The crime of the century !

It seems almost unbelievable that a wide bodied jet plane with two hundred and thirty nine people aboard should commence a routine flight from Kuala Lumpar in Malaysia to Bejing in China - and simply disappear. For over a week, ships and planed have searched it's flight path while confusing details have been released - and often retracted - to deepen the mystery.

Now a clearer picture has emerged.  Malaysian Airlines flight MH 370 disappeared from air traffic  radar when it's transponder was switched off and it's radio communication systems shut down.  It was still visible to the Malaysian defence systems military radar and they now reveal that when the plane was between two national air traffic control boundaries it changed course - and headed towards the Indian ocean.

This aircraft is fitted with a separate " pinger " which radios regular reports on the aircraft's mechanical functions to the manufacturer and these were received for six hours after the flight disappeared.  It is also reported that passengers Smartphones continued to deliver ringing tones for many hours, indicating that they were still in working condition.

The assumption that the plane crashed into the sea is contradicted by these known facts and it now appears that the aircraft could have reached India, China or Kazakhstan, or may have made another turn over the Indian ocean and headed for Western Australia.   No claims have been received from terrorist sources and the only logical explanation seems to be a hi-jacking - but the situation remains unclear.

The fact that the majority of passengers were Chinese nationals with a small sprinkling from other nations points the finger at a terrorist involvement.   The Eighur people seeking a separate homeland have recently commenced terrorist raids in China and their involvement will certainly be a cause of deep suspicion.

The puzzling factor is the final destination of Flight MH 370.   It is evident that someone with technical knowledge was needed to switch off the planes transponder and communication systems and the fact that it continued it's journey for six more hours indicates that there must have been a motive planned.   It seems illogical that the plane continued until it's fuel ran out - and then crashed into the sea.

A jet plane of that nature needs a runway at least a mile long to safely land, and such military airfields exist in many countries within the reach of this flight.   It seems inconceivable that a crime of this magnitude has been covered up somewhere for political gain - and Flight 370 will remain unexplained.

There is suspicion that getting the known facts into the public arena is like pulling teeth as far as the Malaysian authorities are concerned.   Details were slow to emerge and were often promptly retracted.  It was days before the involvement of Malaysian military radar in tracking the aircraft was finally acknowledged.   Only now does the Malaysian government seem to be fully cooperating.

This is a mystery that has the attention of the entire world.  It is impossible for that plane to crash into the sea without clearly identifiable wreckage rising to the surface and eventually that will attract attention.  The search - involving untold millions of dollars - has been extended and involves aircraft, ships and satellites. No effort will be spared to solve what is clearly " the crime of the century "!