The pair were attempting to fly around the world when they lost
their bearings during the most challenging leg of the global
journey: Lae, New Guinea, to Howland Island, a tiny island 2,227
nautical miles away, in the center of the Pacific Ocean.

The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Itasca was in sporadic radio contact
with Earhart as she approached Howland Island and received
messages that she was lost and running low on fuel. Soon after,
she probably tried to ditch the Lockheed in the ocean. No trace
of Earhart or Noonan was ever found.