What Really Happened to Malaysia’s Missing Airplane

This article appeared in simplyurbans.com and has been published here with permission.

In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 mysteriously disappeared while on a journey from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Despite many years of searching, the plane’s exact location and the cause of its disappearance remain unknown. Many theories have emerged over the last decade, but the truth is still a mystery. Below, we explore what we know about the missing plane. We'll also look at what authorities still do today to find it. Maybe one of these days, we'll find out what really happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

Take-Off

On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur. Just under an hour later the plane lost contact, and no one knows precisely what happened. The disappearance has left people all over the world wondering.

Wikimedia Commons // Kentaro Iemoto // CC BY-SA 2.0

Many search efforts have been made to find the missing plane, but most of the wreckage has never been found. The mystery of MH370 is one of the biggest in aviation history, and even after many years, families and experts still seek answers about what happened.

Flight Details

MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 12:41 AM local time. Everything seemed normal as the plane began its journey. The flight was expected to take a little under six hours, and the passengers and crew were on their way to China.

Wikimedia Commons // Md Shaifuzzaman Ayon // CC BY-SA 4.0

The Boeing 777 plane was expected to land in Beijing at 6:30 AM but never reached its destination. Shortly after takeoff, it lost all contact with air traffic control and disappeared without a trace.

Passengers and Crew

The flight had 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board, making this a total of 239 people. These passengers were from many different countries, most from China and Malaysia, and everyone hoped to arrive safely in Beijing.

Wikimedia Commons // Laurent ERRERA // CC BY-SA 2.0

The passengers included families, business travelers, and tourists, some heading to their vacation destination, others to business meetings, and others just trying to get home safely. We think it's safe to say they had no idea they would never reach their destination.

The Disappearance

Less than an hour after flight MH370 took off, it disappeared from radar screens. The plane was no longer being tracked, and no one knew where it was going. Everything seemed just fine before, but then it just vanished from sight.

Wikimedia Commons // Pechristener // CC BY-SA 2.0

At around 1:19 AM, the plane lost contact with air traffic control. No messages were received, leaving those in air traffic control towers scratching their heads about what happened. The plane, it would seem, had simply disappeared into thin air.