Explorers believe they found Amelia Earhart’s plane: What happens next?

Tampa (W.F.L.A.) — A Sonar images discovered by a South Carolina-based exploration team have Rekindled interest One of aviation’s biggest mysteries.

Deep Sea Visions founder and CEO Tony Romeo and his brother and project manager Lloyd Romeo recently released sonar images taken in the Pacific Ocean that appear to show planes. They believe the plane belonged to Amelia Earhart and her aviation navigator Fred Noonan.

Back in 1937, Earhart and Noonan departed from Miami in a Lockheed Electra 10-E on a journey that would make Earhart the first woman to fly around the world.But with only 7,000 miles left on her journey, Earhart and Noonan Radio contact was lost Near the Howland Islands, about 3,000 miles southwest of Hawaii.

Earhart, Noonan, and their plane were never found despite an extensive search of the area.

If recent discoveries by Deep Sea Visions are what they believe, things may have changed.

Romeo and his team of 16 crew members scanned more than 5,200 square miles of ocean floor near Howland Island in a nearly 100-day search for any trace of Earhart’s plane, a Lockheed 10-E Electra aircraft. Stated.

Tony Romeo and Lloyd Romeo explained the findings and what happens next To JB Biunno Wednesday on WFLA on Nexstar.

Tony Romeo said that while “this is by no means definitive,” the location and shape of the find seemed to indicate it could be Earhart’s. . “If it’s not a plane, you know, I’m being realistic about this, it might not be a plane. But if it’s not, we’re going to keep searching.”

The next step is to put a camera underwater to take a closer look at the unidentified object. Romeo told The Associated Press that if the footage confirms the explorers’ highest hopes, the goal would be to bring back the long-lost Electra.

Depending on the condition of the aircraft, lifting may be complicated. Mark Martin, a retired U.S. Navy submariner, told Biunno that if Deep Sea Vision found it, the plane might still be completely intact. The Romeo brothers agreed, pointing to similar plane crashes they investigated that remained unscathed after crashing into a lake.

There are also concerns about corrosion. Tony Romeo explained that if a potential plane were to emerge, it would need to be in the water immediately because “it would start to erode very quickly.” From there, it must be properly restored in the lab.

He said it was a complicated question as to who the plane belonged to, but added that he had been in contact with Earhart’s family. (You can read the full interview here. )

“We invited them to come with us to identify the plane, and they want to come with us. They’re very excited about this,” Romeo said. Ta. “There are a lot of steps that have to go through before we can start talking about salvage.”

Ole Wallmer, a former attorney for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a senior researcher at the Ocean Foundation, said that if the vague sonar image turns out to be a plane, international standards for underwater archeology require that the plane remain in place. He said he would strongly suggest it.

Varmer said a non-intrusive investigation could still be conducted to determine why the plane may have crashed.

“It’s about preserving as many of the stories as possible,” Varmer told The Associated Press. “It’s not just a ruin. It’s a location on the ocean floor and its context. It’s part of the story of how and why it got there. Once salvaged, some of the sites that can provide information It will be destroyed.”

Varmer said it would likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars to salvage the plane and display it in a museum. It is also possible that Romeo will insist on salvage in court, but the plane’s owner has the right to refuse.

Earhart bought Lockheed at least in part with funds raised by the Purdue Research Foundation, according to a blog post from Purdue University in Indiana. And she made plans to take her plane back to school.

Romeo said the team believes the plane is in the Smithsonian Institution. He acknowledged that potential legal issues were in “uncharted territory” and said his exploration company “will address issues as they arise.”

When asked about what’s next for the Deep Sea Vision team, Romeo said, “Stay tuned,” and said he hopes to make an announcement before the end of the year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.