Jim Ryan on the Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

Well, as I mentioned, real interesting story developing as of today and kind of enough to join us this morning is ABC News, national correspondent Jim Ryan on board with us. And Jim, I've always had a peak of interest into the disappearance of Amelia Earhart and starting today a big trip where they're going to try to get some answers. Talk to us about what's going on. There were he in that direction. It was 1937, Ray, when Amelia Earhart, Fred Newton, trying to circumnavigate the globe, disappeared. It disappeared off in the South Pacific somewhere, no radio contact for several hours, and then a search began. Turn up to be the largest search ever conducted by the U.S. Navy up to that point. And no trace was ever found of Amelia Earhart, Fred Noon, or the Lockheed Electra that Amelia Earhart was flying at the time. And there's been speculation over the years that Earhart might have been a spy that she was part of some covert operation. None of this has been proven. And it's certainly without that piece of evidence as to where they are, the remains, the aircraft itself, it's still a mystery and enduring mystery. So in a couple of months, a 16-member crew is to head to an island down in the South Pacific, Nicaroro Island. And they hope to find there perhaps evidence of the aircraft. They've seen it on satellite images. And I've seen these satellite images, and it looks kind of like a cylinder maybe with some things poking off the side. They call it an anomaly. And they're hoping that that might, in fact, be what's left of the Lockheed Electra. Wow, that is interesting through satellite images. And, of course, Jim, when you're talking about 90 years ago... It would be amazing to me that parts of that airplane would still be there. Yeah, exactly. Consider this. Nicomaroro Island is no stranger to disasters. The SS Nord City, which was a freight ship. crashed or went ashore, or when it, you know, ran a ground on this same island in 1929. So about eight years before Amelia Earhart and Fred Noon might have crashed there. And the remains of that cargo ship are still out there. Not much, though. It's kind of dissolved away over the more than 100, there are nearly 100 years since that ship ran a ground. So it would be surprising to see how much is left, if anything, of the Lockheed Electra or any remains of the two people who were aboard, Ray. Jim Ryan with us, ABC News National Correspondent. And, Jim, it's interesting. You mentioned 90 years ago. So we're talking almost a century, but still interest. Talk about the Research Foundation at Purdue that obviously has the interest and wants to get to the bottom of the story. Yeah, well, this Purdue Research Institute, Amelia Earhart actually worked for them for a time. And in fact, her plan, after circumnavigating the world, was to have her Lockheed Electra on display there at Purdue. So it's that same foundation now with the backing of some others that has decided to launch this effort to see if maybe that satellite image out there.

is something related to the disaster or related to the disappearance of Meliarhart. So if that's the case, if maybe, in fact, it does turn out to be the Elektra or Amelia Harrod's plane, it might actually be taken back to Purdue, which is kind of a roundabout way of eventually getting to the point where she wanted it to be in the first place. Jim, that particular flight that Amelia was on with a disappearance going back to 1937. Was that one of those flights to, because I get them confused, was that one of the flights she was trying to do the around the world thing? Was she trying to do the Pacific Ocean? What was the background of the flight itself? Yeah, she wanted to become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe. And so she and her navigator, Fred Noon, took off in May of 1937. And then several months later, of course, this was going to be a long trip around the world. They were stopping for refueling along the way that were supposed to stop on Howland Island, where a Coast Guard Cutter was going to provide fuel for that. Well... They'd never made it. That was the final destination of that destination on that leg of the journey. Unfortunately, they just never made it and have left this enduring mystery all these years since. Well, maybe we'll get some answers coming up here in the next 90 days or so. Jim, thank you so much enlightening on the story. I saw you were covering it, and I said, I've got to see if Jim has time to join me this morning, so I appreciate it, my friend. Sure, Ray. For more interviews on 93.5, 1590 WAKR, tune in to the Ray Horner Morning Show Monday through Fridays between 6 and 9 o'clock and listen for more interviews at wakr.net and our WAKR app.