An airplane departed from Kuala Lumpur in 2014 towards Beijing in China, but disappeared from tracking systems, and, has not been found, even though more than 10 years have passed.
“Good night from Malaysia.” These were the last words Malaysian Airlines received from flight MH370 on March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia to its intended destination, Beijing Capital International Airport in China.
After some time, the Boeing 777-200ER suddenly disappeared into thin air. Three years after its disappearance, the search was closed because no evidence was found to aid the rescue mission. However, the case of the missing flight could be reopened, as per the reports.
It is pertinent to mention here that the search operations for this flight were the costliest in the history of civil aviation. Over the years, many theories have emerged about how this incident could have occurred. Some believe it may have been hijacked by terrorists, others think it sank, and some even suggest it was abducted by aliens.
The flight took off at 12:42am on March 8, 2014, from Kuala Lumpur, heading to Beijing. It was expected to arrive after approximately five hours and 30 minutes on a busy route. There were 227 passengers, most of whom were Chinese, aboard the Malaysian Airlines flight.
The weather conditions were clear, and during the first hour of the journey, the crew did not report any issue to the control center in the Kuala Lumpur. Shortly after, around 1am, the airplane informed the control center that they had reached an altitude of 10,700 meters, and everything was proceeding as expected.
At 1am, the flight entered Vietnam’s airspace, and the pilot greeted to his colleagues at the Malaysian control center, saying ‘good night from Malaysian Three Seven Zero’. Upon entering Vietnam’s airspace, the pilot was supposed to contact ground control to report their entry, but there was no communication at all.
Approximately 40 minutes had passed since the plane’s departure from Kuala Lumpur, and while it was still being detected by radar and satellite systems, the silence persisted. The controllers at the Vietnam’s airspace center, alarmed by the lack of communication, contacted Malaysian Airlines for information on the flight.
The controllers worked together remotely for many hours, trying their best to locate the plane, but any attempt to reach the crew proved impossible. After numerous attempts, the airline had to issue a press release and inform the world that the ‘flight MH370 is missing’. Malaysian Airlines notified the government to activate a search, rescue, and recovery operation, now believing that the plane had likely sunk into the ocean.
The sudden disappearance of the flight MH370 left the world grappling with suspicion and speculation. Frustration grew when authorities stopped the search for MH370 in 2017, leaving only sorrow over the fate of the missing airplane. However, there might be a chance for new discovery that could lead to the long-overdue and necessary reopening of the case.
If approved, the new search is set to begin in November 2024. This follows a proposal put forth in May by Ocean Infinity, a US-based marine robotics company that previously searched for the aircraft wreckage in 2018. Ocean Infinity has reached an agreement with the Malaysian government, and they are planning to resume the underwater search for MH370.
The fresh search will be good news for the families and loved ones of the victim passengers. These people, who have suffered years of confusion and misinformation, deserve answers to their questions. The families and loved ones of the victims have been living with unanswered questions for a decade. The reopening of the case file for flight MH370 is necessary for the families as well.