Missing plane timeline: The search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370
http://www.mirror.co.uk/ Mar 23, 2014 15:52 / By Jessica Best
A fortnight after the plane carrying 239 people went missing, we look back at major developments in one of the most complex mysteries the aviation world has ever known
Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Time Line
Today marks two weeks since Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared without trace.
After taking off from Kuala Lumpur on Friday March 8, it vanished around an hour into its flight with 239 people onboard.
It made no distress call, and despite a huge search operation involving dozens of countries, reported satellite signals and false leads, investigators have failed to find any trace of it.
Here we look back at how the last 14 days have unfolded.
Saturday, March 8
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Flight departs at 12:41am (1441 GMT Friday), and is due to land in Beijing at 6:30am (2230 GMT) the same day. On board the Boeing 777-200ER are 227 passengers and 12 crew.
Airline loses contact with plane between 1-2 hours after takeoff . No distress signal and weather is clear at the time.
Missing plane last has contact with air traffic controllers 120 nautical miles off the east coast of the Malaysian town of Kota Bharu.
Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam says plane failed to check in as scheduled at 17:21 GMT while flying over sea between Malaysia and Ho Chi Minh City.
Flight tracking website flightaware.com shows plane flew northeast over Malaysia after take off and climbed to altitude of 35,000 feet. The flight vanished from website's tracking records a minute later while still climbing.
Malaysia search ships see no sign of wreckage in area where flights last made contact. Vietnam says giant oil slick and column of smoke seen in its waters.
Two men from Austria and Italy, listed among the passengers on a missing Malaysia Airlines flight, are not in fact on board. They say their passports were stolen .
Sunday, March 9
Malaysia Airlines says fears worst and is working with U.S. company that specialises in disaster recovery.
Radar indicates flight may have turned back from its scheduled route to Beijing before disappearing.
Interpol says at least two passports recorded as lost or stolen in its database were used by passengers, and it is "examining additional suspect passports".
Investigators narrow focus of inquiries on possibility plane disintegrated in mid-flight, a source who is involved in the investigations in Malaysia tells Reuters.
Monday, March 10
The United States review of American spy satellite imagery shows no signs of mid-air explosion.
As dozens of ships and aircraft from seven countries scour the seas around Malaysia and south of Vietnam, questions mounted over whether a bomb or hijacking could have brought down the Boeing airliner .
Hijacking could not be ruled out, said the head of Malaysia's Civil Aviation Authority, Azharuddin Abdul Rahmanthe, adding the missing jet was an "unprecedented aviation mystery".
Tuesday, March 11
Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble names the two men who boarded jet with stolen passports as Iranians, aged 18 and 29, who had entered Malaysia using their real passports. "The more information we get, the more we are inclined to conclude it is not a terrorist incident," Noble said.
Malaysian police chief said the younger man appeared to be an illegal immigrant. His mother was waiting for him in Frankfurt and had been in contact with authorities, he said.
Malaysian police say they are investigating whether any passengers or crew on the plane had personal or psychological problems that might shed light on the mystery, along with the possibility of a hijacking, sabotage or mechanical failure .
Malaysia's military believes missing jet turned and flew hundreds of kilometres to the west after it last made contact with civilian air traffic control off the country's east coast, a senior officer told Reuters. The jet made it into the Strait of Malacca, one of the world's busiest shipping channels, along Malaysia's west coast, said the officer.
A Colorado-based company has put "crowdsourcing" to work in search for a missing jet, enlisting Internet users to comb through satellite images of more than 1,200 square miles (3,200 square km) of open seas for any signs of wreckage.
Wednesday, March 12
The search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet expands to an area stretching from China to India , as authorities struggle to answer what had happened to the aircraft that vanished almost five days ago with 239 people on board.
Its revealed that the finals words spoken by one of the pilots from the cockpit of the plane to ground control were "all right, good night" . The comment came as the plane flew from Malaysian into Vietnamese air space.
Thursday March 13
A Chinese satellite picture appears to show the outline of wreckage floating in the South China Sea, but Vietnamese search teams failed to find any sign of the objects.
Aviation experts say they believe the missing airliner could have flown for an extra four hours, after it lost contact with traffic controllers. The new theory was based on data downloaded automatically from the jet's engines.
It was also revealed that satellites picked up faint electronic pulses from MH370 after it went missing.
China said that they would not stop searching for the missing aircraft so long as there is a "glimmer of hope".
Investigators began looking into suggestions that the plane may have been deliberately flown towards the Andaman Islands
Friday March 14
A satellite company revealed it had received signals for MH370 five hours after it disappeared, suggesting the plane was still flying and had not crashed, and the search was dramatically shifted to large parts of the Indian Ocean.
Saturday March 15
The investigation into the disappearance shifted towards foul play, amid suggestions the plane was deliberately flown hundreds of miles off course.
Malaysian authorities then gave a press conference where they confirmed that they believed "deliberate action" had caused the plane to veer off course, and that someone deliberately shut down its communication and tracking systems.
New satellite information suggests the plane was flown west into the Straits of Malacca, but could then have gone down either one of two huge north or south corridors, spanning large tracts of land and deep oceans.
Police searched the homes of pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah, and co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid.
Sunday March 16
Pilot Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah is picture wearing a T-shirt with a Democracy is Dead slogan, sparking fears he could have hijacked the plane as an anti-government protest.
The number of countries involved in the search increased from 14 to 25, as Malaysian authorities revealed all passengers, crew and ground staff associated with the flight were under investigation.
Investigators revealed a flight simulator had been found at Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah's home, and taken away for further analysis.
At a press conference, it was suggested that Flight MH370 could have been on the ground when it sent its final satellite signal, and that its transmission system was switched off after its final communication with ground control.
Monday March 17
Flight engineer Mohd Kairul Amri Selamat, who was also one of the passengers on board the plane, comes under investigation. Police say they are looking at anyone on the plane who may have had aviation skills and knowledge.
A theory emerges that the missing plane could be in a Taliban controlled base, where it could be being kept ready for use at a later date.
It is also suggested MH370 may have secretly flown at just 5,000ft to avoid radar detection.
Tuesday March 18
After days of frustration at the lack of confirmed information, relatives of some of the Chinese passengers on board the plane threaten to go on hunger strike.
Wednesday March 19
The FBI joined the search for the Malaysia Airlines jet, with the agency dedicating resources to analysing computer hard-drives seized from the homes of the plane's pilots.
Distraught relatives are bundled out of a press conference after storming in with a banner demanding more information.
Thursday March 20
Search teams spot huge chunks of possible wreckage in a remote part of the southern Indian Ocean, 1,500 miles off the western coast of Australia. One is 78ft long, the other 25ft. The find prompts the launch of another focused air and sea search mission from Perth.
Britain sends HMS Echo to join the search in the Indian Ocean.
Friday March 21
The search off the Australian coast continues for a second day, but flights to the site where possible debris was spotted fail to find anything.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority say they continue to focus on locating any survivors.
Saturday March 22
There was a dramatic moment at the Malaysian authorities' daily press conference when the country's transport minister was handed a note saying a Chinese satellite had spotted a "floating object" in the southern search corridor which could be debris.
The object measured 22.5m by 13m and was 120k south west of where an Australian satellite had previously spotted two other objects.
There were also angry scenes as at press conference in Beijing, where officials were briefing relatives of Chinese passengers who, frustrated at the lack of concrete information, demanded to know "the truth".
Search missions in the southern Indian ocean failed to find anything for a third day.
Sunday March 23
A French satellite became the third to spot objects in the southern search corridor, 1,430 miles from Perth.
But again search crews setting off from Perth - including four military and four civilian planes - failed to find any sign of it.
A fortnight after the plane carrying 239 people went missing, we look back at major developments in one of the most complex mysteries the aviation world has ever known
Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Time Line
Today marks two weeks since Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared without trace.
After taking off from Kuala Lumpur on Friday March 8, it vanished around an hour into its flight with 239 people onboard.
It made no distress call, and despite a huge search operation involving dozens of countries, reported satellite signals and false leads, investigators have failed to find any trace of it.
Here we look back at how the last 14 days have unfolded.
Saturday, March 8
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Flight departs at 12:41am (1441 GMT Friday), and is due to land in Beijing at 6:30am (2230 GMT) the same day. On board the Boeing 777-200ER are 227 passengers and 12 crew.
Airline loses contact with plane between 1-2 hours after takeoff . No distress signal and weather is clear at the time.
Missing plane last has contact with air traffic controllers 120 nautical miles off the east coast of the Malaysian town of Kota Bharu.
Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam says plane failed to check in as scheduled at 17:21 GMT while flying over sea between Malaysia and Ho Chi Minh City.
Flight tracking website flightaware.com shows plane flew northeast over Malaysia after take off and climbed to altitude of 35,000 feet. The flight vanished from website's tracking records a minute later while still climbing.
Malaysia search ships see no sign of wreckage in area where flights last made contact. Vietnam says giant oil slick and column of smoke seen in its waters.
Two men from Austria and Italy, listed among the passengers on a missing Malaysia Airlines flight, are not in fact on board. They say their passports were stolen .
Sunday, March 9
Malaysia Airlines says fears worst and is working with U.S. company that specialises in disaster recovery.
Radar indicates flight may have turned back from its scheduled route to Beijing before disappearing.
Interpol says at least two passports recorded as lost or stolen in its database were used by passengers, and it is "examining additional suspect passports".
Investigators narrow focus of inquiries on possibility plane disintegrated in mid-flight, a source who is involved in the investigations in Malaysia tells Reuters.
Monday, March 10
The United States review of American spy satellite imagery shows no signs of mid-air explosion.
As dozens of ships and aircraft from seven countries scour the seas around Malaysia and south of Vietnam, questions mounted over whether a bomb or hijacking could have brought down the Boeing airliner .
Hijacking could not be ruled out, said the head of Malaysia's Civil Aviation Authority, Azharuddin Abdul Rahmanthe, adding the missing jet was an "unprecedented aviation mystery".
Tuesday, March 11
Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble names the two men who boarded jet with stolen passports as Iranians, aged 18 and 29, who had entered Malaysia using their real passports. "The more information we get, the more we are inclined to conclude it is not a terrorist incident," Noble said.
Malaysian police chief said the younger man appeared to be an illegal immigrant. His mother was waiting for him in Frankfurt and had been in contact with authorities, he said.
Malaysian police say they are investigating whether any passengers or crew on the plane had personal or psychological problems that might shed light on the mystery, along with the possibility of a hijacking, sabotage or mechanical failure .
Malaysia's military believes missing jet turned and flew hundreds of kilometres to the west after it last made contact with civilian air traffic control off the country's east coast, a senior officer told Reuters. The jet made it into the Strait of Malacca, one of the world's busiest shipping channels, along Malaysia's west coast, said the officer.
A Colorado-based company has put "crowdsourcing" to work in search for a missing jet, enlisting Internet users to comb through satellite images of more than 1,200 square miles (3,200 square km) of open seas for any signs of wreckage.
Wednesday, March 12
The search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet expands to an area stretching from China to India , as authorities struggle to answer what had happened to the aircraft that vanished almost five days ago with 239 people on board.
Its revealed that the finals words spoken by one of the pilots from the cockpit of the plane to ground control were "all right, good night" . The comment came as the plane flew from Malaysian into Vietnamese air space.
Thursday March 13
A Chinese satellite picture appears to show the outline of wreckage floating in the South China Sea, but Vietnamese search teams failed to find any sign of the objects.
Aviation experts say they believe the missing airliner could have flown for an extra four hours, after it lost contact with traffic controllers. The new theory was based on data downloaded automatically from the jet's engines.
It was also revealed that satellites picked up faint electronic pulses from MH370 after it went missing.
China said that they would not stop searching for the missing aircraft so long as there is a "glimmer of hope".
Investigators began looking into suggestions that the plane may have been deliberately flown towards the Andaman Islands
Friday March 14
A satellite company revealed it had received signals for MH370 five hours after it disappeared, suggesting the plane was still flying and had not crashed, and the search was dramatically shifted to large parts of the Indian Ocean.
Saturday March 15
The investigation into the disappearance shifted towards foul play, amid suggestions the plane was deliberately flown hundreds of miles off course.
Malaysian authorities then gave a press conference where they confirmed that they believed "deliberate action" had caused the plane to veer off course, and that someone deliberately shut down its communication and tracking systems.
New satellite information suggests the plane was flown west into the Straits of Malacca, but could then have gone down either one of two huge north or south corridors, spanning large tracts of land and deep oceans.
Police searched the homes of pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah, and co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid.
Sunday March 16
Pilot Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah is picture wearing a T-shirt with a Democracy is Dead slogan, sparking fears he could have hijacked the plane as an anti-government protest.
The number of countries involved in the search increased from 14 to 25, as Malaysian authorities revealed all passengers, crew and ground staff associated with the flight were under investigation.
Investigators revealed a flight simulator had been found at Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah's home, and taken away for further analysis.
At a press conference, it was suggested that Flight MH370 could have been on the ground when it sent its final satellite signal, and that its transmission system was switched off after its final communication with ground control.
Monday March 17
Flight engineer Mohd Kairul Amri Selamat, who was also one of the passengers on board the plane, comes under investigation. Police say they are looking at anyone on the plane who may have had aviation skills and knowledge.
A theory emerges that the missing plane could be in a Taliban controlled base, where it could be being kept ready for use at a later date.
It is also suggested MH370 may have secretly flown at just 5,000ft to avoid radar detection.
Tuesday March 18
After days of frustration at the lack of confirmed information, relatives of some of the Chinese passengers on board the plane threaten to go on hunger strike.
Wednesday March 19
The FBI joined the search for the Malaysia Airlines jet, with the agency dedicating resources to analysing computer hard-drives seized from the homes of the plane's pilots.
Distraught relatives are bundled out of a press conference after storming in with a banner demanding more information.
Thursday March 20
Search teams spot huge chunks of possible wreckage in a remote part of the southern Indian Ocean, 1,500 miles off the western coast of Australia. One is 78ft long, the other 25ft. The find prompts the launch of another focused air and sea search mission from Perth.
Britain sends HMS Echo to join the search in the Indian Ocean.
Friday March 21
The search off the Australian coast continues for a second day, but flights to the site where possible debris was spotted fail to find anything.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority say they continue to focus on locating any survivors.
Saturday March 22
There was a dramatic moment at the Malaysian authorities' daily press conference when the country's transport minister was handed a note saying a Chinese satellite had spotted a "floating object" in the southern search corridor which could be debris.
The object measured 22.5m by 13m and was 120k south west of where an Australian satellite had previously spotted two other objects.
There were also angry scenes as at press conference in Beijing, where officials were briefing relatives of Chinese passengers who, frustrated at the lack of concrete information, demanded to know "the truth".
Search missions in the southern Indian ocean failed to find anything for a third day.
Sunday March 23
A French satellite became the third to spot objects in the southern search corridor, 1,430 miles from Perth.
But again search crews setting off from Perth - including four military and four civilian planes - failed to find any sign of it.
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