KUALA LUMPUR – The mystery behind missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 could be solved in “10 days” if a new search is launched according to new research, experts allege.
Flight MH370 disappeared about 38 minutes after leaving KLIA en route to Beijing, China, on March 8, 2014.
Despite a frantic search by governments and private companies, the plane was never found and the fate of its 237 passengers remains unknown – one of the great mysteries of the modern age.
The Daily Mail recently reported that aerospace expert Jean-Luc Marchand and pilot Patrick Blelly have called for a new search based on revelations about the fate of the flight.
During a lecture before the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAS), the pair said the new search area could be canvassed in just 10 days during an open call for help.
“We have done our homework. We have a proposal… the area is small and considering new capabilities, it will take 10 days.
“It could be a quick thing. Until the wreck of MH370 is found, nobody knows (what happened). But this is a plausible trajectory,” Marchand said.
The duo called on the Australian Transport Safety Authority, Malaysian government, and exploration company Ocean Infinity to begin a new search.
Last year, Ocean Infinity revealed it was interested in restarting its search after canvassing swathes of the Indian Ocean on a ‘no find, no fee’ basis.
Marchand said the ‘swift’ search could be a good proving ground for the company’s new unmanned sub-nautical search technology.
More importantly, they also told the RAS that the new search area was based on the belief that the plane was purposefully hijacked and downed in the deep ocean.
Marchand described it as an ‘atrocious one-way journey’, which he believed was likely carried out by an experienced aeroplane pilot.
“We think, and the study that we’ve done has shown us, that the hijacking was probably performed by an experienced pilot.
“The cabin was depressurised… and it was a soft control ditching to produce minimal debris. It was performed so as not to be trapped or found.
“Certainly, the aircraft was not visible except for the military. The guy knew that if search and rescue were triggered, it would be on the flight path,” he added.
The pair gave further evidence that the plane’s transponder was turned off and that the ‘U-turn’ it did away from the flight path could not have been autopilot.
Critically, they said the sudden change in direction occurred when the plane was in a ‘no man’s land’, between Thai, Indonesian, Indian, and Malaysian airspace.
“What would have been the intention of the hijackers? This is a very sensitive area. You have Thai and South Indian radar coverage, but they don’t care,” Marchand added.
“You have reached the war range, but also the radar, so this zone here is in no man’s land. No control, no visibility for Kuala Lumpur. So, the guy can do whatever he wants.”
The bold claim comes after a separate new report into the missing plane posited a new search area off the Australian coast, sparking new interest in a search.
The 229-page report suggested the missing wreckage could be located about 1560km west of Perth and was based on ‘groundbreaking’ radio technology.
The disappearance of MH370 is one of aviation’s most enduring mysteries and has captured the fascination of experts and conspiracy theorists alike.
On March 8, MH370 departed Malaysia shortly before 5pm with 12 crew and 227 passengers from 14 nations, including 153 people from China.
About 5.20pm, Captain Zahrie Shah responded to Malaysian air traffic control, stating, “… contact Ho Chi Minh (…) good night.”
The plane soon after went ‘dark’ before diverting back over Malaysia, in the opposite direction from the intended flight path.
Primary civilian and military radar data reported the plane travelling back over the Malacca Strait and into the vast Indian Ocean.
After about 7.5 hours, MH370 ran out of fuel, crashed 11 minutes later into the ocean, and was never found.
Debris from the plane was found as far away as Madagascar in the years following, with 41 pieces in total recovered. – December 25, 2023