The Mystery of Flight 370

Just two hours after departing from Kuala Lampur on March 8, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-370 mysteriously vanished from radar. 227 passengers and 12 crew members were on board when the plane took off at 12:55 a.m., scheduled to land in Beijing at 6:30 a.m. The flight was off to a normal start, but disappeared off the radar northwest of Kota Bharu, Malaysia in the South China Sea.

On Monday, March 24, Malaysian officials released a statement that due to the satellite data, there is no longer any reasonable doubt that the plane sunk in the Indian Ocean. Even worse, family members of those on board were notified via text message the presumed fate of Flight MH-370. Many are still skeptical of the plane’s fate, with some believing the Malaysian government has been hiding its whereabouts. Regardless, current known information points to its end in the Indian Ocean, and officials are standing by that information. The Malaysian government is also defending its decision to notify members through text message because it claims it wanted the families hear the fate first, not through the news. 

Still, before Monday, the airline had yet to provide any concrete explanations. Search crews from 26 countries were searching for the flight, but more speculation than actual evidence surfaced.

The main source of anger and protest of families has been due to the lack of information provided. Official comments made by China include requests to “step up their efforts and speed up their investigation.” Malaysian officials assure that they are doing everything possible to ensure the search is done properly and the public stays up-to-date.

 "I know this roller-coaster has been incredibly hard for everyone, especially for the families,"
said Malaysian defense minister Hishammuddin Hussein at a March 22 news conference. "We hope and pray this difficult search will be resolved, and bring closure to those whose relatives were on board."


By Becca Williams

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