Amelia Earhart's 1937 disappearance still haunts aviation history 91 years later

Today marks 91 years since Amelia Earhart made history as the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean. Her groundbreaking journey from Honolulu to Oakland in 1935 cemented her place in aviation history. Yet, just two years later, she vanished without a trace during her attempt to fly around the world.

Earhart's final flight took place on 2 July 1937, as she aimed to complete a global circumnavigation. The US Coast Guard supported her mission, using vessels like the 125-foot Itasca near Howland Island to monitor her progress. At 8:43 am local time, she sent her last known radio message: 'We are on the line 157 337.' After that, silence.

For decades, investigators have searched for answers. David Jourdan, co-founder of deep-sea exploration firm Nauticos, has led the hunt since 1997. His team has already scanned an area of seafloor the size of Colorado, using autonomous vehicles to map depths averaging 18,000 feet. They even recreated Earhart's final flight with a replica plane and radio, narrowing down a possible crash site.

Now, Jourdan is preparing for another expedition—this time with a $10 million budget for a month-long search. New radio data and the vast area already covered give him cautious optimism. Yet the challenge remains immense: the wreckage, if found, lies in one of the ocean's deepest and most remote regions.

The mystery of Earhart's disappearance endures after more than nine decades. Search teams continue to push technological limits, scanning the ocean floor for clues. If successful, the discovery of her plane could finally solve one of history's greatest unsolved aviation cases.