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Subscribe to RSSSeventy-five years after the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is lending her support to a new investigation into the mystery surrounding the famed aviator's final flight. NBC's Chris Jansing reports.
WASHINGTON -- Following new analysis of a photo that could show wreckage of Amelia Earhart's plane, the Obama administration on Tuesday said it was backing a search this summer to hopefully solve the mystery of America's greatest female aviator.
"We can be as optimistic and even audacious as Amelia Earhart," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., to announce U.S. support for the expedition. "There is great honor and possibility in the search itself."
The search by The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery will focus on the remote island of Nikumaroro, in what is now the Pacific nation of Kiribati.
The group believes Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan might have managed to land on the island, then known as Gardner Island, and that they could have survived for a short time after disappearing on July 2, 1937.
Other historians believe they crashed into the ocean. But conspiracy theories, including claims that they were U.S. government agents captured by the Japanese before World War II, abound despite having been largely debunked.
The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery
This 1937 photo was presented Tuesday as having been analyzed by experts to reveal an object in the water, not easily visible at this scale, showing what might be the landing gear and a wheel from an aircraft.
New analysis of a photo taken at Nikumaroro three months after the disappearance shows what some people believe could be a strut and wheel of the plane protruding from the water, the group says. State Department analysts helped examine the photo.
The hypothesis is that the plane crashed on a reef before eventually being washed deeper into the sea.
The group hopes that probes down the reef slope will reveal larger aircraft parts such as the engines lying in a dim "twilight zone" about 300 yards below the ocean surface.
A photo taken just three months after Earhart disappeared may provide new evidence of famed aviator's plight. The group that plans to conduct the deepwater search believes her airplane is still recoverable. NBC's Chris Jansing reports.
Renowned oceanographer Robert Ballard, who discovered the wreckage of the Titanic and the Bismarck and is advising the Earhart expedition, said the new analysis of the photograph could be the equivalent of a "smoking gun" as it narrows the search area from tens of thousands of square miles to a manageable size.
In 2010, bone fragments were found on the island that the group believes might be of Earhart or Noonan. Other artifacts have been recovered there as well that suggest the two might have lived for days or weeks after landing on a reef.
The privately funded group is putting up $500,000 for the search. The U.S. won't provide money but will offer limited logistical support. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood joined Clinton at the ceremony.
Ric Gillespie, the executive director of the group, said the new search is scheduled to last for 10 days in July and will use state-of-the-art underwater robotic submarines and mapping equipment. The Discovery Channel will film the expedition for a television documentary, he said. He acknowledged that the evidence was circumstantial but "strong" but stopped well short of predicting success.
Discovery of bones and other artifacts on a remote island have proven inconclusive in the search of famed pilot Amelia Earhart. NBC's Janet Shamlian has the story.
"The most important thing is not whether we find the ultimate answer or what we find, it is the way we look," he said. "We see this opportunity to explore ... the last great American mystery of the 20th century as a vehicle for demonstrating how to go about figuring out what is true."
"Back in 1937, in the painful recovery from the Great Depression, Amelia Earhart's courage and determination inspired the American people," he added. "Well, hard times are here again and we need that type of courage and determination again ... we're going to try our best to find her, not for ourselves, but for you," the public.
Details about the planned expedition
Explainer: Earhart and other famous mysteries
The expedition will coincide with the 75th anniversary of Earhart's departure on the ill-fated attempt to become the first woman to fly around the world.
NBC's Catherine Chomiak and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More than 70 years after Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Pacific during her around-the-world flight, documents and photos are being released that shed new light on one of aviation's greatest mysteries. NBC's Chuck Henry reports.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
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Private investors are willing to take on this search for the glory of finding evidence. What a waste of taxpayer monies.
it is nice we have money to spend on things like this. the country is bankrupt and obama and hillary are going to send out taxpayer resources to do what is clearly a civilian enterprise.
if there is $500,000 for the expedition, try a couple of hundred thousand for logistics.
i am not sure how this will be used by obama; but there is for sure a re-election edge to this- women's votes?
Circlediamond....Obama and his Administration are not paying for this. They are offering logistcal support. A private group is paying for this.
Carrissa, in the real world, when the government gets involved in anything they are using taxpayer money. How is the logistical support being paid for???? DUH
Do you believe "logistical support" is free? If so, you have to be a Democrat.
500K will not cover the logistics, planes and ships cost $1,000's of dollars per hour each to operate, just one F16 cost over $3000 an hour to fly. The logistics will burn that 500K in one day.
Eric,with all due respect, I really doubt that all the young girls and women in the U.S. are concerned with what happened to Amelia. I think they are more concerned with Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber.
This has goon to far. Ask The Cost Guard on Sipam to take you to the grave site.
Great idea, just yesterday on the History Channel I watch a special about her probable fate. It would be great to know what actually happened
Ya such a waste of money to put to rest the memory of an American Hero!! <Sarcasm>
After being missing 75 years: SHE IS DEAD you idiotic liberals, spend the money on something needed......oh I don't know how about feeding the homeless, creating jobs, etc etc etc.
dee
I wonder if and when they find her, she'll be holding Barack's birth certificate, Biden's high school diploma and Hilary Clintons White Water papers???
Ya cuz the rupubs really care about feeding the homeless LOL. or creating jobs for that matter..
I think Oblumbles should spend time finding Joe Biden's High School Diploma and his own "real" birth certificate before he goes off looking for Amelia
Why are we wasting money on this? We don't have anything else to do?
Why is this important to anyone? How much are they planning to allocate? Maybe they can send the $ to the Fluke and pay for her birth control... we certainly wouldn't to further her linage.
For those that hate President Obama and want to turn this into a political attack, please remember that our military and equipment are continually on maneuvers and we continue to pay for this manpower and equipment. This will most likely be a natural deployment diverted from some other practice mission. The logistical support will not add to the Defense budget and will probably be an educational experience for the people that participate.
all is political at this time everything is to stay put in power. is is a good thing we care to get the female vote will this work or will we think of min wage jobs our bad aid.
but standed gramps.....
If Oblumbles only uses Naval ships powered by algae and Blarney Frank's farts, it will take them another 70 years to get to that area of the ocean.
Hate much?
Since every article, no matter what, has to become political then please remember we've spent a trillion dollars, unfunded, and lost six thousand young American lives, in the war on terror. Even if this search were funded with taxpayer dollars it wouldn't be a ripple on the national budget. The unfunded trillion dollars (that's a thousand, thousand million dollars) seemed entirely reasonable to everybody supporting the war, which is never going to be over and was never needed. Spend a few bucks on our history.
I would rather my tax money is spent on ANYTHING other than war - our young people truly are our future-didnt we learn anything from Vietnam? NOBODY wins- (except the 1% as usual) heck yes I want my tax dollars invested in something positive for America - taking care of our Veterans, the elderly, the children, EDUCATION (including history), jobs etc.....NO MORE WARS!!!!
This is great! We don't have money to keep sports in our Middle schools but we can spend tax money to find this worthless skank who couldn't fly a plane to save her life.
She flies a plane like women drive cars. Now go make me a sandwich!
Turdchaser, if you have to resort to attacking anybodys character (i.e. "worthless skank") then I believe you will catch your turd by looking in a mirror...Hello! Turd caught! Now go make your own damn sandwich!
Why not search for something else that has no chance of being found...........like "class" within the liberal democratic party?
You forgot the anti-american nazi bible thumping child molesting classless Republicans who steal everything in sight and say god fogives them because they have been "saved".
Amen
Well now that's the difference between you and the Republicans, slivercc.... they will be saved and you won't.
I don't want to be saved, I want to go to hell, all the hookers will be there...
You have a point, but with my luck they'll all look like Nancy Pelosi
LOL !!! or a 72 year old virgin???
Okay let me get this straight there is a group that has $500,000 to look for a plane and bodies of people who went down somewhere on or near an island 75 years ago. Logistical support means airplanes, fuel, satelite images, and man hours, total price just on a hunch from the USA another $600,000. You people need to take all this money you have to throw away on stupid dong and just send it to me in los angeles. Do us or me at least a favor stop digging up others peoples remains, tumbs and sacred barrials grounds unless you need to prove that the death certificate issued shows wrong cause of death and the person that needs to be convicted of a crime is still alive. Our country is cutting money to education faster than I can type this message and we are worried about someone who died 6000 to 75 years ago. STOP IT!!!! Better yet start taxing the oil companies who are profiting after all is said and done 6.6 to the high 14 billion dollar profits.
And if they find her the private firm will reap millions on the discovery channel etc. and would the government get paid back for Logistical Support? Bet that doesn't come cheap even if you want to call it "training". It would be cool to solve the mystery and make a show like the Titanic when it was found but Costs?
Did anyone look in the Kitchen?
Why are we spending money on this?
For the same reason we spend money on any form of archaeology anywhere. Being clueless about the past leads to being clueless about the present. The alternative is that we have no idea where we came from, how we got here, and why the world is the way it is. I'll grant that finding one 75 year old plane isn't going to shake anyone to their bootstraps but it's a piece in a very large puzzle.
Who gives a crap? She is dead for petes sake.
I am amazed at the ignorance and immaturity of so many of the comments left here. First and foremost, I'm sure her family "gives a crap". I am sure historians "give a crap". The amount of money being spent on the search is minimal by todays economical standards. Remember the old saying "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all".
Thank you, Knoble. I continue to be amazed by how many people are actually proud of their utter lack of curiosity.
Many off the comments here range in stature regarding doing this because of the money from infantile to adolescent ignorance.
As many pointed out a private firm is putting up most of the cash yes, logistics donated by the government will have their costs as well but, how about doing this for our own history, respect for the memory of those individuals and ourselves?
There appears to be a deeper problem than the asinine comments made by many regarding doing this. It clearly indicates a lack of class and knowledge of history in America today.
"It has become appalling clear to me that our technology has outpaced our humanity" .... Albert Einstein
Its money. The private firm is doing this for if she is found and proved they will reap millions. How much has Ballard made after finding Titanic? Sure it cost him and his backers millions but I think they are millions ahead now. If there was no money to be made they wouldn't do it.
Lack of class? Lack of knowledge? Really? So I posses a lack of class because I believe the money spent here would better be spent on the homeless? The jobless? Those who are in real need of a bail out. I mean we afforded the banks and car industries the very same consideration. But the working class is overlooked because...gasp....we must find Amelia Earhart.
Our priorities are so screwed up that it will take a miracle for the US not to fall.
Again, a prime example of the "robot syndrome." Ignorance. Denial. Definitely NOT my definition of class, and this "knowledge" is not a need to know basis for me. What "private firm?" "Donated by the government?" Are you kidding me? Who the hell do you think pays for those "government donations?" Dreams are free... so far.
Raist3001"So I posses a lack of class because I believe the money spent here would better be spent on the homeless? The jobless? Those who are in real need of a bail out. I mean we afforded the banks and car industries the very same consideration. But the working class is overlooked because...gasp....we must find Amelia Earhart."
Yes, thats exactly what I am saying to you and those like you in my comment .... ;) (sigh ...)
I think we are spending too much time and effort with figures from the past. We need to move forward as right now, what we are leaving for future generations is massive debts, a damaged planet and religiously based wars all over the globe. Smell the roses and not the decay.
One of the reasons the present is in a mess is that we don't understand the past. How much have we as a society learned from the laissez-faire economy of the 1920s, McCarthyism, Vietnam, Oil Crises I, II, III, IV, or V, and a whole lot of other monumental fumbles? Apparently not much. In fact, how many people can describe or even recognize those events and rationally relate them to today's problems?
They talk about a photo but won't let us see it. Is that because thy just want trip and don't want us to debunk it?
Try looking a little harder and you will find the photo somewhere on the internet. Now go practice your typing.
I don't understand. Why are we wasting money to do this? Who will be sub-contracted to do the work? What company is the government paying to conduct the search? How much will they be paid?
There wouldn't be any interest in this, unless there was money in it for someone.
the right wing, fanatical, tea bagging, wide stance, Bible thumping, flag waving Republicans are balking at participating in the solving of one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th Century? Well, get over it! Republicans have no interest in history other than re-writing it to suit their own needs such as naming everything that stood still too long after a B-Movie Actor who consulted the Star charts when setting his White House agenda. Rename it "Reagan" Island and drag out the "Mission Accomplished" banner and you won't hear a yelp from them.
The US is providing logistic support....and how much is that gonna cost? I dont think it is free. Although I admire Amelia's effort what are we going to accomplish? I doubt if the plane can be salvaged and put into the aviation museum. What makes finding her body so much more important then the hundreds of pilots and sailors etc lost at sea during WWII.