New footage has emerged, revealing the eerie interior of a sunken passenger plane once mistaken for the missing MH370 wreckage.
The video, captured by a diver, showcases the abandoned Lockheed Martin L1011 Tristar aircraft resting at the bottom of the Red Sea, complete with seats and shattered windows.
The plane plummeted to the seabed in 2019 and has since become a popular destination for thrill-seekers.
Underwater photographer Brett Hoelzer filmed his exploration of the wreckage, which still features intact lockers and headrests.
The colossal 400-seat jet, first put into service in the 1980s, was deliberately sunk after being discarded at Jordan’s King Hussein International Airport.
The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority purchased the plane and decided to sink it to stimulate dive tourism.
The move also aimed to encourage coral growth, a goal that has been successfully achieved over the past five years, according to The Sun.
Divers must descend between 15 to 28 metres to fully explore the aircraft and its artificial reef.
Remarkably, the plane remains largely intact, with all three engines still attached to the wings and tail fin.
Other features, including the cockpit, toilets, and galleys, remain in place, as reported by Scuba Diving magazine in 2022, reports the Mirror.
Brett Hoelzer, a diver, previously shared with 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.
According to USA Today, the caption for the image read: “Malaysia Airplane MH370 that disappeared nine years ago has been found under ocean with no human skeleton. The plane had 239 passengers on board.”
However, any rumours were quickly put to rest as the picture was proven to match footage released by the Deep Blue Dive Centre. The inscription alongside it read: “Tristar Airplane Wreck. Red Sea, Aqaba.”
The Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, carrying 239 people onboard, disappeared without trace while on route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing off the radar screen on March 8, 2014. No more than 40 minutes into its journey, it lost contact above the South China Sea.
Over the years the mystery has given birth to numerous conspiracy theories, many of which give rise to uncomfortable questions about the flight path and the potential involvement of the pilot.
