Topic: Malaysia Airlines loses contact with plane carrying 239 people

[TheLiverBird]

A search and rescue operation is under way after Malaysia Airlines said that a plane carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew on board went missing en route to Beijing.

The company said that it lost contact with the aircraft two hours after takeoff and it was now working with authorities who had deployed search and rescue teams to locate the aircraft, which had departed from Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am on Saturday.

A statement from the airline said it was contacting the next-of-kin of passengers and crew.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members," it said.

Radar contact with the aircraft, flight MH370, was lost in airspace controlled by Vietnam in the early hours of Saturday morning, China's Xinhua news agency said. The aircraft did not enter airspace controlled by China and did not make contact with Chinese controllers, Xinhua added.

The flight had been expected to land at Beijing at 6.30am on the same day. The passengers on board included two infants, according to the airline, which also released a telephone number which members of the public could call to seek information.

The last major accident involving a Malaysia Airlines flight was in September 1995, when one of its aircraft crashed in the Malaysian city of Tawau, killing 34 people on board and injuring nine on the ground. The plane had been attempting to land at the airport when it overshot the runway and plunged into neighbouring houses.

In December 1977, a Malaysia Airlines flight was hijacked and crashed in Tanjung Kupang, killing all 100 people on board.

An earlier statement published on Facebook by the airline said: "Malaysia Airlines confirms that flight MH370 has lost contact with Subang air traffic control at 2.40am, today (8 March 2014).

"Flight MH370, operated on the B777-200 aircraft, departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am on 8 March 2014. MH370 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.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/08/malaysia-airlines-loses-contact-plane

May have some friends on board, praying things turn out okay.

[sms1986]

Just seen this on the BBC new site, I hope everyone is safe, but if it's anything like that French flight that disappeared over the Atlantic a few years ago, this could be a tragedy.

[Fiasco]

 This doesn't look very good at all. Fingers crossed it's not as bad as it seems.

[LiverLuke]

Malaysia Airlines says it has lost contact with a plane travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with 239 people on board.

The airline said in a statement that flight MH370 disappeared at 02:40 local time on Saturday (18:40 GMT on Friday).

It was expected to land in Beijing at 06:30 (22:30 GMT).

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

"Our team is currently calling the next-of-kin of passengers and crew."

The Boeing B777-200 aircraft was carrying 227 passengers, including two children, and 12 crew members.

"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," said the airline.

The flight went missing two hours after taking off from Kuala Lumpur.

China's Xinhua state news agency said it was lost in airspace controlled by Vietnam.


The aircraft did not enter airspace controlled by China and did not make contact with Chinese controllers, the agency added.

Malaysia Airlines has told the BBC it will be holding a press conference later on Saturday.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members," said its statement.

The airline is the national carrier of Malaysia and one of Asia's largest, flying nearly 37,000 passengers daily to some 80 destinations worldwide.


Doesn't sound good this, praying all those people on board survive.

[Tonyh8su]

My biggest fear. Hopefully we'll see a miracle.

[Malaysian Kopite]

Vietnam Navy have said the plane has crashed 153 miles south of the Phu Quoc islands according to their military radar.

[mercury]

Yup crash confirmed    

RIP

[red mongoose]

Terrible news.

RIP to the victims and best thoughts for their families in dealing with this tragedy.

[Ken-Obi]

It's a confirmed crash by the Vietnamese authorities, but still holding my hopes up for survivors.

[theredguy03]

This instantly reminded me of that flight from Brazil to France that disappeared over the Atlantic.

  It's horrible just thinking about what those people and relatives have to go through.

[AB LFC]

RIP to all those involved, horrible news

Boeing are having an absolute nightmare. First all the problems with the 787, then the 777 in San Francisco, now this. That company might be in serious danger, Airbus are moving ahead of them everyday.

[Libertine]

This instantly reminded me of that flight from Brazil to France that disappeared over the Atlantic.

An aviation expert on Sky News just said the same - similar in that there was no contact at all from the pilots, even though they were at cruising height and should have had plenty of time to communicate. Also occured at the same time of day (1/2am) when people are at their weakest and most vulnerable re. circadian rhythms.

[Fiasco]

Reports that two passengers, an Austrian and an Italian, are alive and well after their passports were stolen.

[TSC]

Reports that two passengers, an Austrian and an Italian, are alive and well after their passports were stolen.

How lucky are they

[Tom_B]

How lucky are they

No more so than anyone else as it's not like they intended to be on that flight anyway.

Very strange though, apparently their passports were stolen within the last 2 years.

[TSC]

No more so than anyone else as it's not like they intended to be on that flight anyway.

Very strange though, apparently their passports were stolen within the last 2 years.

I was assuming the poster was suggesting they weren't allowed to board due to losing passports. 

Seen the beeb news there and still no sign of the aircraft

[Tom_B]

I was assuming the poster was suggesting they weren't allowed to board due to losing passports. 

Seen the beeb news there and still no sign of the aircraft

Ah fair enough mate.

This is so bizarre, surely they have sent a plane along the flightpath by now, and yet they haven't seen anything other than a couple of oil slicks.

[elsewhere]

terrible terrible news,it could happen to any one of us.
RIP to the victims and wishing strength to their loved ones

[TepidT2O]

This is the strange thing to me, too - how can two people use passports that were stolen and presumably cancelled two years ago? Suspicious. Or just shocking security checks.

It does raise a very big question about the cause of the crash doesn't it?

Still, the cause isn't currently as important as the deaths of so many people.

[RobinHood]

Awful news, it took then years to find out what happened to that Air France plane.

I really hate flying.

RIP to the passengers and crew.

[Fiasco]

Awful news, it took then years to find out what happened to that Air France plane.

I really hate flying.

RIP to the passengers and crew.

With the Air France flight, the cockpit were in contact with ground control etc, that isn't the case with this. They just stopped communicating and went off the radar, and that's that. Very, very odd.

[Red Beret]

With the Air France flight, the cockpit were in contact with ground control etc, that isn't the case with this. They just stopped communicating and went off the radar, and that's that. Very, very odd.

Not trying to make wild accusations but that could be interpreted as either a catastrophic flight failure or perhaps even a bomb.

[Fiasco]

Not trying to make wild accusations but that could be interpreted as either a catastrophic flight failure or perhaps even a bomb.

It's certainly a possibility mate. It's not nice to speculate when 239 lives have been lost but what else can you do? I've just saw the front page of the Telegraph for tomorrow and they have gone with a headline about possible terrorist involvement, but as it's a headline on it's own I'm not sure of the details.

Must be so hard for the close ones of those involved, and of course for the passengers.

[west_london_red]

Not trying to make wild accusations but that could be interpreted as either a catastrophic flight failure or perhaps even a bomb.

Thing is if it's terrorism (which I must admit was my first thought) there would be wreckage, a lot of it, spread over a large area so surely some of it would have been spotted by now, but then the fact there was no May Day call suggests it could have well been terrorism so it's very much a mystery as to what's actually gone on but sadly the worst looks inevitable in terms if casualties, so thoughts and prays go out to the passengers and their loved ones.

[lfcthekop]

Just seen this on news, apparently there was 2 people using stolen passports on this flight, seems very dodgy indeed

[Red Beret]

Thing is if it's terrorism (which I must admit was my first thought) there would be wreckage, a lot of it, spread over a large area so surely some of it would have been spotted by now, but then the fact there was no May Day call suggests it could have well been terrorism so it's very much a mystery as to what's actually gone on but sadly the worst looks inevitable in terms if casualties, so thoughts and prays go out to the passengers and their loved ones.

Whether a bomb or a sudden, catastrophic flight failure, you'd expect wreckage.  The lack of wreckage so far doesn't really point to it being one or the other.

The only other alternatives I can think of is that the plane dived below the radar coverage, levelled off, and either flew someplace or softlanded in the water...

EDIT: spotted an oil slick apparently. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26496673   

[Snail]

Just seen this on news, apparently there was 2 people using stolen passports on this flight, seems very dodgy indeed

Definitely fishy, that.

[TSC]

I really hate flying.

I was at one stage flying weekly for work between England & Germany.  I fucking hate it too.  Haven't flown since last July and would quite happily never fly again.

So the wreckage (assuming it has crashed) has still not been found?

[Crimson_Tank]

Just seen this on news, apparently there was 2 people using stolen passports on this flight, seems very dodgy indeed

Aye, the missus and I were thinking the same thing.

Still no sign of wreckage.

[ReDagger]

Just seen this on news, apparently there was 2 people using stolen passports on this flight, seems very dodgy indeed

Now it's 4.

[Malaysian Kopite]

A bit reluctant to post this due to it not being official and the metric fuckton of fake rumours floating around but my aunt's friend who works for Malaysia Airlines has told her it deffo was a hijacking.

Now it's 4.

Only 2.

UPDATE [1.20pm]: Department of Civil Aviation clarifies earlier statement by the Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, saying only two – not four – passengers had boarded the flight using stolen passports.

CCTV footage shows the two individuals from the check-in point to departure. Footage will be used for investigations.

Malaysia Airlines says the aircraft had been repaired by Boeing and was certified safe to fly. They dismissed the possibility of a technical problem.

http://my.news.yahoo.com/mas-aircraft-goes-missing--says-airline-023820132.html

[ReDagger]

A bit reluctant to post this due to it not being official and the metric fuckton of fake rumours floating around but my aunt's friend who works for Malaysia Airlines has told her it deffo was a hijacking.
Only 2.

UPDATE [1.20pm]: Department of Civil Aviation clarifies earlier statement by the Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, saying only two – not four – passengers had boarded the flight using stolen passports.

CCTV footage shows the two individuals from the check-in point to departure. Footage will be used for investigations.

Malaysia Airlines says the aircraft had been repaired by Boeing and was certified safe to fly. They dismissed the possibility of a technical problem.

http://my.news.yahoo.com/mas-aircraft-goes-missing--says-airline-023820132.html

Some said local news reporting it's 4. Not that that makes any difference at this point. Conflicting reports everywhere.
Hope it's not linked to terrorism, end of day. Although it's looking that way.

[Tom_B]

The thing that makes me doubt it was terrorism is that no one has claimed responsbinility and there was no indication it was. Terrorists do things to terrorise, clearly, so they make sure as many people as possible know they have done it.

[Red Beret]

The thing that makes me doubt it was terrorism is that no one has claimed responsbinility and there was no indication it was. Terrorists do things to terrorise, clearly, so they make sure as many people as possible know they have done it.

Well we certainly have a lot of wild speculation and uncertainty, plus a lot of families agonising over events.  Sometimes terrorism sets out simply to hurt. 

If this was two people working alone - and remember, the fewer people involved the less chance the authorities have of finding out and stopping it - it could be that recordings of some description remain to be found.

As has been said though, it's just a cruel guessing game at the moment.

[Party Phil]

With the Air France flight, the cockpit were in contact with ground control etc, that isn't the case with this. They just stopped communicating and went off the radar, and that's that. Very, very odd.

No they weren't. Their last verbal contact with ATC was about 40 minutes before they crashed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France_Flight_447

[west_london_red]

The thing that makes me doubt it was terrorism is that no one has claimed responsbinility and there was no indication it was. Terrorists do things to terrorise, clearly, so they make sure as many people as possible know they have done it.

If it wasn't terrorism and the plane failed for whatever reason, it would have crashed and broken up on impact with the sea leavening debris, if it was a controlled crash landing there would have been a May Day etc this really doesn't make any sense.

[Fiasco]

No they weren't. Their last verbal contact with ATC was about 40 minutes before they crashed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France_Flight_447

I stand corrected. I had it in my mind that was the case though, must have been a different flight. Still, odd nonetheless.

[Party Phil]

If it wasn't terrorism and the plane failed for whatever reason, it would have crashed and broken up on impact with the sea leavening debris, if it was a controlled crash landing there would have been a May Day etc this really doesn't make any sense.

Are you saying that if it was "terrorism" there would be no debris?

[Ruthless]

Praying that it isn't any sort of stupid, thick as fucking pig shit religious extremist that has done this although i do reckon, from what i have heard that it will be. Hopefully there are survivors, can't imagine how the families feel.

[west_london_red]

Are you saying that if it was "terrorism" there would be no debris?

Course not, quite the opposite, and it's the lack of debris that makes me think it may not have been terrorism. If it was, at that kind of altitude a plane is at debris would be scattered over a huge area and would surely have been found by now, if not by the search teams then by military satellites etc