Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370/MAS370) was a scheduled international passenger flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing that lost contact with air traffic control on 8 March 2014 at 01:20 MYT, less than an hour after takeoff. At 07:24, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) reported the flight as missing. The aircraft, a Boeing 777-200ER, was carrying 12 Malaysian crew members and 227 passengers from 14 nations.

In times of emergencies like this, we have to show unity of efforts that transcends boundaries and issues.

A multinational search and rescue effort, later reported as the largest in history, was initiated in the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea. Within a few days, this was extended to include the Strait of Malacca and Andaman Sea. On 15 March, based on military radar data and radio "pings" between the aircraft and an Inmarsat satellite, investigators concluded that it had first headed west across the Malay Peninsula, then continued on a northern or southern track for approximately seven hours. The search in the South China Sea was abandoned. Three days later the Australian Maritime Safety Authority began searching the southern part of the Indian Ocean.

On 24 March, the Malaysian government confirmed two independently made analyses by the British Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and Inmarsat, and concluded "beyond any reasonable doubt", that the aircraft had gone down in the southern part of the Indian Ocean with no survivors. This conclusion led to all earlier search areas being abandoned, and efforts being concentrated on the Australian-led area. There has been no confirmation of any flight debris, nor has a crash site been found.

Quotes

• There’s always this question: Have we missed something? That’s the sort of thing that will occasionally keep me awake at night. We were ready for most things, but MH370 has been unpredictable all the way through.
  • Martin Dolan, head of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, quoted on Bloomberg (February 15, 2016), "Missing Malaysia Jet MH370 Weeks Away From Keeping Secrets Forever"

An airline or airline (French: Ligne aérienne) or airline is usually an industrial group that transports passengers or cargo by air.

• In times of emergencies like this, we have to show unity of efforts that transcends boundaries and issues.
  • Lt Gen Roy Deveraturda, commander of the Philippine military's Western Command, quoted on BBC News, "Malaysia Airlines flight to Beijing vanishes", March 8, 2014.
• If they have a strong feeling or indication that the debris belongs to the aircraft, one of the first things authorities will do is drop sonar buoys in the water. If the black box (flight recorder) is there, the buoys should be able to pick up the signals. This could take up to 48 hours but it all depends on how near or far the ships and other assets are.
  • Michael Daniel, a former US Federal Aviation Administration official, told Singapore's Straits Times, quoted on BBC News, "MH370: Malaysia Airlines plane search halts overnight", March 20, 2014.
• I have been very hopeful because it was intentionally diverted, so I don't believed it was crashed," he said. "It's been a very, very difficult time, and very emotionally stressing. The area where Australia is looking - I was a captain at sea - I have been through that area several times. This area has got a concentration of garbage - plastics and wood. I don't know, I don't want to believe it as yet.
  • Bimal Sharma, a merchant navy captain whose sister Chandrika was on the plane, quoted on BBC News, "MH370: Malaysia Airlines plane search halts overnight", March 20, 2014
• Obviously we have now had a number of very credible leads and there is increasing hope - no more than hope, no more than hope - that we might be on the road to discovering what did happen to this ill-fated aircraft.
  • Tony Abbott, quoted on BBC News, "Malaysia flight MH370: New data 'shows possible debris'", March 23, 2014.
• This is a remote location, far from any possible landing sites. It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean
  • Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia, quoted on BBC News, "Flight MH370 'crashed in south Indian Ocean' - Malaysia PM", March 24, 2014.
• We demand the Malaysian side state the detailed evidence that leads them to this judgement, as well as supply all the relevant information and evidence about the satellite data analysis. The search and rescue work cannot stop now. We demand the Malaysian side continue to finish all the work including search and rescue.
  • Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister, Xie Hangsheng, quoted on BBC News, "Malaysia Airlines MH370: Relatives in Beijing scuffles", March 25, 2014.
• Our sincerest condolences go out to the loved ones of the 239 passengers, friends and colleagues. Words alone cannot express our enormous sorrow and pain.
  • Malaysia Airlines took out a full-page condolence advertisement in the New Straits Times, quoted on BBC News, "Flight MH370: Thai satellite 'shows 300 floating objects'", March 27, 2014.
• We realize this is an excruciating time for the families of those on board. No words can describe the pain they must be going through. We understand the desperate need for information on behalf of the families and those watching around the world.
  • Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Hamzah Zainuddin, quoted on Yahoo! News, "Malaysia, Flight 370 relatives talk financial help", April 20, 2014.
• Goodnight Malaysian Three Seven Zero
  • Captain Zaharie Shah, before allegedly switching off the plane's communication system MH370: New last words from cockpit: 'Good night Malaysian three seven zero'