A recent sonar image that was thought to show the remains of Amelia Earhart's aircraft has been confirmed as a natural rock formation. Deep Sea Vision (DSV), a firm from South Carolina, initially released the blurry image from an unmanned submersible during an extensive search in the Pacific Ocean, near Earhart's intended stop at Howland Island. However, in an update shared on Instagram, DSV announced that after nearly a year of investigation, the target was determined not to be Earhart's Lockheed Electra 10E.

Following the mixed results, DSV mentioned that they are continuing their search in the area, stating, "The plot thickens with still no evidence of her disappearance ever found." The excitement surrounding the search captured the attention of many, including Tony Romeo, a pilot and former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer, who invested $11 million into the effort, highlighting his enthusiasm for what he described as a treasure hunt.

Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared on July 2, 1937, during their ambitious round-the-world flight. This event has since become one of aviation's longstanding enigmas, attracting the interest of historians and leading to numerous theories, books, and films exploring their fate. The prevailing theory suggests that the duo ran out of fuel and crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Howland Island, prompting the largest search operation in U.S. history, though extensive search efforts over the years have yielded no definitive trace of the plane.

Additional theories about Earhart's disappearance exist, with researchers like Ric Gillespie arguing that she may have crash-landed on Gardner Island, located approximately 350 nautical miles from Howland Island. Gillespie's organization claims to have found potential forensic evidence supporting this theory, suggesting a journey of struggle before her plane was ultimately lost to the sea.