AN MH370 sleuth has claimed that locals in Cambodia told him they saw a plane believed to be the doomed Malaysia Airlines flight crashing in the jungle.
Plane hunter Daniel Boyer previously claimed to have found the cockpit and tail – complete with the Malaysia Airlines logo – of the missing aircraft using Google Maps.
He paid for an expedition to the suspected crash site, but the team said it was too risky to reach the remote area.
However, Mr Boyer claimed that the team spoke to locals who remembered seeing a plane crash down bearing a “dragon-like emblem”, similar to the Malaysia Airlines logo.
“Due to the location of the apparent passenger plane crash, which measures up to the exact dimensions of a Boeing 777, the team were unable to reach the altitude and dense area where the crash is at without risking dehydration and their lives,” Mr Boyer told Express.co.uk.
“I did get information that locals miles away have recalled a jetliner on its descent before crashing around the same area my coordinates fall on.
“A farmer even described the tail of the jetliner as having a dragon-like emblem, like MH370’s.”
DRAGON-LIKE EMBLEM
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 became one of the world’s greatest aviation mysteries when it vanished without a trace in March 2014.
The mystery took a new twist when Brit Ian Wilson claimed he had spotted the jet on Google Maps nestled in the heart of the Cambodian jungle.
Then a supposed second crash site was found just ten miles away near Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh – by Mr Boyer.
And in photos given to the Daily Star Online, Mr Boyer turned detective to “identify” the different parts of the plane he says are scattered on the forest floor.
He carefully measured the blurry pictures to match the “wreckage” to the components which make up the missing Boeing 777.
Boyer pointed out one piece he found measures around 17ft- very close to the length of the MH370’s actual cockpit.
He believes he can see the red outline of the Malaysia Airlines’ logo on what he is convinced is the tailpiece and a gap in trees that could be evidence of a plane crashing down.
CRASH SITE FOUND?
Mr Boyer previously told the Star: “ I have been able to identify several parts from what could be the plane. The debris definitely needs to be investigated.”
MH370 took off from Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur for China’s capital Beijing with 239 people on board.
The first images of the jet, which vanished on March 8, 2014, were found after video producer Wilson spent “hours” searching online.
Images from Google Maps showed the outline of a large plane in a remote part of southern Cambodia – which could simply be an aircraft flying directly below the satellite which photographed it.
But Google Earth’s copyright date and imagery date for the picture have been listed as different years in recent weeks, reports The Daily Star.
This has led to speculation the supposed wreckage has been snapped several times in the past by the tech giant’s satellites – ruling out the theory that Wilson’s picture shows a plane in flight.
CONSPIRACY THEORIES
While the current imagery date is listed as March 2017, last week it was reportedly published as December 2015.
It has also been claimed the outline of the plane was spotted in May, 2014, using Google Maps – just two months after the jet vanished.
Wilson believes this adds further credence to his theory and says he plans to visit the site with his brother – in a bid to capture the £53million finder’s fee.
He told the Star: “After much discussion last night, we’re just organising final vaccinations and the hiring of guides.”
But aviation expert Yijun Yu puts the imagery date mystery down to either a system glitch or that Google hasn’t updated its pictures for the spot.
Flight 370 disappeared on March 8, 2014, en route from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing with 239 people on board.
Just 38 minutes into the flight, MH370 lost contact with Malaysia Airlines.
The plane was never found despite a search that cost millions and lasted for years.
Various theories – some more viable than others – emerged to explain what happened to the plane.
Other than the Cambodian jungle theory, these include the “suicidal” pilot deliberately crashing into the sea, the aircraft being shot down by North Korea and a conspiracy to bring down the Malaysian government.
