There has been a ton of news media lately highlighting the funnier side of Google Earth and Street View. But both Google mapping properties are meant to be used for good. Techcrunch highlights such a story this morning.
After a two year search for missing pilots Marcy Randolph and William Westover, both of whom disappeared while flying a Cessna 182 over Arizona, search and rescue volunteer group Missing Aircraft Search Team located what appeared to be the crash site, in part assisted by Google Earth.
It seems that the apparent crash site was located by comparing the date of a reported forest fire with the date of the crash. Once it was verified they were one and the same, Google Earth and other location-based tools were used to map a trail to the crash site.
Since the crash site was located, and a statement was issued on April 22, authorities have verified that the crash site is that of the missing Cessna based on serial numbers. It’s nice to see that Google Earth was able to help give a family closure.
