4
$\begingroup$

I encountered this in Google Maps satellite mode about 3 weeks ago. I thought it may be a passing plane and it goes away when the images update. But now after 3 weeks it is still there. The existence of the shadow also made me think it's a passing plane. But the other characteristics made be doubt about it:

There is a huge black color between the tail and rest of the plane. It looks like a severe fracture. Also, one of its wings looks fractured from top to bottom near the tip. The other wing looks partially fractured near the tip.

It seems that the lines of little waves on the surface of the water are above the plane (hence it seems the plane is below the water).

Is this a sunken plane or a passing plane?

Overview image: enter image description here Detail image: enter image description here

The coordinates: N 27.144986°, E 56.461160°. Google Maps link

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
18
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ I can't answer with certainty, but it's likely just an illusion due to the rather complex image processing, stitching and compositing that is done on satellite imagery. Notice the colored halo of the same shape to the northeast. Real objects below the water's surface are rarely visible from above, and almost never with that level of detail. It's much more likely a plane in the air that is distorted by the image processing. $\endgroup$
    – TypeIA
    Commented Jul 23, 2023 at 10:10
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ Great finds! I still think both are simply artifacts. See this article for a more detailed "debunking" of a similar apparently "sunken" plane. $\endgroup$
    – TypeIA
    Commented Jul 23, 2023 at 11:28
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Google images update very infrequently. 3 weeks is not long enough - try 3 years - maybe not even then. Some images are already 3 years old. $\endgroup$
    – Stack Exchange Supports Israel
    Commented Jul 24, 2023 at 13:55
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Bing Maps does not show the aircraft at the same location $\endgroup$
    – ROIMaison
    Commented Jul 25, 2023 at 12:00
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Not a Learjet. More like a older twinjet Falcon or a Citation. $\endgroup$
    – Juan Jimenez
    Commented Jul 25, 2023 at 17:48

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
5
$\begingroup$

This is definitely an artifact of image processing, not a sunken plane. The red, green, and blue planes just in front of it are a dead giveaway- this results from three different exposures being taken with three color filters on a fast-moving object. Since the airplane has moved slightly between exposures, the composite of these three images results in an artifact like this rather than a single plane.

Also, I'm not sure of the exact aircraft type, but planes that look like that (e.g. a Learjet or Citation) are on order 15 feet tall. Glancing at a nautical chart, the water is not even 15 feet deep there. So not only would it be sticking out of the water, there's basically no chance it would not have been discovered and salvaged pretty quickly.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .