Callum Jones
A pilot believes he’s uncovered the answer to one of aviation’s biggest mysteries with 'information' regarding Amelia Earhart’s plane.
In the 1930s, Earhart made history as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, catapulting her to fame for her incredible achievement.
She went on to become an advocate for equal rights for women and helped establish the Ninety-Nines, an organization supporting women in aviation.
But in 1937, the pilot went missing during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe by air, with Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappearing over the Pacific Ocean - their bodies and aircraft were never recovered.
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Earhart was pronounced dead in 1939 after an extensive search, but there has long been speculation and conspiracy theories as to what happened to her.
Some claimed Earhart and Noonan had died after their plane plummeted down in the sea, whereas others believe they may have managed to land on a Pacific island before passing away there.
Meanwhile, a more outlandish conspiracy theory suggests they were captured and executed by the Japanese.
Pilot Justin Myers was inspired to look into the theories after watching a documentary about the mysterious disappearance. He decided to compare measurements of anomalies in a Google Earth image to that of Earhart's plane - a Lockheed Electra 10E.
Nikumaroro Island in the Pacific Ocean is often theorized to be the final resting place of the plane and possibly even Earhart and Noonan.
The theory 'is based on several on-site investigations that have turned up artifacts such as improvised tools, bits of clothing, an aluminum panel and a piece of Plexiglas the exact width and curvature of an Electra window', Myers told Popular Mechanics.
Using his own travel experience and aviation expertise, Myers began to notice some 'anomalies' and he detailed his thoughts in a blog post.
The pilot penned: "I picked an area which would probably have been what I thought to be best considering the circumstances. I zoomed in and there was a long sandy-looking shape. I measured the sandy section, which was over 50ft long, looked up the specifications of the Electra, and that measured 39ft. I laughed and thought ‘What do you think you are doing?’
"However, to the left of the sandy section that had been eroded by the weather over many years was a dark-coloured, perfectly straight object. I used the measuring tool on Google Earth and to my surprise and mild little shiver it measured approximately 39 ft."
Myers continued to look into the supposed 'man-made' construction over the coming days, and made a further breakthrough as he appeared to find airplane debris, including an engine that seemed to match the dimensions of Earhart's aircraft.
There has been no real progression to move Myers' theory past the theoretical stage thus far.