Former U.S. Air Force Officer’s Ambitious Search Reveals Sonar Image of Plane on Ocean Floor

South Carolina Man’s Quest to Solve Amelia Earhart Mystery Unveils Potential Discovery

Former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer Tony Romeo believes he may have found the plane Amelia Earhart was flying when she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937.

Romeo, driven by his fascination with the legendary pilot, embarked on a daring search that led to the capture of a sonar image of an aircraft-shaped object on the ocean floor.

Passion-Driven Adventure Funded by Property Sales

Tony Romeo, who sold his commercial property investments to finance the $11 million expedition, expressed his excitement, likening the quest to a childhood treasure hunt.

The mystery of Amelia Earhart’s disappearance has intrigued the world for decades, given her groundbreaking achievements as a pioneering pilot.

State-of-the-Art Technology and Underwater Expedition

The ambitious search, funded by Romeo, utilized high-tech gear, including an underwater ‘Hugin’ drone manufactured by the Norwegian company Kongsberg.

The unmanned submersible scanned 5,200 square miles of the ocean floor during outings that lasted 36 hours each. The expedition launched from Tarawa, Kiribati, with a 16-person crew.

Sonar Image Discovery and Plans for Return Exhibition

After capturing a sonar image of an object resembling an airplane, the team, led by Romeo, plans a return exhibition to obtain clearer images.

Experts, including Dorothy Cochrane from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, find the discovery intriguing but await more detailed images.

Experts Intrigued but Cautious: Request for Clearer Images

While some experts, including Cochrane, see the potential significance of the sonar image, caution prevails.

Clearer images with details such as a serial number matching Earhart’s plane are requested before definitive conclusions can be drawn.

Decades of Search Efforts: A Continuing Mystery

Romeo is not the first to launch expeditions in pursuit of Amelia Earhart’s missing plane.

Previous attempts, spanning from 1999 to 2017, collectively costing at least $13 million, have failed to unravel the mystery. The latest discovery adds a new chapter to the ongoing quest for answers.