Here's Why the FBI Is Investigating the Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

The first woman to attempt flying solo around the world, aviator Amelia Earhart, disappeared in 1937 somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, and questions about what happened to the pilot have kept folks wondering for decades. According to CNN, the FBI is searching for any records related to the missing aviator.

Amelia was declared lost at sea after a 16-day search, with many believing that she ran out of fuel while flying over the ocean. However, theories that she may have survived the crash have existed for years. So, why is the FBI investigating now?

The FBI is investigating Amelia's disappearance now because they were ordered to do so by Donald Trump, who said in September that he wanted to “declassify and release all government records" about the aviator. The president reportedly ordered FBI agents in New York City and Washington, D.C., to search for all records related to her disappearance on Oct. 7, 2025, and gave them a deadline of Oct. 8.

“Per a priority request from the Executive Office of the President of the United States, please search any areas where papers or physical media records may be stored, to include both open or closed cases, for records responsive to Amelia Earhart," read a memo to FBI employees.

Trump shared a message on Truth Social on Sept. 26 about Amelia's disappearance.

"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! She was an Aviation Pioneer, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, and achieved many other Aviation 'firsts,'" he wrote. "She disappeared in the South Pacific while trying to become the first woman to fly around the World."

"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," he continued. "I am ordering my Administration to declassify and release all Government Records related to Amelia Earhart, her final trip, and everything else about her. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

Amelia broke several aviation records and was the first woman to ever fly over the Atlantic Ocean solo. According to the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian, Amelia was also the first woman to fly solo nonstop across the United States.

Amelia and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared between New Guinea and Howland Island, and the U.S. government conducted the biggest search by sea in history. However, the two were never found, nor the aircraft.

Some people believe that Amelia and Fred actually crashed on Nikumaroro Island in the western Pacific Ocean, but may have survived the crash. The island is known for having huge coconut crabs that can eat baby cats and chickens, and in 1940, after a skull was found on the island, folks began to wonder if the duo survived but died sometime later before their bodies were consumed by the crabs.

In 2024, the Deep Sea Vision exploration company claimed to have found the plane's wreckage and shared a sonar image from the ocean's floor that resembles an airplane. However, more expeditions are necessary to confirm the find.