Widely reported claims by a British man that he has found the missing Flight MH370 using Google Maps are "not reliable," Chinese aviation experts said Tuesday.
Ian Wilson, a British tech expert, "spent hours on Google Maps" and caught sight of the outline of a plane deep in the forests of Cambodia, reported the Daily Star on Monday.
The flight is slightly larger than MH370 with a dark-green breakage between the body of the aircraft and its tail, which Wilson speculated was caused by the crash. He is preparing for a trip to the site, reported The Mirror.
Chinese aviation expert Zhang Baoxin, however, challenged Wilson's assertion, saying, "Such a big flight cannot crash silently. Why didn't the Cambodian army notice any abnormality after MH370 went missing, or the Thai army?"
Zhang told the Global Times the image of the flight has a clear outline, while common sense would suggest the 4-year-old wreckage should be partially covered by vibrant plants growing in the tropical forest.
Google Maps has an accuracy of 1 meter, much less than military satellites. "Why could Wilson find the jet with Google within hours when China, the US and the EU did not find anything with their equipment," Zhang said.
Aircraft fragments found on French Reunion Island have been confirmed to belong to MH370, and oil traces have been found on the sea, both supporting experts' beliefs that the MH370 crash took place over the sea.
He pointed out that since Wilson declared he is going to the site alone, Zhang asked, "Why didn't he contact local government or official rescue teams about such a huge finding?"
It is not uncommon for civil aircraft and even military aircraft to be photographed in Google Maps, both on the ground or in midair.
