Expedition to find Amelia Earhart’s plane will begin this year

An expedition to a remote Pacific island in search of the remains of Amelia Earhart’s plane is ready to launch after being delayed for a year.

An expedition to a remote Pacific island in search of the remains of Amelia Earhart’s plane is ready to launch after being delayed for a year.

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NBC News senior correspondent Tom Costello announced exclusively on TODAY on July 24 — Earhart’s 129th birthday — that a group led by the Archaeological Legacy Institute and Purdue University will commence a mission in October to Nikumaroro Island, which is part of the Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati.

The expedition was initially announced in October 2025, but was postponed for a year while approvals and permits were obtained from the government of Kiribati.