10 years of searching for a solution to the MH370 mystery

10 years have passed since MH370 disappeared, many search efforts and hypotheses have been put forward, but no one has been able to answer the question: Where is the plane?

Just after midnight on March 8, 2014, a Boeing 777 took off from Kuala Lumpur airport, Malaysia, and gradually reached a cruise altitude of 10,600m. After being instructed to change the frequency of the air traffic control tower, the pilot responded with the usual politeness in conversations with controllers: "Good night, this is Malaysia 370" . That was the last message broadcast from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

After the plane carrying 239 people deviated from its route on a regular flight to Beijing and disappeared over the Indian Ocean, the largest and most expensive multinational search campaign in history was carried out, but 10 years later, the biggest mystery in the aviation industry still has no answer.

Relatives of passengers on flight MH370 during an event commemorating the 10th anniversary of the plane's disappearance at a shopping center in Subang Jaya, a suburb of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, March 3. (Photo: AFP).

Radar data recorded by the Malaysian military shows that when entering the Gulf of Thailand, MH370 increased its altitude to 13,700m, higher than the allowed flight ceiling, then suddenly changed direction to the west, due to the impact of someone in the cabin. drive.

The plane then descended to 7,000m, below normal flight level, as it approached Penang Island, one of Malaysia's largest islands. There, officials believe the plane gained altitude again as it turned, flying northwest toward the Indian Ocean.

On March 24, 2014, based on Inmarsat satellite signal analysis, the Malaysian government announced that MH370 had flown thousands of kilometers off its predetermined route, toward the southern Indian Ocean. Its journey ended west of the Australian city of Perth and no one on board survived.

But KS Narendran could not accept the fact that his wife, Chandrika, seemed to disappear into nothingness. "I'm worried that if we don't know what happened to the flight, the tragedy will happen again ," he said.

How could a modern Boeing 777, equipped with sophisticated equipment in the era of global satellite tracking and constant communication, disappear without a trace? This is a question that still haunts everyone who is afraid of flying and even normal people.

Journey and last contacts of MH370. (Video: CNN).

"With each anniversary that passes, my pain of loss lessens, but the question of not having an answer to what really happened to the flight grows stronger ," Narendran said. "Knowing where the flight ended and what led up to the accident, of whatever kind, is still important. It's a question that still pops into my head from time to time with a feeling of confusion, even disappointed. Perhaps I will never know in my whole life."

The desire to know the answer also smoldered in the families of the pilots of the fateful flight, as countless accusations and conspiracy theories were raised over the past 10 years.

The first phase of the search for the missing plane lasted 52 days and was conducted mainly from the air, with 334 flights scouring the sea area of ​​more than 4.4 million ^km2 . Many search options and areas have been changed, but the multinational force still cannot find any traces, despite mobilizing the most modern equipment.

In January 2017, the governments of Australia, Malaysia and China decided to stop the plane search campaign after reviewing more than 119,000 km2 ^at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. This effort cost $150 million, but yielded no results.

In January 2018, under pressure from the families of passengers and crew members, the Malaysian government began another search, collaborating with the American company Ocean Infinity. After several months, the operation led by Ocean Infinity ended without finding any evidence of the plane's whereabouts.

Authorities have not yet found the fuselage, but about 20 pieces of debris believed to be from the plane have been discovered along the coast of the African continent or on the islands of Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion and Rodrigues.

In the summer of 2015, investigators determined that a large object that washed ashore on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean was a spare wing belonging to a Boeing 777, so it was likely MH370 debris.

Another triangular piece of debris made of fiberglass and aluminum with the words "Do not step on" was found in February 2016 on an empty sandy beach along the coast of Mozambique.

Then, in September 2016, the Australian government confirmed that the piece of plane wing that washed up on the island of Tanzania, East Africa, was from flight MH370. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has matched its identification number to the missing Boeing 777.

There are countless theories that have been put forward as to why the plane disappeared. The lack of information about what happened to the flight has led public opinion and investigators in different directions.

Some officials believe the plane ran out of fuel and the pilot tried to make an emergency landing at sea. Others believe the pilot intentionally crashed the plane into the sea or that the plane was controlled by a hijacker.

The theory that the pilot intentionally flew the plane off course emerged after data recovered from captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah's home flight simulator showed that he had planned a flight route to southern India. Do Duong.

Undated photo of Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah. (Photo: Reuters).

Fuad Sharuji, who was the crisis management director of Malaysia Airlines at the time MH370 disappeared, said such theories made Captain Zaharie's family miserable. They became increasingly isolated as they fought conspiracy theories related to him.

"Things are difficult for them. They have stayed away from the media because they cannot accept the accusations. They are trying their best to move on with life ," Sharuji said.

Dr. Ghouse Mohd Noor, a friend of Captain Zaharie, said the pilot's family still hopes for the day when answers will be found. "There is no conclusion yet. There must be an explanation for what happened ," he said. "His wife and children are still waiting. The big question remains unanswered. Everyone needs a conclusion. I pray day and night that they will find the plane."

Another theory that aviation experts believe is more likely is that the pilot made a mistake and did not intentionally crash the plane into the sea. Zaharie may have encountered problems such as fire or decompression on the cabin and wanted to return the plane to Malaysia, but lost consciousness due to smoke or lack of oxygen.

During the chaos, Zaharie or the co-pilot could have accidentally turned off the communication device. The plane then continued on what is known as a "ghost journey" , when the people on board died, but the plane continued to fly in autopilot mode until it ran out of fuel.

After more than four years of search and investigation, a 495-page report published in 2018 did not provide any convincing answers about the plane's fate.

Kok Soo Chon, head of the investigation team, said current evidence, including that the plane veered too far off course and had its transponder turned off, points to " illegal interference". law" takes place. But there is no evidence to show who intervened or why.

The report also reviewed information on all passengers and captain Zaharie and co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, such as their financial status, health, voice on the radio and even their gait when going to work that day. No abnormalities were detected.

Now, a new search may be on the horizon.

Malaysian officials said last week that the government was ready to discuss a new search campaign, when Ocean Infinity announced that it had found "new evidence" of traces of MH370 based on more modern technologies, although no details given.

"This search is arguably the most challenging but truly the most necessary mission today," said Oliver Plunkett, chief executive officer of Ocean Infinity. "We are working with multiple experts, some outside Ocean Infinity, to continue analyzing the data in hopes of narrowing the search area to an area with a higher likelihood of success."

Sylvia Spruck Wrigley, author of three books about the disappearance of MH370, said that although the incident may forever remain a mystery, the world's aviation industry has learned a lot from the tragedy and implemented new measures. to ensure greater safety.

People view debris believed to be from flight MH370 at an event commemorating the 10th anniversary of the disappearance in Subang Jaya, Malaysia, March 3. (Photo: Reuters).

Europe and the UK have requested that a low-frequency underwater locator beacon be added to the plane, helping search and rescue teams locate survivors at sea. Attached to the airframe, they need to be able to transmit signals for at least 90 days, three times longer than previously required. Additionally, the cockpit voice recorder is required to retain a minimum of 25 hours of data, instead of just two hours.

However, after 10 years of unanswered questions, theories continue to flourish online to fill the information gap. "It seems inconceivable to people that we may never know what happened ," Spruck Wrigley said.