A Google Maps wizz may have discovered where the wreckage of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight could lie.
A decade on, the MH370 passenger jet disappearance remains one of the most bizarre aviation mysteries in history.
On March 8 2014, 227 passengers and 12 crew members boarded a Boeing 777 plane from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia and were due to touch down at Beijing Capital International Airport in China hours later.
However, just before entering Vietnamese airspace over the South China Sea, the plane’s transponder was switched off.
An hour later, the Malaysian military radar lost contact with the plane over the Andaman Sea.
Despite an Inmarsat satellite clocking Flight 370 at 8.11 am, the aircraft never made it to its destination and was later presumed missing.
Ten years later, the missing flight still has a large question mark hovering over it.
Despite extensive search operations taking place in Malaysia, Australia and Chinese waters, officials are no closer to finding the wreckage.
However, a tech expert believes they may have discovered the crash site by browsing Google Maps.
In 2018, Ian Wilson spoke out and theorised that the Malaysia Airlines MH370 flight crashed deep in the Cambodian jungle.
“I was on there [Google Maps], a few hours here, a few hours there. If you added it up I spent hours searching for places a plane could have gone down,” the video producer told The Mirror.
“And in the end, as you can see, the place where the plane is. It is literally the greenest, darkest part you can see.
National Geographic
“Measuring the Google sighting, you’re looking at around 69 meters, but there looks to be a gap between the tail and the back of the plane.
“It’s just slightly bigger, but there’s a gap that would probably account for that.”
Ian and his brother, Jackie, attempted to visit the site in the jungle but had to abandon their mission due to dangerous conditions.
Speaking about their journey with the Daily Star, Ian said: “It was so dangerous, every time we came to a river, where the waterfall would be crossing, it might only be 10 metres the other side but you’ve got no idea how deep it is, it’s about a foot deep and it goes up past your thighs.”
He added that he would ‘love to go’ exploring again but that cash is a barrier.
“I hope to go again, months after I was like, ‘I’m up for going again’, definitely want to do this again but it’s just the money.”
If the tech expert does prove to be correct then it could mean the families of the missing passengers could gain some well-deserved closure on the horrific situation.
Google Maps
Earlier this year, Malaysian transport minister Anthony Loke vowed to up the stakes in his country’s search for the missing plane.
Speaking at a press conference in Melbourne, he said: “We have taken the position that if there is a compelling case, evidence that it needs to be re-opened, we’re certainly happy to reopen.
“Whatever needs to be done must be done and the search must go on.”
Ocean Infinity, a Texas-based company that has twice attempted to locate the plane, has allegedly also made a new offer.
They’ve said that they will issue a search party to an area of the Indian Ocean on a ‘no find, no fee’ basis to secure the wreckage.
Featured Image Credit: National Geographic / Google Maps
Flight attendant reveals the real reason cabin crew say hello to passengers during boarding
It’s not just a simple act of politeness that you might assume.
Few things are actually as simple as they look nowadays, and that’s definitely true when it comes to flying.
Millions of us are used to the same old rigamarole of security checks, tiny liquid containers and expensive airport food, and it can sometimes feel like travelling by plane is a bit like becoming a piece of luggage yourself.
Still, there are occasional glimpses of the more luxurious and customer-friendly way of flying that people enjoyed in the mid-20th century, with one of the most enduring being a polite greeting from a flight attendant as you finally step onto your plane.
The overwhelming majority of people would probably feel safe in assuming that this is just a little bit of customer service that costs the airline very little and helps make people feel just a little bit more welcome.
However, one serving flight attendant has revealed on TikTok that things are not quite what they seem, and that there’s more behind this greeting than you’d think.
The flight attendant in question, Rania (@itsmekikooooo), uploaded a short TikTok video of herself at work, revealing that the greeting does indeed have another purpose – to check if passengers boarding the plane might be too drunk or unwell to safely fly.
That’s right, you’re actually passing through a final filter to see if you’re likely to cause disruption on the plane, which could result in delays or even U-turns in some cases.
After all, it’s been proven time and time again that the lack of available refunds or rescheduling options means that people tend to want to get on their flights even if they’re not feeling their best.
That’s just the unwell people, too – those who’ve had a few too many to drink in the lounge before departure run the risk of getting belligerent on the flight itself.
Bernd Vogel / Getty
So, it’s up to the flight attendants to do a quick check on everyone boarding to make sure no one gets aboard in an unfit state, something that’s causing some amusement in the comments under the TikTok.
Hilariously, one person confessed: “Once I had to take a breathalyzer because I said to the really pretty flight attendant ‘good night’ when she said hello. I was sober.”
Another said: “I knew you were judging me!”
So, next time you’re boarding a plane, you might want to bear this in mind – especially if you’ve been on the airport beers and don’t want to be barred from entering. After all, booking a new flight is no one’s idea of a fun start to a holiday.
Featured Image Credit: TikTok / @itsmekikooooo / Jupiterimages / Getty
Man pranks his friend into thinking he’s ‘stealing’ a plane without telling him he’s actually a pilot
This is a true test of friendship.
There’s no better way to test a friendship than with a good old-fashioned prank.
YouTuber ROT8 & AV8 (real name Wallee) has been showing viewers what it’s like to get your pilot’s license and start flying recreational flights, but three years ago came up with a devious idea since he knew that one of his friends wasn’t sure how far along he was.
He actually has his pilot’s license, but pretends to know way less than he actually does, telling his friend that the flight instructor would be coming out to fly them after he turned the plane on as part of his lessons.
He successfully turns the engine on after completing some pre-flight checks, and you can easily see his friend Zach freaking out a little bit about the fact that there’s apparently no qualified pilot onboard as the propeller starts to spin.
They slip their headsets on for better communication, and then after a little bit of chat, Wallee starts to let the plane move forward, pretending that he’s just moving the plane into position.
His friend Zach is doing a creditable job of staying calm as this plays out, but once they’re on the runway and they start to hear flight control information he looks a little more stressed.
At one point, he says: “I thought for sure you were gonna take us up in this thing.” It’s at this moment that Wallee tells Zach he is indeed just going to fly the plane regardless, which prompts a mini freak-out where Zach questions why they’re not going to “wait for the guy”, which the YouTuber simply pushes past.
Zach’s face looks incredibly worried, registering in a huge shocked grin rather than actual fear, as they speed up and then take off.
He can’t stop laughing as they ascend, with a small plane always being a different experience to a passenger jet.
Zach also visibly has to breathe deeply to stay calm, and amazingly Wallee still maintains that he’s winging the situation and going from YouTube videos and tutorials.
Ascent Xmedia / Getty
When it comes time to land the plane, the stress is palpable, as Zach wonders if they’re going to make it, but it’s equally impressive that he seems to believe in his friend, calling him “so talented”.
Only once they’ve landed (and then taken off again instantly for more fun) does Wallee reveal that he already has his private pilot’s license, which is for the best given how freaked out Zach was during the landing sequence.
It’s a prank for the ages, and is being praised as such in the comments section under the video, with one person writing: “The craziest thing about this video is that it has nothing to do with a plane. This pilot is one of the luckiest men on Earth to have a friend that believes in him completely. True friendship.”
Featured Image Credit: ROT8 & AV8/YouTube
Man turned a Boeing 727-200 into his home and pays just $370 per month to live there
This is an amazing way to re-use an abandoned jet.
Would you give up all your home amenities to live in an abandoned plane?
That’s exactly what 73-year-old Bruce Campbell (not the actor, or this would be even more amazing) is doing in Hillsboro, Oregon.
He lives in a scrapped Boeing 727 passenger jet, one that once had space for some 200 passengers.
As he demonstrates in a handy TikTok walkthrough of his home for CNBC Make It, Campbell has done an impressive job outfitting the plane, which he apparently pays $370 a month for.
On the one hand, that’s a very low rent for a living space that technically comes in at 1,066 square feet, but on the other, life doesn’t exactly look luxurious inside the jet.
Campbell walked CNBC through his home, pointing out the futon sofa where he sleep and relaxes, along with a rudimentary bathroom that’s still basically the same as it was when the jet was flying commercial routes.
He’s managed to create a fairly simple shower indoors, too, having previously had to endure a “harsh” outdoor shower experience – Oregon can get really cold in winter!
He then shows off his kitchen area, which is again very simple, reliant mostly on a microwave and toaster oven.
One quaint touch is that he says he uses the dining cart from the original flight service as his pantry, which is a fun way to get some extra storage.
The plane is surprisingly bare, though, with its carpeting stripped out and almost all of the seats also gone.
This makes for more space, but it doesn’t exactly look warm and cosy, especially compared to some other converted jets that you might have seen.
Brad Kathrins / Getty
Still, the comments under CBNC’s TikTok upload of the interview with Campbell have some really nice details to offer up.
Multiple people in the thread have actually met Campbell – including one who said: “Went to go meet him last week. Such a nice guy! Gave us a full tour of his airplane home, and let us mess around with flight controls.”
Another had a similar experience: “I visited in 2019. Really nice guy and interesting home.”
So, Campbell is clearly just as happy to share his interesting living space with others as he appears in the interview, and with good reason.
After all, the amount of waste that happens in our world is a major shame, and with airliners producing huge amounts of emissions while they’re active, repurposing them into homes after they’re grounded seems like a great way to push back in a more positive direction.