They found it! They found it! They finally found it! At least, they thought they did.

In 2014, researchers from TIGHAR made a big claim. They said they had a piece of Amelia Earhart’s lost ship, the Electra. The aluminum piece was found on Nikumaroro Island. According to TIGHAR’s research, it matched the Electra perfectly.

Early in Ms. Earhart’s trip, she had to stop in Miami to get her plane fixed. There, a shiny piece of metal was added to the plane as a patch. The piece of aluminum on Nikumaroro might match the plane. The aluminum, TIGHAR claimed, could only have come from the Electra. It was a perfect fit. But was it perfect, really?

Many people object to TIGHAR’s theory about the metal. The Pacific Ocean is full of all kinds of debris. The aluminum could belong to almost anything. Besides, TIGHAR hasn’t found the plane itself. No one can hold up the piece of aluminum to the plane and say, “Look! It fits!”

In the Old Testament law, God said there had to be “two witnesses.” In order for someone to be proven guilty, two people had to agree the person had done wrong. That’s wise. When TIGHAR first came out with their claims, many people believed them. But so far, no other sources have been able to prove they are true. Will someone else ever confirm TIGHAR’s discovery? We’ll have to stay tuned to see!