The Malaysian Ministry of Transport announced that the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which has been missing for more than a decade, will resume at the end of this month. This will not be the first time that efforts have been made to find the plane, which, according to investigations, may have crashed at sea. This issue is considered the biggest mystery in the field of international aviation. In addition to never being recovered, there is no evidence yet that the plane experienced any problems and it is not even clear why the course was changed. Find out what’s known so far and the main points about the case.
- Retry: Malaysia resumes search for MH370, missing more than a decade ago
- Neither tube nor wing: Meet the plane that promises to change the way we fly and reduce emissions
The Boeing 777, with 239 people on board, lost radar contact on March 8, 2014, between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing. The plane could not be located despite the most comprehensive search in aviation history.
Two-thirds of the passengers were Chinese, while the rest were from Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and other countries.
The plane’s disappearance has been the subject of several theories – from the most plausible to the most absurd – including the hypothesis that veteran pilot Zahari Ahmad Shah had deliberately taken control of the plane.
- Cabin effect: Find out tips for relieving jet lag and circulation problems on long plane trips
A final report on the tragedy, issued in 2018, highlighted flaws in air traffic control and indicated that the plane’s course had been manually changed. Investigators said in the 495-page report that they still do not know the reason for the plane’s disappearance and did not rule out the possibility that someone other than the pilots was the one who hijacked the plane.
/i.s3.glbimg.com/v1/AUTH_da025474c0c44edd99332dddb09cabe8/internal_photos/bs/2024/z/c/5lk37sS9moJYx2p4coDw/mapa.png)
When was the last contact with the aircraft?
After receiving instructions to contact Vietnamese traffic control at 1:19 a.m. (local time), the commander responded: “Good evening, Malaysia three seven zero.” This was the last message we received from the plane.
Minutes later, the communications device was turned off and the flight disappeared from radar screens. Chinese traffic control did not receive any communication from the Boeing 777. During the open investigation into the case, military radar readings indicated that the plane, for unknown reason, deviated from the route to China, heading west, and flew over Malaysia towards the Adaman Sea, in South Asia. Other data, extracted from satellite communications with aircraft MH370, indicated that the flight then turned south, heading towards the Indian Ocean, west of Australia.
- In addition to Madrid and Barcelona: Discover the northern region of Spain, a coastal gem worth a visit
Have any parts of the plane been found yet?
Only small wreckage of the Boeing aircraft was found. The plane was never found, nor were the bodies of the passengers, crew or survivors.
Who will handle the new searches?
The ministry said the searches would be conducted by marine exploration company Ocean Infinity “in a specific area that has been assessed as having the highest probability of locating the aircraft.”
Previous actions in the South Indian Ocean were suspended in April, under the principle that the government would not pay the company if plane wreckage was not found.
Ocean Infinity led an unsuccessful initial search in 2018, before agreeing to a new attempt this year.
Have previous searches been conducted?
Yes. In addition to the actions undertaken by Ocean Infinity, based in the United Kingdom and the United States, which has been conducting a preliminary search, led by Australia, in 120,000 square kilometers of the Indian Ocean over three years since 2018, but has found no significant traces of the plane.