Aviation expert reexamines Amelia Earhart's disappearance with bold claim

Following President Trump's announcement that he has ordered his administration to declassify and release all government records related to Amelia Earhart, an aviation expert is speaking out about the pilot's disappearance.

"I am ordering my Administration to declassify and release all Government Records related to Amelia Earhart, her final trip, and everything else about her," Trump wrote last week on Truth Social. "Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

Earhart is widely known as an aviation trailblazer, becoming the first woman to fly solo across the U.S. nonstop Aug. 24, 1932.

RESEARCHERS ZERO IN ON AMELIA EARHART'S DISAPPEARANCE AFTER 88 YEARS

Earhart flew The Electra, which disappeared on July 2, 1937, while flying from New Guinea to Howland Island.

"I have been asked by many people about the life and times of Amelia Earhart, such an interesting story, and would I consider declassifying and releasing everything about her, in particular, her last, fatal flight," Trump posted on Truth Social.

Earhart was traveling with her navigator, Fred Noonan, on the last trip when she communicated via radio that she was running low on fuel.

President Trump added, "Amelia made it almost three quarters around the world before she suddenly, and without notice, vanished, never to be seen again. Her disappearance, almost 90 years ago, has captivated millions."

It remains unclear whether there are any files sealed. Fox News Digital was unable to reach out to the National Archives due to the government shutdown.

Dorothy Cochrane, the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum's Earhart expert, told Fox News Digital that Earhart was an advocate for women's rights, which was unique in the early 20th century.

"When [Earhart] became a pilot and built this successful career, you know, she fulfilled her personal interests, but she also then promoted the interests of women, both in aviation and in society in general. Part of that, and then her successes, are why she's such an iconic figure," she said. 

Cochrane said "there's no real mystery" surrounding the Electra's disappearance. 

"Amelia and Fred were on the right path. They had the course to get to nearby Howland Island. … It was such a small island in the middle of nowhere, and there were radio communications issues; they could not find it before they ran out of fuel," she noted.

Many theories have circulated about the disappearance, such as Earhart living as a castaway on the island of Nikumaroro, being captured by the Japanese or serving as a "U.S. spy" observing Japanese activity in the Pacific. 

Cochrane said she doesn't buy into these theories, noting that "there are facts to be followed from the Coast Guard folks who were awaiting them at Howland, so it's pertinent to search in and around Howland."

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Mindi Love Pendergraft, executive director of the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison, Kansas, told the AP Trump's order "is sure to pique the interest of those dedicated to uncovering the mystery of Earhart's disappearance.

"If these records shed any light on Earhart's fate, it is a welcome action for Earhart historians and enthusiasts."

In July, the Purdue Research Foundation, based in Indiana, and Archaeological Legacy Institute, based in Oregon, announced an expedition to investigate satellite images that could be the remains of the famous aviator's plane.

In November, researchers will head to the remote island of Nikumaroro, which is halfway between Australia and Hawaii, according to a joint press release from the two agencies.

While on the island, researchers will determine whether the "Taraia Object," a visual anomaly captured by satellite, is the remains of Earhart's plane.

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Steven Schultz, chief legal officer of the Purdue Research Foundation, spoke about Trump's order at a press conference Wednesday.

"One of the aspects of that message was he ordered the release of any classified material related to Amelia and her final flight," he said. "To our knowledge, there are no records, there are no such records that remain to be unclassified."