Sun, 22 Dec, 2024

Where Did It Go?

By Bimal Gaire

There is a big buzz going around the world and it is a matter of a big concern. It has been more than two weeks since the Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 last made contact with the air traffic control and went missing. There is no sign of the plane and neither any news of a possible crash. With all the technology around, how is it possible that a Boeing with 239 people on board could vanish suddenly? Different people have given different thoughts and the babbling is going on and on. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370/MAS370) was a scheduled international passenger flight that disappeared on 8 March 2014 on away from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport. The aircraft, last made contact with air traffic control less than an hour after take-off. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that satellite-related data showed that the aircraft's ACARS(Aircraft and Communications Addressing and Reporting System) and transponder had been switched off and that radar data indicated that the aircraft's "movements are consistent with the deliberate action of someone on the plane. It was also reported that the plane was deliberately flown at 5000 ft to avoid radars. Operated by Malaysia Airlines (MAS), the aircraft carried 12 crew members and 227 passengers from 15 nations, the majority of the passengers being Chinese citizens. There are different possibilities about the happenings and the whereabouts of the plane. One thing is for sure that it has not landed anywhere. Many speculations have been made, but there is no sign of the plane. It has been a big mystery over the past couple of weeks. The search process is going around and the area of the search has been expanded more and more. Search teams from different countries including USA, France and Australia have been working very hard in the case. From the early assumption of crash, it has now become a political issue. The first thing that struck my mind after hearing the news was “Hijack”. With a plane missing case, there are always some possibilities of terrorist activities involved. There have been many plane hijacks in the past for various reasons; either it may be for political issues or for money. The flight's captain was 53-year-old Zaharie Ahmad Shah; he joined MAS in 1981 and had 18,365 hours of flying experience. The first officer  was 27-year-old Fariq Abdul Hamid, an employee of MAS since 2007, with 2,763 flying hours. Both the pilots were Muslim, and Muslim people are the first ones to be suspected in such cases. There is a history of Muslim terrorist with bomb blasts, hijacking and kidnapping. It may not be true here, but there is a possibility that these pilots might have been involved in the hijacking of the plane. Different investigating teams are now suspecting the pilots. Malaysian police have searched the homes of the pilots. The police are also reportedly looking at the family life and psychological state of the two pilots. I think that the Malaysian government probably knows what has happened with the plane, but, is hiding the facts from us. It could be much more serious matter than I think it is. The Malaysian government is under a huge amount of international pressure. The families of the passengers are not happy with the settlement done. They want answers rather than the nonsense they are hearing. The plane might have probably crashed into the sea. But, where is the wreckage of the plane? How come no one finds the huge amount of wreck if it has crashed? The question arises in the minds of millions. Some of the satellites from Australia and France have reported to have found the debris, but, the search still continues. With no answers left, I think the plane is not on the Earth anymore. It might have been taken by the aliens. That is why no satellites have any record of the plane. It is also possible that a black hole created in the atmosphere of earth might have engulfed the plane. What rubbish? Sound like a sci-fi movie, silly and weird. You may think I am out of my mind, but, what are the other possibilities left? There are some lessons to be learnt here. Should the machines like the transponder and ACARS be allowed to be controlled by the crew? Should the crew be given the authority to destroy the communication system? A decision has to be made here so that the world won’t have to face the same situation in the coming days. One question still scratches my mind. Is the technology that we have not enough? How far should it go to find a plane with 239 passengers? For additional information, contact: The Editorial Team, www.dwitnews.com; Email: [email protected]; Phone: 4-485424.