New footage has revealed what an abandoned passenger plane, which was once believed to be the lost MH370, looks like from the inside.
The video captured by a diver shows the Lockheed Martin L1011 Tristar plane deserted at the bottom of the sea - with seats and smashed-out windows. The aircraft dropped to the floor of the Red Sea in 2019, and has become a top spot for adventurers ever since.
Underwater photographer Brett Hoelzer filmed himself searching through the wreckage, which included lockers and headrests that were still intact. The huge 400-seater jet, which was first serviced in the 1980s, was sunk after it was dumped at King Hussein International Airport in Jordan. Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority eventually brought the plane and decided to sink it in a bid to boost dive tourism.
The decision also helped promote coral growth which is has successfully done over the past five years, reports The Sun. Divers have to travel around 15 to 28 metres deep to fully access the aircraft and its artificial reef. The plane is still largely in one piece, with all three of its engines still positioned on the wings and tail fin. Other features including the cockpit, toilets, and galleys remain in place, according to a report by Scuba Diving magazine in 2022.
Diver Brett Hoelzer previously told CNN Arabic: "The cockpit is the shallowest part of the wreck and faces the beach at about 13 metres. Scuba divers can go to the back to the last two exit doors, which are at a depth of 28 metres. Or they can exit from the middle doors, which are at a depth of about 20 metres."
Last year, a now-deleted social media post showing Tristar went viral following speculation that it was actually the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370), which disappeared in 2014. The caption at the time read: "Malaysia Airplane MH370 that disappeared 9 year ago has been found under ocean with no human skeleton. The plane had 239 passengers on board," USA Today reported. However, the rumours were quickly quashed, as the image was matched with footage shared by the Deep Blue Dive Centre. The caption said: "Tristar Airplane Wreck. Red Sea, Aqaba."
The MH370 vanished with 239 passengers and crew members onboard on March 8, 2014. The aircraft left Kuala Lumpur and headed towards Beijing, but under 40 minutes into the journey it lost contact over the South China Sea. Over the years, the mysterious case has been hit with several conspiracy theories including concerns over the flight path and the supposed involvement of the pilot.