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Sonar Image Once Thought Proof of Missing Earhart Plane Is Actually a Rock Formation

Deep-sea exploration company says it had cleared nearly 7,700 square miles in the ocean floor search for the Lockheed Electra 10-E.

Earlier this year, ocean exploration company Deep Sea Vision released an underwater sonar image taken of the Pacific Ocean floor that it thought might be Amelia Earhart’s Electra. [Courtesy: Deep Sea Vision]
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Key Takeaways:

  • Deep Sea Vision (DSV) has confirmed that the underwater image it previously suggested might be Amelia Earhart's missing Lockheed Electra 10-E is actually a natural rock formation.
  • The company initially announced in January that it believed it had captured a sonar image resembling an airplane during an extensive search in the Pacific Ocean near Howland Island.
  • DSV continues its search for Earhart's plane and navigator Fred Noonan, whose disappearance in 1937 remains one of history's great unsolved aviation mysteries despite widespread searches.
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The underwater image that a deep-sea exploration company suggested might be Amelia Earhart’s missing Lockheed Electra 10-E has turned out to be a rock formation, according to the company, South Carolina-based Deep Sea Vision (DSV).

“After 11 months the waiting has finally ended and unfortunately our target was not Amelia’s Electra 10E (just a natural rock formation),” the company said in an Instagram post earlier this month. “As we speak DSV continues to search—now clearing almost 7,700 square miles… the plot thickens with still no evidence of her disappearance ever found.”

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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