![]()
President Donald Trump ordered on Sept. 26 the release of all government records related to Amelia Earhart, her final trip, and everything else about her. The first 53 of these records were released on Nov. 14 and more are expected to be released on a rolling basis.
The 53 published records are reports, maps, messages and other documents tracing Earhart's final flight and the search for her in the days following her disappearance. The materials include newly declassified files from the National Security Agency, information on Earhart's last known communications and location, weather and plane conditions at the time, and potential search locations.
One of the documents is a July 1937 radio log from the U.S. Coast Guard cutter, Itasca, which was the last point of contact with Earhart's Lockheed Electra before her disappearance. The final message from her aircraft was recorded just before 9 a.m. local time on July 2, 1937. Experts have warned that while the documents are important, they are unlikely to change what is known about Earhart's final flight, according to People Magazine.
"Delivering on President Trump's promise, the release of the Amelia Earhart files will shine light on the disappearance of a beloved American aviator who has been at the center of public inquisition for decades," said DNI Tulsi Gabbard. "Under President Trump's leadership, we will continue the work to end the weaponization of intelligence and instead focus the Intelligence Community on finding the truth and telling the truth, and ensuring the safety, security, and freedom of the American people."
RELATED STORIES:
President Trump orders all federal records on Amelia Earhart to be declassified
Purdue announces expedition to find Earhart's missing plane
Purdue University Airport opens new terminal named in honor Amelia Earhart
All of the files are available to the public in the National Archives. More will be made available as agencies identify records and declassify them as applicable.
The Purdue Research Foundation and the Archaeological Legacy Institute announced on July 2 the Taraia Object Expedition, a collaborative search for Amelia Earhart's lost aircraft. A field team will travel by sea to confirm whether a visual anomaly known as the Taraia Object is what remains of Earhart's Lockheed Electra. The object has been observed via satellite and other imagery within the island's lagoon and is approximately halfway between Australia and Hawaii. While originally scheduled to launch on Nov. 4, the project has been delayed until 2026 due to additional stages of the permit approval process with the Kiribati government.