MH370 Theory: Plane Crashed On Land, Wreckage Not Underwater, Expert Claims

Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 may have crashed on land and its wreckage was not underwater, London University academic Yijun Yu claimed. The latest theory added to the hopes of Ian Wilson, who is preparing to search the Cambodian jungle for the Boeing 777-200.

According to the Daily Star, claims that the passengers' phones were ringing for four days after the plane went missing March 8, 2014, was being seen as proof the plane did not end up underwater. Yu, an aviation software researcher, said investigators theory that the plane crashed in a remote part of the southern Indian Ocean could likely be ruled out.

"The physical communication can get cut off from the phone to the telecom relay system, but the telecom relay system could insert the ring tone if it wants to engage with the callers," Yu said. "But this has been experienced by 19 families, so it is either a system error, or indeed the flight kept flying."

"Of course, any flight cannot keep flying for four days, but it may have ended up somewhere not in the sea," Yu added. "I think either side is possible due to the lack of knowledge of how telecom system really works."

The theory of the plane crashing on land was first made last week by telecommunications expert Paul Franks.

"It’s not possible. As soon as a phone is submerged in water, especially sea water, it dies," Franks wrote on Reddit. "Even if it were to survive, it would not get signal from the bottom of the ocean. All this shows the plane did not crash into the sea."

However, this claim cannot be confirmed as authorities have released no statement regarding the theories of the plane crashing on land.

MH370 went missing in 2014 while on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board. Despite several efforts made by China, Malaysia and Australia to search for the plane, the missing Boeing 777-200 was yet to be found. In July, Malaysia released a full report detailing the investigation into the plane's disappearance. Investigators wrote in the report they were unable to determine what happened to the Malaysia Airlines plane.

As the cause of the disappearance of Flight MH370 remains the biggest mystery in aviation, several independent searchers have been looking for the plane.

While several theories about the plane's disappearance have emerged, Wilson — a British video producer — said he spotted the doomed jet in a Cambodian jungle on Google Maps. To confirm his theory, he along with other searchers will scour the dense jungle and reach the location where the plane is believed to be present.

The biggest lead in the investigation came when a plane flaperon was found by villagers on Réunion Island. Investigators said in the report 27 pieces of wreckage are believed to be from MH370, though only three have been confirmed as parts belonging to that plane.