Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

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Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
9M-MRO, the missing aircraft, at Charles de Gaulle Airport in 2011
Date8 March 2014
Summary Missing
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBoeing 777-2H6ER
OperatorMalaysia Airlines
Registration9M-MRO
Flight originKuala Lumpur International Airport, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
DestinationBeijing Capital International Airport, Beijing, China
Passengers227
Crew12

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370/MAS370,[1] also designated under a codeshare agreement as China Southern Airlines Flight CZ748/CSN748[2][3]) is a missing international passenger flight operated by a Boeing 777 aircraft with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board.[4]

Flight 370 departed Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at 00:41 on 8 March 2014 (MST; UTC+8) for a scheduled six-hour flight to Beijing, China. Reports indicate that Subang Air Traffic Control Centre lost contact with the plane at 01:22, while it was over the Gulf of Thailand, and the plane was reported missing at 02:40.[5][6] A joint search-and-rescue effort is being conducted by American, Chinese, Filipino, Malaysian, Singaporean and Vietnamese authorities.[7][8]

Investigation is centering on the identity of two passengers who were using the identity of an Austrian and Italian who had their passports stolen in Thailand but confirmed they were not on the plane. They are considering whether the plane was targeted as terrorist attack.[9]

Aircraft

The Boeing 777-2H6ER, registration 9M-MRO, first flew on 14 May 2002, and was delivered new to Malaysia Airlines on 31 May 2002. The aircraft was powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 892 engines.[10] According to the airline, it had accumulated 20,243 hours and 3,023 cycles in service.[11][12] The aircraft was involved in a prior accident at Shanghai Pudong airport in August 2012, where its wingtip collided with another aircraft and broke off.[13]

Incident

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is located in Malaysia
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
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Last known location of the plane

The flight departed Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 00:41, 8 March Malaysia time (16:41, 7 March UTC) and was last seen on ATC radar at 6°55′15″N 103°34′43″E / 6.92083°N 103.57861°E / 6.92083; 103.57861[14] (approximately 185 km (115 mi)* NNE of Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia), ceasing all communications whilst losing the transponder signal[15] right before it was passed off to the Ho Chi Minh Area Control Center.[5][16][6]

The Aviation Herald reported that Subang Air Traffic Control lost radar and radio contact with the aircraft at 01:22 and officially advised Malaysia Airlines at 02:40 that the aircraft was missing.[5] However, a Malaysia Airlines spokesperson said that the last conversation between the flight crew and air traffic control in Malaysia had been around 01:30, and reiterated that the plane had not disappeared from air traffic control systems in Subang until 02:40, which is long enough for the plane to be flying across Vietnam.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).

Malaysia Airlines issued a media release stating that contact was lost at 02:40 when the aircraft was approximately 120 nautical miles (220 km) east of Kota Bharu at the South China Sea, which is the borderline of Malaysian and Vietnamese airspace. The plane relayed no distress signal, indications of bad weather or technical problems before vanishing from radar screens. The flight was scheduled to land at Beijing Capital International Airport at 06:30.[17] When radar contact with the aircraft was lost, it was carrying enough fuel for an additional 7.5 hours of flying time.[18] Relevant authorities in China and Thailand informed their Malaysian counterparts that the aircraft had not entered their airspace.[19]

According to Admiral Ngo Van Phat of the Vietnam People's Navy, military radar lost the plane 153 nautical miles (283 km) south of Thổ Chu in the Gulf of Thailand.[8][20] The Vietnamese government initially reported that the aircraft had crashed at sea in the Gulf of Thailand, although the airline denied this claim,[21] and the claim about the known location of the aircraft by the Vietnamese Navy was rejected by Malaysian Minister of Transport, Hishammuddin Hussein.[22] The Vietnamese Navy later clarified that the admiral had actually been referring to the location where contact was last made, rather than indicating a crash site.[5]

When asked whether terrorism was suspected, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said authorities were “looking at all possibilities.”[23]

Response

Malaysia

Malaysia Airlines confirmed that search and rescue operations had begun.[6] Malaysian authorities have also dispatched a CASA/IPTN CN-235 transport plane, four Lockheed C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft, a Beechcraft King Air aircraft, two Bombardier Aerospace aircraft, two Agusta helicopters, four Eurocopter EC725 long-range tactical transport helicopter, six Royal Malaysian Navy vessels and three Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency vessels to search seas off its east coast in the South China Sea.[24][25] Malaysia Airlines has also sent a team of caregivers and volunteers dubbed GoTeam, to provide assistance towards family members of the passengers.[26]

China

President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang have urged China to launch emergency action.[27][28][29] Two Chinese rescue ships were deployed to the South China Sea as part of the search.[30]

Philippines

The Philippines AFP Western Command has also sent naval assets and a search-and-rescue plane to the South China Sea to help in the search efforts.[20][31]

Singapore

The Republic of Singapore Air Force announced that it had dispatched a Lockheed C-130 Hercules to assist in the search.[32] Additional Search-and-Locate assistance is coordinated after Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin accepted an offer from Singaporean counterpart Dr Ng Eng Hen to send further submarine support, rescue vessel equipped to perform underwater search and divers. [33]

United States

The United States is sending a P-3C Orion aircraft from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The U.S. Navy has deployed the guided missile destroyer USS Pinckney, carrying two MH-60R helicopters which can be equipped for search and rescue, to the southern coast of Vietnam to assist in the search.[34]

US officials are investigating terrorism concerns after two people listed as passengers – one Italian and one Austrian – turned out not to be on the plane. Both had had their passports stolen.[23]

Vietnam

During the search, the Vietnamese Navy reported spotting at least one oil slick, between 10 and 20 km (6–12 mi) long, which is believed to be that of the missing aircraft.[35][36] It has been reported that Vietnam's Civil Aviation Department planes spotted two large oil slicks that authorities suspect are from a MAS jetliner. The slicks, each between 10 and 15 km (6–9 mi) long, and 500 metres (550 yd) apart, were spotted 140 kilometres (87 mi)[clarification needed] south of Thổ Chu Island off southern Vietnam, and were consistent with the kind that would be caused by fuel from a crashed jetliner.[37]

Passengers and crew

All crew members on board are Malaysian. The flight's captain, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, is a 53-year-old from the city of Penang with 18,365 flying hours' experience who joined Malaysian Airlines in 1981.[6][38] The first officer, Fariq Bin Ab Hamid, aged 27, has 2,763 flying hours, and has been an employee since 2007.[6]

Malaysia Airlines released the names and nationalities of the 227 passengers and 12 crew on board, based on the flight manifest.[6][39]

Nationality Passengers Crew Total
 Australia 6 0 6
 Canada 2 0 2
 China 153[a] 0 153
 France 4 0 4
 India 5 0 5
 Indonesia 7 0 7
 Malaysia 38[a] 12 50
 Netherlands 1[a] 0 1
 New Zealand 2 0 2
 Russia 1 0 1
 Taiwan 1 0 1
 Ukraine 2[a] 0 2
 United States 3 0 3
Unknown 2[a][b][c] 0 2
Total (13 nationalities) 227 12 239
  1. ^ a b c d e China Southern Airlines stated that seven passengers bought tickets through codeshare from China Southern Airlines, including one Chinese, two Ukrainians, one Italian, one Austrian, one Dutch person and one Malaysian.[40]
  2. ^ Italy's Foreign Ministry stated that the Italian citizen is alive and was not on board the aircraft although he is listed on the passenger manifest. The man's parents confirmed that he had called them from Thailand after the aircraft's disappearance and that he is alive. His passport had been stolen.[5][23][41]
  3. ^ Austria's Foreign Ministry stated that the Austrian listed on the passenger manifest was not on board the aircraft. Austrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Weiss told CNN that the Austrian national's passport was stolen two years ago.[5][23][41]

See also

Other Malaysia Airlines incidents
Other Boeing 777 incidents

References

  1. ^ CBC News, "Malaysia Airlines jet missing, 2 Canadians among 239 on board", 7 March 2014
  2. ^ China Southern flight CZ 748: Kuala Lumpur - Capital, Beijing, FlightMapper.net. Retreived 7 March 2014.
  3. ^ "Beijing-bound flight from Malaysia missing". USA TODAY. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  4. ^ "Malaysia Airlines 'loses contact with plane'". BBC. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Crash: Malaysia B772 over Gulf of Thailand on Mar 8th 2014, aircraft missing". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "MH370 Flight Incident". Malaysian Airlines. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  7. ^ Grudgings, Stuart. "Malaysia Airlines plane crashes in South China Sea with 239 people aboard: report". Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  8. ^ a b "Vietnam Navy says Malaysia Airlines plane crashes off Tho Chu Island". Tuoi Tre News. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  9. ^ Passengers with stolen passport board Malaysian Airlines Flight "a major focal point for investigators is now the identity of the two passengers and whether the plane has been targeted as a terrorist attack
  10. ^ "Malaysia Airlines 9M-MRO (Boeing 777 - MSN 28420)". Airfleets. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  11. ^ "Boeing 777 at centre of Malaysia Airlines disappearance had clocked up 'normal' 20,000 hours' flying time". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  12. ^ "Contact lost with Malaysian 777". Australian Aviation. 8 March 2014.
  13. ^ "Summary of wingtip accident". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  14. ^ "Malaysia Airlines MH370 Flight Incident - 4th Media Statement". Malaysia Airlines. 8 March 2014. Archived from the original on 8 March 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2014. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 8 March 2014 suggested (help)
  15. ^ Interview with Mikael Robertson of Fight Radar 24, Astro Awani, 8 March 2014
  16. ^ "Malaysian Airlines System (MH) #370 ✈ 08-Mar-2014 ✈ WMKK / KUL - ZBAA / PEK ✈". flightaware. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  17. ^ "UMissing MAS flight: Last point of contact was east of Kota Baru". The Star. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  18. ^ Malaysia Airlines loses contact with jet carrying 239 people; cnn ; March 8, 2014
  19. ^ "Malaysia Airlines loses contact with plane carrying 239 people - Yahoo!7". Au.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  20. ^ a b "Malaysian plane crashed off Vietnam coast: state media". Yahoo News. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  21. ^ "Malaysia Airlines Deny Crash". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  22. ^ "Malaysia's transport minister said there was no information on wreckage and he urged against speculation". BBC News. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  23. ^ a b c d Pete Williams; Robert Windrem; Richard Esposito (9 March 2014). "Stolen Passports Prompt Terror Concerns in Missing Jet, Officials Say". NBC. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  24. ^ Vietnam, Malaysia mount search for plane - Sky News Australia
  25. ^ "Malaysia Widens Area Of Search For Missing MAS Plane". BERNAMA.
  26. ^ "Missing MAS flight: MAS team arrives in Beijing". The Star Online.
  27. ^ Zhu, Ningzhu (8 March 2014). "Xi urges Malaysia flight emergency response". Xinhuanet. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  28. ^ Zhu, Ningzhu (8 March 2014). "Chinese Premier urges quick response to missing plane by Malaysia". Xinhuanet. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  29. ^ Yang, Yi (8 March 2014). "China launches emergency mechanism after Malaysian flight carrying 160 Chinese lost contact". Xinhuanet. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  30. ^ Tom Watkins; Chelsea J. Carter (7 March 2014). "Search launched for Malaysian airliner". KTVZ.com. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  31. ^ "PH joins SE Asia search for Malaysian plane". Rappler.com. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  32. ^ "Malaysia Airlines missing flight: Live Report". Yahoo News. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  33. ^ "News - Dr Ng offers additional assistance by the SAF in response to missing Malaysia Airlines Plane (08 Mar 14)". MINDEF. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  34. ^ "U.S. Sends Destroyer to Aid Search for Malaysia Airlines Jet". NBC News. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  35. ^ Bradsher, Keith (8 March 2014). "Oil Slick Sighting Is First Sign Malaysia Airlines Plane May Have Crashed". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  36. ^ "Five young children among missing Malaysia Airlines passengers as air search called off". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  37. ^ "Missing MAS flight: Two giant oil slicks spotted off Vietnam coast". The Star Online. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  38. ^ "Missing MAS flight: Captain piloting MH370 a Penang boy." The Straits Times. 8 March 2014. Retrieved on 9 March 2014.
  39. ^ "MH 370 PASSENGER MANIFEST" (PDF). Malaysia Airlines. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  40. ^ Xinhua (8 March 2014). "初步认定马航失联班机有7名南航方面旅客" (in Chinese). Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  41. ^ a b "Passengers on Malaysia Airlines plane come from 14 countries, airline says". CNN. Turner Broadcasting System. 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_370&oldid=598745908"