Google Maps users spot 'ghost' plane in the middle of Australian rainforest

A mysterious image of a plane in the middle of the Australian rainforest has appeared on Google Maps.

Users spotted the downed jetliner on the Cardwell Range, located between Townsville and Cairns.

It seems to be nestled into a clearing in the trees.

What’s strange is the Australian Transport Safety Bureau confirmed to the Cairns Post it was unaware of any missing passenger jets in that location.

Zooming in on the image reveals the plane to be either an Airbus A320 or a Boeing 737.

The bureau said the image was a likely that of a ‘ghost’.

‘There appears to be a phenomenon called ghost images and that could be what this is,’ CASA said in a statement.

Google is yet to confirm this.

‘Ghost’ images do appear on Google Maps from time to time.

Eagle-eyed Maps users thought they had seen a plane pictured at the bottom of Lake Harriet in the US state of Minnesota in 2016.

However, Google later announced it was a ‘ghost’ image, with the Maps satellite image a composite of several images.