Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER 9M-MRO MH370 Kuala Lumpur Beijing flight crash
Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER 9M-MRO. Photo by Flickr user RussAvia. Used under CC license.

Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER #MH370 goes missing

Update 3 – March 8 – 14:30 IST

Malaysia Airlines issued another statement at 16:20 Malaysia time (UTC +8), 13:50 IST, 08:20 UTC.

Sepang, 8 March 2014: Malaysia Airlines is still unable to establish any contact or determine the whereabouts of flight MH370. Earlier today, Subang ATC had lost contact with the aircraft at 2.40am. The last known position of MH370 before it disappeared off the radar was 065515 North (longitude) and 1033443 East (latitude).

We are still trying to locate the current location of the flight based on the last known position of the aircraft. We are working with the International search and rescue teams in trying to locate the aircraft. So far, we have not received any emergency signals or distress messages from MH370. We are working with authorities and assure that all sources are deployed to assist with the search and rescue mission.

The passenger manifest will not be released until all families of the passengers have been informed. The flight was carrying a total number of 239 passengers and crew – comprising 227 passengers (including 2 infants) and 12 crew members.

We are deploying our “Go Team” to Beijing which will depart Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 4.30pm with a team of caregivers and volunteers to assist the family members of the passengers.

The passengers are of 14 different nationalities. All crew on-board are Malaysians.

Please take note that the earlier statement did not include the number of Indian nationals. This was due to confusion between the country code of Indonesia and India.

The below table shows the latest number of passengers and their nationalities:-

Nationality Total
China/Taiwan 154 including infant
Malaysia 38
India 5
Indonesia 7
Australia 6
France 4
USA 3 including infant
New Zealand 2
Ukraine 2
Canada 2
Russian 1
Italy 1
Netherlands 1
Austrian 1

Our focus now is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilize our full support.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members.

The public may contact +603 7884 1234.

For media queries, kindly contact +603 8777 5698/ +603 8787 1276.

The airline will provide regular updates on the situation. There are many unvalidated reports out in the media and Malaysia Airlines strongly urges the media and the public at large to only report from official statements from Malaysia Airlines and the Government of Malaysia.

Update 2 – March 8 – 13:00 IST

The Malaysian Authorities have corrected the list of nationalities of the passengers on board MH 370. Five Indians are now confirmed on board the ill-fated flight.

1. China / Taiwan – 152, 1 infant / 1 total 154
2. Malaysia – 38
3. Indonesia – 7
4. Australia – 6
5. France – 4
6. United States of America – 2 plus 1 infant / total 3
7. New Zealand – 2
8. Ukraine – 2
9. Canada – 2
10. Russia – 1
11. Italy – 1
12. India – 5
13. Netherlands – 1
14. Austria – 1

Update 1 – March 8 – 11:00am Indian Standard Time (IST)

As per a Yahoo news report at 12:37 Malaysia/China local time

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

Estimated ELT location of MH370

Original story

A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER 9M-MRO which was performing flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing, China lost contact with air traffic control. By now the plane would have run out of fuel and there are no reports of the plane landing anywhere, and can be presumed as crashed.

The flight was carrying 239 persons on board. 227 passengers (including 2 infants) from 14 nationalities, and 12 crew members. No Indians were on board. Passenger citizenship include 153 Chinese (including one infant), 38 Malaysians, 12 Indonesians, six Australians, four Americans (including one infant), three French, two each Canadians, New Zealanders, and Ukrainians, one each Russian, Italian, Taiwanese, Dutch, and Austrian.

The airline has activated search and rescue operations.

Projected flight track of MH370 based on past flights. Malaysia Airlines Crash Kuala Lumpur Beijing
Projected flight track of MH370 based on past flights. Picture courtesy FlightAware.com.

The flight departed Kuala Lumpur at 00:41 on March 8, 2014 (12.41am local, 16:41Z on 7 March) and was scheduled to arrive at Beijing at 06:30. The aircraft lost contact with Malaysia’s Subang Air Traffic Control about two hours after take-off at 02.40, while at flight level 350 (35,000ft above sea level), somewhere off the coast of southern Vietnam.

Reports which initially suggested the flight landed at NanMing where found erroneous. Credible reports indicate Vietnamese authorities have detected an ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) signal about 120 miles (180km) south-west of Ca Mau. The ELT is activated when the flight data and cockpit voice recorders (also known as the black boxes) enter water.

The flight was piloted by Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, a Malaysian aged 53, who joined the airline in 1981. He has a total of 18,365 flying hours. First officer, Fariq Abdul Hamid, a Malaysian, aged 27 who joined the airline in 2007. He has a total of 2,763 flying hours.

Quite obviously something catastrophic has occurred. The flight was in the most stable portion of a flight i.e. cruise, a time when the flight is on autopilot, the engines are operating around 60% power, pilots are relaxed, everything is normal. The crew has not had time to report a “Pan Pan Pan” or “Mayday”. The airline is a well experienced, well reputed, member of the oneworld alliance. The Boeing 777 is one of the most popular aircraft in the world and has a good safety record. Does this remind you of Air France AF447 which crashed in the Atlantic Ocean on a flight from Rio to Paris?

Malaysia Airlines released a statement

We deeply regret that we have lost all contacts with flight MH370 which departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41 am earlier this morning bound for Beijing. The aircraft was scheduled to land at Beijing International Airport at 6.30am local Beijing time. Subang Air Traffic Control reported that it lost contact at 2.40am (local Malaysia time) today.

Flight MH370 was operated on a Boeing B777-200 aircraft. The flight was carrying a total number of 239 passengers and crew – comprising 227 passengers (including 2 infants), 12 crew members. The passengers were of 13 different nationalities. Malaysia Airlines is currently working with the authorities who have activated their Search and Rescue team to locate the aircraft. Our team is currently calling the next-of-kin of passengers and crew.

Focus of the airline is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilize its full support. Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members. The airline will provide regular updates on the situation.

The public may contact +603 7884 1234. For media queries, kindly contact +603 8777 5698/ +603 8787 1276.

For the next-of-kin, please inform them to to Anjung Tinjau, Level 5, KLIA. Our staff will be there to assist. Transport will be provided to go to the South Support Zone Facility building for the next-of-kin.

Or next-of-kin may head straight to the Support Facility Building at KLIA’s South Support Zone.

(2014年3月8日雪邦讯)马来西亚航空公司对与MH370航班失去所有联系的事件深表遗憾。该航班于今天凌晨0点41分由吉隆坡起飞前往北京,原计划于北京时间早晨6点30份抵达北京首都国际机场。苏邦空中交通管制台证实该航班于今天凌晨2点40分(马来西亚时间)与管制台失去联系。

MH370航班由波音777-200机型执飞,该航班总共运载239人,包括227名乘客(2名婴儿)及12名机组人员,航班的乘客来自于13个国家。马来西亚航空公司目前正与搜寻与救援机构通力合作以确定飞机位置。工作人员正在与乘客和机组人员的亲属联系。

航空公司与紧急工作组及有关当局紧密合作,提供全力支持。航空公司将会根据事件进展及时提供最新讯息。

公众可以联络+603 7884 1234

媒体可以联络+603 8777 5698 / +603 8787 1276.

About Devesh Agarwal

A electronics and automotive product management, marketing and branding expert, he was awarded a silver medal at the Lockheed Martin innovation competition 2010. He is ranked 6th on Mashable's list of aviation pros on Twitter and in addition to Bangalore Aviation, he has contributed to leading publications like Aviation Week, Conde Nast Traveller India, The Economic Times, and The Mint (a Wall Street Journal content partner). He remains a frequent flier and shares the good, the bad, and the ugly about the Indian aviation industry without fear or favour.

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4 comments

  1. Change the title of this article.

  2. How do you know it has crashed into the sea? Very poor choice of words.

    • @SN, think a little if it had not crashed into the sea and on land, do you think after 5 days the plane would still not have been found. Also the plane was last spotted in the middle of the sea. Stop unnecessarily trying to create a big “Hoo Hah” when there is no reason for one.

      Though the new facts that are coming out seem to make it look like MAS or the Malaysian government know more than they are letting on.

+OK