# It landed on the reef flat of Gardner Island (Nikumaroro); the crew transmitted for several nights, the…

> Disputed: It landed on the reef flat of Gardner Island (Nikumaroro); the crew transmitted for several nights, the aircraft was lost to the surf, and they…

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/amelia-earhart/answers/ANS0CYPMWE04Y90/it-landed-on-the-reef-flat-of-gardner-island-nikumaroro-the  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
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[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[Disappearance of Amelia Earhart](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/amelia-earhart)[Where did the Electra come down?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/amelia-earhart/questions/QST0CYPMTFG0SXJ/where-did-the-electra-come-down)Answer

Answer · Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

# It landed on the reef flat of Gardner Island (Nikumaroro); the crew transmitted for several nights, the…

It landed on the reef flat of Gardner Island (Nikumaroro); the crew transmitted for several nights, the aircraft was lost to the surf, and they died as castaways.

**Disputed** Answers **1** questionPublished0

## Where it stands

**Disputed** Two pieces of evidence for, five against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- Credible post-loss signals timed to periods when the reef was dry enough to run an engine.
- A castaway's remains and belongings on the island; aircraft wreckage on the reef slope.
- The 1937 overflight could have missed the aircraft or the crew.

## What would rule it out

- Identification of the Electra elsewhere, or conclusive proof that the 1940 bones were not Earhart's and the post-loss signals not hers.

## Evidence 2 for · 5 against

[A partial skeleton, a sextant box and a woman's shoe part were found on the island in 1940.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/amelia-earhart/evidence/EVD0CYPMWNT647Y/a-partial-skeleton-a-sextant-box-and-a-womans-shoe-part-were)

Supported

FOR

[Jantz (2018) found the 1941 bone measurements closer to Earhart than to 99 per cent of a reference sample.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/amelia-earhart/evidence/EVD0CYPMWXM0WTP/jantz-2018-found-the-1941-bone-measurements-closer-to)

Suggestive

FOR

[Ballard's 2019 survey of the reef slope and TIGHAR's own searches found no wreckage.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/amelia-earhart/evidence/EVD0CYPMXN27RK9/ballards-2019-survey-of-the-reef-slope-and-tighars-own)

Supported

AGAINST

[Colorado's aircraft saw signs of habitation but no aircraft and no one signalling on 9 July 1937.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/amelia-earhart/evidence/EVD0CYPMXD858Z2/colorados-aircraft-saw-signs-of-habitation-but-no-aircraft)

Supported

AGAINST

[Cross and Wright (2015) found Hoodless's first-hand male identification more robust than later re-analyses.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/amelia-earhart/evidence/EVD0CYPMX5E5NFD/cross-and-wright-2015-found-hoodlesss-first-hand-male)

Suggestive

AGAINST

[The Taraia Object, the latest candidate, proved to be trees (October 2026).](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/amelia-earhart/evidence/EVD0CYPMXWW0EG0/the-taraia-object-the-latest-candidate-proved-to-be-trees)

Established

AGAINST

[The island was inhabited 1938–1963, so artefacts at the Seven Site have other possible sources.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/amelia-earhart/evidence/EVD0CYPMY4P3CJ9/the-island-was-inhabited-19381963-so-artefacts-at-the-seven)

Supported

AGAINST

## The questions it answers

[Where did the Electra come down?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/amelia-earhart/questions/QST0CYPMTFG0SXJ/where-did-the-electra-come-down)

Most likelyIt ran out of fuel and ditched at sea within about a hundred miles of Howland, and sank

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). It landed on the reef flat of Gardner Island (Nikumaroro); the crew transmitted for several nights, the… [Answer ANS0CYPMWE04Y90]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0CYPMWE04Y90
```

Key

**ANS** 0CYPMWE04Y90

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Origin

Published

Version

1

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