What happens if Amelia Earhart's plane is found?

The Purdue Research Foundation originally funded the Lockheed Electra “Flying Laboratory” through the Amelia Earhart Fund for Aeronautical Research, so the institution hopes to return the plane or its remnants to Purdue, citing what it called "her intention to return it to the university."

The Purdue Archaeological Legacy Institute said in a news release that "additional work and further conversations with Kiribati would still be needed to make that a reality, but we feel we owe it to her legacy at Purdue to try to find a way to bring it home if we find it."

In the same release, Purdue quoted a Kiribati official who said the island of Nikumaroro is "part of our heritage," and noted that nation's "responsibility to protect and better understand it."

“For Kiribati, Nikumaroro is much more than the possible setting for one of the world’s great historical mysteries,” said Mikarite Temari, head of Kiribati’s Ministry of Line and Phoenix Islands Development. The nation is happy to work with Purdue, Temari added. "We also see this expedition as an opportunity to build a lasting partnership that can help support important priorities such as regenerative tourism, cultural preservation, education, advances in aviation technology and economic development for our people.”

Contributing: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY

Phaedra Trethan is a national correspondent for USA TODAY, writing about history and Americana. Contact her by email at ptrethan@usatoday.com, on X @wordsbyphaedra, on BlueSky @byphaedra, or on Threads @by_phaedra.