On 12 October 2026, a 17‑member crew from Purdue University and the Archaeological Legacy Institute reached Nikumaroro in the Republic of Kiribati to probe a submerged anomaly that satellite images had flagged in 2020. The anomaly, dubbed the Taraia Object, measures roughly 30 meters and has a shape that some observers say mirrors a broken aircraft fuselage, but others argue it is a collapsed pandanus tree. Using a magnetometer and side‑scan sonar, the team recorded a low‑density structure that could indicate metal debris; the data will be cross‑checked with known specifications of the 1937 Lockheed Electra 10‑E. The island has long been linked to Earhart through a 1940 discovery of 13 human bones, which experts believe may have been scattered by giant coconut crabs. Ric Gillespie, executive director of TIGHAR, cautions that the shape is likely natural, citing the island’s extensive root systems, and urges a cautious interpretation until physical samples are recovered. The expedition will transport recovered samples to Purdue’s research lab, where metallurgical analysis and radiocarbon dating will determine the object's origin; the team expects a preliminary report by March 2027.