Did MH370 fly on for hours? Satellite data indicates Malaysia Airlines flight may have strayed as far off course as the Indian Ocean US investigators are convinced the communication systems on Flight MH370 were shut down by someone on board and have satellite data showing the missing plane flew on for hours after it disappeared. The latest developments — which heighten fears of a terror hijacking or bizarre action by the pilots — have emerged as the search continues to be dogged by confusion and counter-reporting, nearly a week after the plane vanished. Sources have told America’s ABC News that two communications systems on the Malaysia Airlines jet were shut down separately, more than 10 minutes apart. The data reporting system was turned off at 1:07am, while the transponder — which continuously transmits key flight information — was shut down at 1:21am. This would indicate the flight, carrying 239 people including six Australians, did not suffer some kind of immediate catastrophic failure or accident. Despite authorities in Malaysia denying that the Boeing 777 flew on for an extended period after it was last tracked on radar en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, unnamed US officials have said the plane did send signals to a satellite for four or five hours after it went missing. This indicates it was still flying and may have even reached the Indian Ocean — hundreds of kilometres away to the west from its intended course. “We have an indication the plane went down in the Indian Ocean,” a senior official told ABC News. A US naval ship has been diverted from the Gulf of Thailand to the area to join the ever-widening search. news.au/world/asia/did-mh370-fly-on-for-hours-satellite-data-indicates-malaysia-airlines-flight-may-have-strayed-as-far-off-course-as-the-indian-ocean/story-fnh81fz8-1226854085211
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 01:32:53 +0000
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