Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is Missing

no_name

Colonel
This looks bad, I hope it is not caused by terrorism.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


Fears are growing for 239 people aboard a Malaysian Airlines flight to Beijing after it disappeared from air traffic control screens two hours after leaving Kuala Lumpur.

The flight, which left the Malaysian capital at 12.41am on Saturday morning, had been due to arrive in Beijing at 6.30am but disappeared from air traffic controllers’ screens at 2.40am.

If the aircraft has been lost, it will be much the most serious crash involving a Boeing 777, one of the safest aircraft ever to fly. While a 777 crash-landed at London’s Heathrow airport without loss of life in 2008, the only previous passenger fatalities on a 777 were those of three people who died when as Asiana Airlines 777 crash-landed last year at San Francisco International Airport.

Malaysia Airlines confirmed that the flight, MH370, lost contact with Subang Air Traffic Control in Kuala Lumpur. There were 227 passengers, including two infants, and 12 crew members on board, it said.

“Malaysia Airlines is currently working with the authorities who have activated their search and rescue team to locate the aircraft,” it said.

The airline did not say where the aircraft was when contact was lost and whether it was flying over land or the South China Sea at the time.

Boeing said it was aware of the reports and was monitoring the situation.

There are about 160 chinese citizens on board.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Re: World News Thread & Breaking News!!

Terrible news. Reports say the plane lost radar contact somewhere over Vietnam. 777 has been an extremely reliable aircraft.
I have heard additional reports that the aircraft, after two hours in flight, and at 35,000 feet en route to Beijing, suddenly plummeted 600 feet and veered off course in just a few seconds based on transponder communications...with no voice communications in that short time...and then all communication was abruptly and completely lost.

This almost has to be a catastrophic loss, apparently off the Vietnam Coast.

Either catastrophic aircraft failure (which given the 777 record and build is highly doubtful), or some induced catastrophic event, and I would say most likely terrorism.
 
Last edited:

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Re: World News Thread & Breaking News!!

Still have to get confirmation before we rule on the event. There are so many variables.
 

Equation

Lieutenant General
Re: World News Thread & Breaking News!!

Sadly, it looks like the plane went down. My condolences and prayers to all the victims families.:(

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


Vietnam media: Navy confirms flight MH370 crashed into the sea

Tuoi Tre, a leading daily in Vietnam, reports that the Vietnamese Navy has confirmed the plane crashed into the ocean. According to Navy Admiral Ngo Van Phat, Commander of the Region 5, military radar recorded that the plane crashed into the sea at a location 153 miles South of Phu Quoc island.

UPDATE [12:01]: Altogether, 239 passengers & crew, from 14 different nationalities, including two infants. Passengers were from:
1. China ��� 152 plus 1 infant
2. Malaysia - 38
3. Indonesia - 12
4. Australia - 7
5. France - 3
6. United States of America ��� 3 pax plus 1 infant
7. New Zealand - 2
8. Ukraine - 2
9. Canada - 2
10. Russia - 1
11. Italy - 1
12. Taiwan - 1
13. Netherlands - 1
14. Austria - 1

The flight was piloted by Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, a Malaysian aged 53. He has a total flying hours of 18,365 hours.

He joined Malaysia Airlines in 1981. First officer, Fariq Ab.Hamid, a Malaysian, is aged 27. He has a total flying hours of 2,763 hours. He joined Malaysia Airlines in 2007.

UPDATE [11:32am]: VN Express, Vietnam's largest news site, reports that Vietnam Emergency Rescue Center just announced it has found signal of the missing plane at 9.50am 120 miles South West of Ca Mau cape, the Southern-most point of Vietnam.

The signal is believed to be the ELT (Emergency Locator Transmittor) , which can be activated manually by the flight crew or automatically upon impact.
Earlier this morning, MAS confirmed that flight MH370 had lost contact with the Subang Air Traffic Control at 2.40am today (March 8th, 2014)
Flight MH370, operated on the B777-200 aircraft, departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am and was expected to land in Beijing at 6.30am the same day. The flight was carrying a total number of 227 passengers (including 2 infants), 12 crew members.
Malaysia Airlines is currently working with the authorities who have activated their Search and Rescue team to locate the aircraft.
Speaking on CNN's AC360, MAS Operations Control Vice President Fuad Sharuji said they 'have no idea where the aircraft is right now'.
ALSO READ:
Malaysia Airlines hunts for missing plane carrying 239
#PrayForMH370: Concern over MAS flight floods cyberspace
"We tried to call this aircraft through various means," he was quoted as saying. Sharuji told CNN that the aircraft was carrying 7.5 hours of fuel at the time of its disappearance (2.40am).
CNN also spoke to retired American Airlines Capt. Jim Tilmon who said the route taken by the aircraft had plenty of antennae, radar and radios for contact and that the plane was 'as sophisticated as any commercial airplane could possibly be with an excellent safety record'.
Malaysia's interim Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein tweeted urging family members of all those onboard the flight to remain calm.
"Im mkg my way 2 Flight Mgmt Buildg (FMB) fr JandaBaik 2get latest updates & details fr agencies involved. At the mean time, dont speculate," he tweeted.
 

AssassinsMace

Lieutenant General
Re: World News Thread & Breaking News!!

I saw that interview on CNN. Tilmon was commenting on the course CNN had depicted that was over land thinking it was over China at the time being late 2 hours. If it were crashed into the ocean that would've happened closer to Malaysia and Vietnam... a lot earlier than was reported.
 

kwaigonegin

Colonel
Re: World News Thread & Breaking News!!

Sadly, it looks like the plane went down. My condolences and prayers to all the victims families.:(

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


Vietnam media: Navy confirms flight MH370 crashed into the sea

Damn! That's depressing news to say the least. Pilot was very experienced and Malaysian Airlines has a pretty decent track record. They have a bunch of trip 7-200s as well. WT appears to be good at time and LOC.

Either a catastrophic mechanical failure or terrorism. Very very few birds fly at 35k ft and even then has to take a whole flock to take down a heavy like that.

With the recent attacks in China, CT experts will definitely take Uigher separatists into consideration since this flight was heading to Beijing and had a lot of Chinese nationals.

My heart and prayers goes out to those lost and their families. Apparently a lot of nationalities onboard including a few Americans.
 

T-U-P

The Punisher
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
Re: World News Thread & Breaking News!!

I saw that interview on CNN. Tilmon was commenting on the course CNN had depicted that was over land thinking it was over China at the time being late 2 hours. If it were crashed into the ocean that would've happened closer to Malaysia and Vietnam... a lot earlier than was reported.
There have been a lot of conflicting reports on when the plane lost contact (I've read anywhere between 40min to 2hrs after take off), the amount of fuel it had, and whether or not they have been in contact with Vietnam ATC. It's better to wait a day or so for the situation to clear up because it seems that even the airline doesn't know what's going on exactly. It is very concerning that such a reliable plane flown by such experience pilots operated by an airline with very good safety records have simply disappeared.
 

AssassinsMace

Lieutenant General
Re: World News Thread & Breaking News!!

Since the flight was reported two hours late they're probably assuming on a five hour flight as reported it would mean it was three hours in before contact was lost. Looking on a map from Malaysia to Beijing three hours in would be over China. Yes it'll probably turn out the times were completely misreported because if you look at a map on a straight line flight path, the only ocean is between Malaysia and Vietnam and a part of the South China Sea. Shorter than three hours in.
 
Top