Search teams spent two weeks looking for Earhart, Noonan, or their plane. No one knew exactly where they had disappeared. Searchers covered about 250,000 square miles, an area about the size of Texas. They had no luck.
Over the years, people have come up with many theories about what happened to the pilot (see sidebar). But Cochrane and many other experts believe there is only one explanation—the plane ran out of fuel, crashed into the ocean, and sank.
Still, the mystery has led people to search for signs of Earhart for decades. In January, an underwater exploration group called Deep Sea Vision announced that it may have located her plane.
Using sonar and an unmanned underwater vehicle, the crew searched more than 5,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean floor near Howland Island. They spotted an object they believe is shaped like the long-lost plane.
While some experts say the object could be Earhart’s plane, most aren’t convinced just yet. The Deep Sea Vision team plans to investigate further. It could be years before the crew proves anything for sure.
In the meantime, the mystery of Amelia Earhart lives on.
“It’s a great mystery,” Cochrane says. “Someday we’ll find something—I’m hopeful.”