# Where did the Electra come down? · Disappearance of Amelia Earhart > Four answers have been proposed. It ran out of fuel and ditched at sea within about a hundred miles of Howland, and sank. leads, with evidence 2 for, 2… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/amelia-earhart/questions/QST0CYPMTFG0SXJ/where-did-the-electra-come-down Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-26T11:56:48+00:00 --- **0** # Where did the Electra come down? Asked 26 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·4 answers·0·0 following **Most likely: it ran out of fuel and ditched at sea within about a hundred miles of Howland, and sank** Ahead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted. ## Where it stands Four answers have been proposed. It ran out of fuel and ditched at sea within about a hundred miles of Howland, and sank. leads, with evidence 2 for, 2 against: partly supported by its tests. Three are still possible. Of the one narrower question under it, none is answered yet. ## Why it matters The last confirmed message puts the aircraft near Howland with fuel running low; everything after it is inference⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYPMBTR4DA7/catalog-and-analysis-of-radio-signals-during-the-search-for). The three readings predict wreckage in three different places, two of which have been partly searched⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYPMDS82ZVS/nauticos-says-new-analysis-narrows-search-for-amelia)⁠[[3]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYPMEGP3JYY/the-amelia-earhart-mystery-stays-down-in-the-deep). ## Answers 4 [**It ran out of fuel and ditched at sea within about a hundred miles of Howland, and sank.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/amelia-earhart/answers/ANS0CYPMV6Y60MW/it-ran-out-of-fuel-and-ditched-at-sea-within-about-a-hundred) Partly supported by its tests Evidence: 2 for, 2 against Most likely [**It came down in the Marshall Islands and the crew were taken by the Japanese to Saipan.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/amelia-earhart/answers/ANS0CYPMYCG623A/it-came-down-in-the-marshall-islands-and-the-crew-were-taken) Failed a test; not refuted outright Evidence: 3 against Disputed [**It landed on the reef flat of Gardner Island (Nikumaroro); the crew transmitted for several nights, the…** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/amelia-earhart/answers/ANS0CYPMWE04Y90/it-landed-on-the-reef-flat-of-gardner-island-nikumaroro-the) Tested, but the results don't decide it Evidence: 2 for, 5 against Disputed [**None of these.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/amelia-earhart/answers/ANS0CYPMZBR7D7Z/none-of-these) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: none yet Still possible ## History 1. 1937[Lambrecht: colorado's aircraft saw signs of habitation but no aircraft and no one signalling on 9 July 1937.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYPMCAC4KKW/aircraft-search-of-earhart-plane-report-on-the-search-of-the)Against: It landed on the reef flat of Gardner Island (Nikumaroro); the crew transmitted for several nights, the… 1. 1940[Gallagher: a partial skeleton, a sextant box and a woman's shoe part were found on the island in 1940.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYPMCJ602ZC/gallaghers-ninth-progress-report-octoberdecember-1940)For: It landed on the reef flat of Gardner Island (Nikumaroro); the crew transmitted for several nights, the… 1. 2015[Cross & Wright: cross and Wright (2015) found Hoodless's first-hand male identification more robust than later re-analyses.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYPMD9M6GZX/the-nikumaroro-bones-identification-controversy-first-hand)Against: It landed on the reef flat of Gardner Island (Nikumaroro); the crew transmitted for several nights, the… 1. 2017[National Geographic: the 2017 photograph offered as proof was published in a 1935 travel book.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYPMERG76VX/amelia-earhart-lost-photograph-discredited)Against: It came down in the Marshall Islands and the crew were taken by the Japanese to Saipan. 1. 2018[Jantz: jantz (2018) found the 1941 bone measurements closer to Earhart than to 99 per cent of a reference sample.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYPMDHE2Z4W/amelia-earhart-and-the-nikumaroro-bones-a-1941-analysis)For: It landed on the reef flat of Gardner Island (Nikumaroro); the crew transmitted for several nights, the… 1. 2019[The New York Times: ballard's 2019 survey of the reef slope and TIGHAR's own searches found no wreckage.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYPMEGP3JYY/the-amelia-earhart-mystery-stays-down-in-the-deep)Against: It landed on the reef flat of Gardner Island (Nikumaroro); the crew transmitted for several nights, the… 1. 2025[TIGHAR puts forward: it came down in the Marshall Islands and the crew were taken by the Japanese to Saipan.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYPMC2J1FFE/the-earhart-project-the-nikumaroro-hypothesis-and-the) 1. 2025[UPI: about 3,610 square miles of seabed near Howland have been searched by sonar without result.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYPMDS82ZVS/nauticos-says-new-analysis-narrows-search-for-amelia)Against: It ran out of fuel and ditched at sea within about a hundred miles of Howland, and sank. 1. 2025[TIGHAR: the Navy's 1937 conclusion and the simplest reading of the radio log.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYPMC2J1FFE/the-earhart-project-the-nikumaroro-hypothesis-and-the)For: It ran out of fuel and ditched at sea within about a hundred miles of Howland, and sank. 1. 2025[TIGHAR: the island was inhabited 1938–1963, so artefacts at the Seven Site have other possible sources.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYPMC2J1FFE/the-earhart-project-the-nikumaroro-hypothesis-and-the)Against: It landed on the reef flat of Gardner Island (Nikumaroro); the crew transmitted for several nights, the… 1. 2025[TIGHAR: no document, wreckage or grave has been produced in sixty years of claims.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYPMC2J1FFE/the-earhart-project-the-nikumaroro-hypothesis-and-the)Against: It came down in the Marshall Islands and the crew were taken by the Japanese to Saipan. 1. 2026[Purdue University News: the Taraia Object, the latest candidate, proved to be trees (October 2026).](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CYPMF0A7QTC/search-for-amelia-earharts-plane-continues-after-taraia)Against: It landed on the reef flat of Gardner Island (Nikumaroro); the crew transmitted for several nights, the… 1. 26 Oct 2026Asked on this site ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/amelia-earhart/questions/QST0CYPMTFG0SXJ/where-did-the-electra-come-down%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/amelia-earhart/questions/QST0CYPMTFG0SXJ/where-did-the-electra-come-down%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/amelia-earhart/questions/QST0CYPMTFG0SXJ/where-did-the-electra-come-down%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/amelia-earhart/questions/QST0CYPMTFG0SXJ/where-did-the-electra-come-down%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/amelia-earhart/questions/QST0CYPMTFG0SXJ/where-did-the-electra-come-down%23add-source) Where it fits Disappearance of Amelia Earhart **Where did the Electra come down?** Key question · you're here [Were any of the post-loss radio signals from the Electra?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/amelia-earhart/questions/QST0CYPMTZ43693/were-any-of-the-post-loss-radio-signals-from-the-electra)Most likely · all were hoaxes, misidentified stations or wishful hearing [ Ask a question under this one ]