happened to her and her co-pilot and will not be forgotten. I was a little bit upset about how Hoodless discarded the bone remains that could have possibly been a part of the unsolved mystery, but we will never know.
Bianca-Rhae Jacquez
Everyone learns about Amelia Earhart at a young age but you were able to bring a different outlook at her story. She was extremely brave. She never allowed the word impossible stop her from reaching her dreams. It is shocking that even today there has been no traces of her found. It is a tragedy that she was never found.
Aracely Ortiz Soriano
I find it so interesting that despite the technology we have today, no traces of Amelia have been found. Amelia Earheart is truly an icon and her bravery is truly admirable. Despite her mission went incomplete, she left a legacy that will always be remembered. I hope someday this mystery can be solved.
Felicia Stewart
Amelia Earhart has always been of interest to me since I was younger, especially since she is a very big milestone in women’s independence and history. She was the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, and she then became an inspiration for many females after her. I think it is interesting how she pretty much just vanished and has not been found since. You would think that with as much technology that there is now they might be able to somehow find traces of where she could have last been. There are many conspiracies surrounding her and I am curious to see if anyone ever actually attempts to solve it.
Chelsea Alvarez
I’ve always loved unsolved mystery stories such as these. The disappearance of Amelia Earhart is tragic, since she was supposed to be the first female to circumnavigate the Earth. I have always wondered how history might have been changed had she not gone missing. There are many theories that could possible suggest what happened that day, but it is scary to think that Earhart and Noonan could have been captured by Japanese forces. Overall, this article was informative on the topic and the narrative provided by it made it all the more interesting to read.
Joseph DuPont
Amelia Earhart and her husband stopped at Towanda, Pa for fuel and instructions. They stopped at and Atlanatic service station at 113 Main street. heading for a rally for FDR. in NY
Rosa Castillo
Amelia Earhart was a remarkable young woman and her disappearance was always be remembered as a tragedy. Ameilia withheld a legacy of refinement and bravery, she served as a role model for young progressive women everywhere. I have never had a concrete guess on what happened to her, however, I do think this is a mystery that will go unsolved after so many years.
Madison Guerra
Growing up i always heard different theories that could have caused Amelia Earhart’s disappearance. It is sad to know we will most likely never know exactly what happened to her. Like the author said she most likely crash landed in the ocean and sank to the bottom. It will always be a great mystery.