The search for MH370

Date:March 2014
Slug: Malaysia Missing Plane
INTRO:
A search of unprecedented scale involving 26 countries is under way to find clues
about the fate of issing Malaysia airline plane M!"#0$
%he search now covers an area stretching fro the shores of the &aspian Sea in the
north to deep in the southern 'ndian (cean$
)aid*al Mohtar reports fro +,$
TEXT:
SFX airport
Ahmad a!hari c"ip # $Ma"e% E&'"ish(: -.e are deeply saddened this orning on
the news on M! "#0$ Malaysian Airlines confirs that this flight lost contact with
Subang Air traffic control at 2$40a$ )light M! "#0 was operated on a boeing ###/
200 aircraft$ 't departed +uala lupur bound for 0ei1ing2 the aircraft was scheduled to
land at 0ei1ing international airport at 6$"0a 0ei1ing local tie$ %he flight was
carrying a total of 2"3 passengers and crew coprising of 22# passengers including 2
infants and 12 crew ebers$4
%his was the initial response fro Malaysian Airlines &5(2 Ahad 6auhari 7ahya
and one of the few concrete stateents into fate of the Malaysia airline flight to
0ei1ing$
%ransport Minister2 !ishauddin !ussein said that an investigation initially being
carried out with the help of search and rescue efforts fro 3 countries has now
e8panded to involve 26 countries$
Hishamm!di& c"ip # $Ma"e) E&'"ish(: -%he search and rescue operations continues
with the ultinational effort2 one that9s coordinated by Malaysia$ Malaysian officials
are re:uesting support fro these countries as well as others$ %his support includes
general satellite data2 radar playbac;2 both priary and secondary$ Provisions for
ground sea and aerial search and assets as appropriate$4
't is now nearing two wee;s into the investigation<$$
%he disappearance of a odern airliner for so long2 with no wrec;age found2 is an
unprecedented event$ A pilot fro 6apan2 7asuhiro +ondo e8plained$
*as!hiro +o&do c"ip # $Ma"e% E&'"ish(: -'n this operation there are very few
evidence so far2 we are trying to find soe parts of the aircraft and oil spills and oil
strea in the sea2 this is the ;ind of operation we are now doing$ &ounication after
soething is found is very iportant$ Airplane accident in general is very few
however particularly in this case the volue of inforation is very liited$ 'n noral
case if one wee; has passed since accident2 soething ust coe out but in this event
very few inforation has coe out so this is a ;ind of rare case ' believe$4
As the search continues the ystery over the disappearance the flight has deepened
with satellite data eerging to suggest the plane flew on for hours after it was
reported issing$
Soe initial theories suggested that the aircraft could have suffered a disastrous id/
air decopression2 but Malaysian authorities say they are now alost entirely focused
on the actions of the crew$
5vidence revealed by the Malaysian Prie Minister =a1ib >a*a; suggested the 1et
was deliberately diverted by soeone on board about an hour after ta;eoff$
Na,i- c"ip # $Ma"e% E&'"ish(: -0ased on new satellite counication2 we can say
with a high degree of certainty that the aircraft counication addressing and
reporting data was disabled 1ust before the aircraft reached the east coast of peninsula
Malaysia$ Shortly afterwards near the border between Malaysia and ?ietnaese air
traffic control the aircrafts transponder was switched off$ )ro this point onward the
royal Malaysian air force priary data showed that an aircraft which was believed but
not confired to be M!"#0 did indeed turn bac;2 it then flew in a western direction
bac; over peninsula Malaysia before turning north west$ @p until the point it left
ilitary priary radar coverage these oveents are consistent with deliberate action
by soeone on the plane$4
%he 12 crew ebers were all Malaysian2 led by pilots &aptain Aaharie Ahed Shah2
B" and 2#/year/old co/pilot )ari: Abdul !aid$
Police have searched their hoes and a flight siulator has been ta;en fro the
captainCs hoe and reassebled for e8aination at police head:uarters$
Hishamm!di& c"ip . $Ma"e) E&'"ish(: Yesterday officers from the royal Malaysian
police visited the home of the pilot, we spoke to family members of the pilot and
experts are examining the pilots flight simulator. The police also visited the home of
the co-pilot, according to Malaysian airlines the pilot and co-pilot did not ask to fly
together on M !"#.$
%hrough the course of the search and rescue operations Malaysia has been critici*ed
by internationally for being inconsistent and creating confusion$
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar 'brahi says the Prie Minister has handled the
case terribly$
A&/ar I-rahim c"ip # $Ma"e% E&'"ish(: -Datu; Seri =a1ib had better wa;e up fro
this sluber and the state of denial that everything is alright$ 7ou are coitting
blundersE here you are tal;ing about lives you are tal;ing about the national iage$ 't
is daning to the country9s iage2 first the incopetence2 ?ietna although they
have not officially withdrawn but they have said that you are hiding facts fro us2
you9re not telling us2 you9re not responding$ 't ta;es si8 hours before we can get an
answer to a siple :uestion$4
%he governent says the edia and the public have been fuelling the confusing by
reporting on ruors and conspiracy theories$

And the Malaysia governent has defended their handing of the investigation$
Hishamm!di& c"ip 3 $Ma"e) E&'"ish(: -(ur position reains that this issue is above
politics$ ' urge all Malaysians to put our differences aside and unite during this
difficult tie as we focus in finding the aircraft and the 2"3 people onboard$ %he
search for M! "#0 reains our top priority$4
People of all >eligious and races as been coing together in Malaysia to leave
essages of hope and hold ass prayers$
)or the failies of the issing every day prolongs the anguish$
)or Asia &alling2 )aid*al Mohtar reports fro +,$