Google Maps seemingly captures downed plane in Australia – but experts say it’s not what it looks like

Authorities say it is not aware of any missing aircraft carrying passengers

Google Maps has captured the image of what seems like a downed plane in Australia, but experts say it could be a software glitch.

The fully intact passenger plane was seen seemingly lying in the Cardwell Range in Australia, located about 250km (155 miles) south of Port Douglas on the Queensland coast.

It is likely that the passenger jet, which appears to be an Airbus A320 or Boeing 737, was flying at a very low altitude, giving off an impression that it is on the ground.

However, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau has reportedly said it is not aware of any missing aircraft carrying passengers.

“There appears to be a phenomenon called ghost images and that could be what this is,” the safety bureau told the Cairns Post.

The phenomenon seems similar to a 2016 ghostly Google Maps image that showed a passenger jet “submerged” in Lake Harriet in Minneapolis.

Like in the latest case, officials did not have any record of a plane crash in the area or that there was a wreck in the lake.

The lake is around 8km from the Minneapolis-St Paul Airport and is on the airport’s flight path.

Speaking about this 2016 incident, a Google Maps spokeswoman had said the image was most likely created with the picture of the lake taken at the same time as a plane was flying over it, causing the two objects to merge.

She explained that each satellite image on Google Maps is actually a compilation of several images.

“Fast-moving objects like planes often show up in only one of the many images we use for a given area,” the spokesperson had told The Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

When this happens, she said faint remnants of the fast-moving object can be seen sometimes.

Google has not responded to The Independent’s request for comment on the latest incident in Australia.