Overall her flight, as was mentioned at the time by the Navy IIRC, was a “Poor plan, poorly executed”. Anyone with sailing or flying experience from the pre-GPS days knows better than to try and find an island looking into the rising sun. You may never see it until it is under you or behind you. Leaving off the correct radios to make up for this did not help.
She really was an early pioneer of the “Do stupid stunts for clicks on YouTube” reality TV lifestyle.
By restoration, I didn’t mean flyable, just showable
Sea water + bare alloy aluminum + Impact damage + 90-years in tropical seas/tides/storms = complete physical and corrosive destruction of all trace of that 1930s aircraft.
Nah, there would be some of it left including the engines. Not enough to make into anything that looks like an airplane, but not nothing. Insurance will have to write if off as a total loss.
Seriously, NO.
I’ve recovered/investigated 2 small jets from tropical waters [Panama, Honduras]… with modern corrosion protection… a few days after crashing… aluminum corrosion and steel rust was already evident… and currents were already stretching the debris field and affecting recovery diver performance.
I agree. After 88 years in warm saltwater, bare aluminum from Earhart’s Electra would be heavily corroded or gone. Impact, storms, and marine life worsen destruction. Recovery chances are extremely slim, only buried fragments or wedged parts may survive. The engines, being more durable, are the most likely components to endure.
Not to forget the aluminum eating crocodiles which probably wish to retain their foodsource. Had one of these show up during my seaplane commercial checkride and these things are scary!