The National Archives recently released newly declassified government records related to famed American aviator Amelia Earhart, offering an in-depth look into her mysterious 1937 disappearance and Japan’s role in the search effort.
The Document Release
The U.S. National Archives published over 4,600 pages of records on November 15, 2025, following President Trump’s order in September to declassify all government files related to Earhart’s ill-fated final flight. The documents include newly declassified files from the National Security Agency, information on Earhart’s last known communications, weather and plane conditions at the time, and potential search locations.
Among the documents was a memo detailing a conversation between then-Secretary of State Cordell Hull and Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Saito on July 13, 1937. Though it was public information that Japan participated in the search effort, the memo details the resources shared and highlights the specific cooperation between the two countries.
“Japan had two ships taking part in the search for Amelia Earhart … Their officials at Hawaii and other points had been instructed to keep closely posted on the search in the hope of being of some help,” the document says.
Roosevelt’s Response to Search Costs
Also included in the document drop is a press transcript between President Franklin D. Roosevelt and a reporter. The exchange from July 20, 1937, adds context to the justification of the investigation’s costs.
Roosevelt shared a dispatch from Honolulu claiming the search was costing $4 million. He also said Navy planes were required to log a certain number of hours per year and that the search counted toward it.
“There is no additional cost … whether they were [handling] a search problem of this kind or whether they were doing a maneuver,” said Roosevelt.
Eleanor Roosevelt’s Involvement
First lady Eleanor Roosevelt was also involved in details related to the search for Earhart, helping to request an important radio log for pilot Paul Mantz. Mrs. Roosevelt penned a letter to then-Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau Jr., thanking him for helping her obtain copies of the Itasca radio logs—the only records of the last contact with Earhart’s flight.
Earhart’s Mother’s Statement
Also included in the file is a newspaper clipping of a statement from Earhart’s mother, Amy Otis Earhart, from July 24, 1949. Amy Earhart stated that she believed her daughter “died in Japan” on “a United States government mission, probably on verbal orders”—and “not in the Pacific Ocean.”
“I am equally sure she did not make a forced landing in the sea,” Amy Earhart added.
The Last Communication
Earhart’s final transmission was documented on July 2, 1937, the day of her disappearance over the Pacific. It reads: “We are on the line 157 337 wl rept msg we wl rept…”
Ongoing Search Efforts
Many researchers hypothesize that aviation trailblazer Earhart did not crash her plane at sea, but instead landed and was stranded on Nikumaroro Island, later perishing there. The Archaeological Legacy Institute recently delayed an expeditionto search for Earhart’s missing plane on Nikumaroro to 2026, due to issues with permits and approaching South Pacific cyclone season concerns.
Earhart was the first woman to fly nonstop solo across the U.S. on August 24, 1932. She vanished on July 2, 1937, while attempting to fly around the world with navigator Fred Noonan.
Overview
The newly released documents provide unprecedented detail into the international cooperation during the 1937 search for Amelia Earhart, particularly Japan’s role in deploying ships and coordinating with U.S. officials. While the documents shed light on the search effort, Earhart’s fate remains one of aviation’s greatest unsolved mysteries nearly 88 years later.
