The Mysterious Disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

On March 18, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was scheduled to depart Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 12:35 a.m. and arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport at 6:30 a.m. The aircraft never arrived. Nearly a decade later, we still don’t know what happened to MH370 or the circumstances behind its disappearance, but theories abound. Was there a mass murder-suicide plot, a hijacking, or an onboard fire? Its disappearance remains one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history.

The Aircraft, Crew, and Passengers

MH370 was an 11-year-old Boeing 777 operated by Malaysia Airlines, and its route was one of two daily flights by the airline. The scheduled flight time was five hours and 34 minutes, but had enough fuel to remain airborne for 7 hours and 41 minutes, allowing for any detours that might occur in an emergency (passenger and crew illness or equipment malfunction, etc.). The aircraft in question had experienced none operational issues and was in fine flying form. Thus, there was no reason for anyone to expect MH370 not to arrive at its destination.

The crew comprised 12 people, all of whom were Malaysian citizens. The captain was 53-year-old Zaharie Ahmad Shah, who joined Malaysia Air in 1981 and had 18,000 hours of flight experience. Shah’s co-pilot was 27-year-old Fariq Abdul Hamid, who joined the airline in 2007 and had 2,700 hours of flight time. Besides the crew, 227 passengers from eight countries were aboard.