The Unsolved Case of Flight MH370: What Really Happened?
On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 aircraft, took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport en route to Beijing Capital International Airport. The flight had 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board. More than 150 passengers were Chinese. There were also 38 Malaysians, seven Indonesians, six Australians, and several passengers from a host of other countries, including France and the US. However, the plane never reached its destination, and its fate remains a mystery to this day.
PERTH, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 31: A shadow of a Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion aircraft is seen on low cloud cover while it searches for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 on March 31, 2014, in Perth, Australia. Several objects have been sighted in the Indian Ocean over the past few days, but none confirmed to be related to the missing airliner. The Malaysian airlines flight disappeared on March 8 with 239 passengers and crew on board and is suspected to have crashed into the southern Indian Ocean.
Suddenly, Communication lost why?
About an hour after take-off, the plane’s transponder, which transmits location and altitude information to air traffic control, was manually turned off. Additionally, the plane’s communication systems, including the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) and the satellite data unit, were also disabled. This made it impossible for air traffic control to communicate with the plane or track its location. The last known location of the plane was over the South China Sea.
An analysis of the satellite data showed that the plane continued to fly for several hours after communication was lost, and it is believed to have flown for a total of 7 hours before crashing into the Indian Ocean. The last satellite communication with the plane occurred at 8:19 am, and the plane’s last known location was determined to be in the southern Indian Ocean, west of Australia.
Intense Search was done with massive efforts!
An extensive search effort was launched in the days and weeks following the plane’s disappearance. The search area was initially focused on the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, but was later expanded to include the Indian Ocean. The search operation, led by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), involved multiple countries and covered an area of over 46,000 square miles.
Department of Defense, HMA Ships Success and Toowoomba conduct a Replenishment at Sea with United States Navy Ship (USNS) Cesar Chavez, whilst on Operation SOUTHERN INDIAN OCEAN, in search of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 on April 12, 2014. The search continues as an oil slick has been discovered in the search area in the Indian Ocean. Twenty-six nations have been involved in the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 since it disappeared more than a month ago.
Despite the extensive search, no debris from the plane was found, and the cause of the disappearance remains unknown. In January 2017, the search was officially suspended, but in 2018, Ocean Infinity, a company specializing in seabed mapping, was contracted to conduct a new search effort. However, this search also yielded no results.
Where did the parts or pieces of the plane was?
Several pieces of debris believed to be from MH370 have washed ashore on the coast of Africa and islands in the Indian Ocean. These pieces of debris have been analyzed and confirmed to be from the missing plane. The debris includes a flaperon, a wing component, and several other pieces of the plane’s structure. The analysis of these debris’ pieces has provided some insight into the possible crash site of the plane, but it has not revealed any information about the cause of the crash.
What Theories and Speculation have been through?
The mystery surrounding the disappearance of MH370 has sparked a plethora of theories and speculation. Some experts believe that the plane may have suffered a mechanical failure, while others believe that it may have been the result of a hijacking or pilot suicide. However, there is no concrete evidence to support any of these theories.
One theory that has gained traction is that the plane may have been deliberately flown off course. The analysis of satellite data has shown that the plane’s course was changed manually after communication was lost. Additionally, the plane’s communication systems were disabled in a specific sequence, which suggests that someone with aviation knowledge was involved.
Another theory is that the plane may have suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure, such as a fire or explosion on board. However, this theory is considered unlikely as no distress signals were sent from the plane and no evidence of a mechanical failure has been found.
Pilot suicide has also been proposed as a possible explanation for the plane’s disappearance. However, there is no evidence to support this theory, and both pilots have been cleared of any wrongdoing.
There’s a big Question mark?
The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is one of the biggest aviation mysteries in history. Despite an extensive search effort, no debris from the plane has been found, and the cause of the disappearance remains unknown. Theories and speculation continue to surround the incident, but the official cause of the crash is still unknown. The families of the passengers and crew continue to hope for closure and answers.
It’s worth noting that the search for MH370 was one of the most expensive and extensive in aviation history, with multiple countries and private companies participating in the search. However, despite the resources and technology available, the plane remains missing.
In 2018, the Malaysian government released a report on the investigation, stating that the plane’s disappearance was the result of “an event or series of events” that the investigation was unable to determine, but not ruling out any specific scenarios.
The disappearance of MH370 continues to raise questions and concerns about aircraft tracking and communication systems. In response to the incident, many airlines have implemented new tracking systems on their planes to ensure that they can be located in the event of a similar incident.
In conclusion, the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 remains one of the biggest aviation mysteries in history. Despite the extensive search efforts, the cause of the crash remains unknown, and the fate of the plane and its passengers and crew remains a mystery. The families of the victims continue to hope for closure and answers, but the tragedy serves as a reminder of the need for improved aircraft tracking and communication systems to ensure the safety of passengers in the future.
