A fresh exploration mission for the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 plane is now in progress, over a decade after its perplexing vanishing. The Boeing 777 disappeared on March 8, 2014, during a journey from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing with 249 passengers, predominantly Chinese nationals, as well as individuals from Malaysia, Canada, France, among other countries. Despite extensive efforts, the exact circumstances of the disappearance remain largely unknown. Based on satellite data analysis, it is believed that the aircraft likely crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, with only a few small fragments discovered on the east African coast and Indian Ocean islands. Previous extensive search operations yielded no significant results, leaving many questions unanswered.
The initiation of a new search operation has revived hopes of unraveling the enduring mystery surrounding the missing plane. The Malaysian Transport Ministry recently announced that Texas-based marine robotics company, Ocean Infinity, would recommence a deep-sea quest for the aircraft starting from December 30. The search was initially launched in March but had to be halted due to adverse weather conditions. Operating under a “no find, no fee” contract with the Malaysian government, Ocean Infinity stands to receive $70 million if substantial wreckage is located.
Although it remains uncertain whether Ocean Infinity possesses new information regarding the plane’s whereabouts, the company’s CEO, Oliver Plunkett, stated that technological enhancements have been made since a fruitless search in 2018. Collaborating with various experts to analyze data, the search area has been narrowed down to the most probable location. The Malaysian Transport Ministry confirmed that the renewed search would focus on a specific area with the highest likelihood of discovering the aircraft, covering a vast 15,000-square-kilometer region in the southern Indian Ocean.
The latest deep-sea search is set to commence intermittently and last for 55 days, utilizing a fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles to map the seabed terrain up to a depth of approximately 6,000 meters. The final communication from the flight occurred around 40 minutes after departing Kuala Lumpur, with the transponder subsequently switched off, hindering tracking efforts. Military radar data indicated the plane deviated from its route, flew back over northern Malaysia and Penang Island, before heading towards the Andaman Sea and eventually losing all contact.
Numerous search attempts have been made over the years, including a collaborative effort by Malaysia, Australia, and China, based on satellite data. Despite significant resources allocated to the search, only a few confirmed aircraft debris pieces have been recovered. A report from 2018 suggested deliberate manipulation of the aircraft’s controls, leading to off-course navigation, but the responsible party remains unidentified. Various theories continue to circulate, ranging from hijacking to power failure, as the mystery of Flight MH370 persists without a clear resolution.
