MH370 departs Kuala Lumpur at 12:41 am (MYT), bound for Beijing. It vanishes from Malaysian civilian radar at 1:30 am, just before it was meant to pass into Vietnamese air space. However, no contact with the flight is established by the air traffic control in Vietnam.
Malaysia's air force chief says the plane may have turned back towards Kuala Lumpur for no apparent reason, citing radar data. Searches that began in the South China Sea area expand to the west of the Malaysian peninsula and the air force confirms that MH370 appeared on military radar until 2:15 am.
At a news conference, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak says the plane appears to have been flown deliberately for hours, veering sharply off-route at roughly the same time that its communications system and transponder were manually switched off. Satellite data suggests the jet's last known location was somewhere along one of two huge arcs stretching north into Central Asia and south into the Indian Ocean. The South China Sea search is called off.
Najib Razak announces ‘with deep sadness and regret’ that MH370 is presumed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean, citing new analysis of satellite data.
Malaysia releases a transcript of all the pilots' radio communications, but it sheds little light.
A US-supplied ‘black box’ detector begins scanning the suspected crash zone, with the clock ticking on the one-month battery life of their locator beacons.
A Chinese search ship detects an underwater ‘pulse signal’ in the Indian Ocean. More ‘pings’ are detected by other vessels in subsequent days, but they cease before they are pinpointed. Some experts later express doubt they were related to MH370.
Australia announces the search area will be expanded across a huge swathe of ocean. The focus shifts for several months to mapping the uncharted seafloor before searching can resume.
After weeks of pressure from families, Malaysia releases raw satellite data used to determine the search zone. Relatives say crucial data was omitted.
A Malaysia-contracted vessel resumes the sonar search of the seabed for debris. Three specialised Dutch search ships eventually join an effort expected to wrap up in May 2015.
Malaysian government declares MH370 an ‘accident’ and passengers and crew ‘presumed dead’, angering next of kin who demand proof.
Malaysian government declares MH370 an ‘accident’ and passengers and crew ‘presumed dead’, angering next of kin who demand proof.
Malaysian government declares MH370 an ‘accident’ and passengers and crew ‘presumed dead’, angering next of kin who demand proof.
Malaysian government declares MH370 an ‘accident’ and passengers and crew ‘presumed dead’, angering next of kin who demand proof.
Malaysian government declares MH370 an ‘accident’ and passengers and crew ‘presumed dead’, angering next of kin who demand proof.
Malaysian government declares MH370 an ‘accident’ and passengers and crew ‘presumed dead’, angering next of kin who demand proof.
Malaysian government declares MH370 an ‘accident’ and passengers and crew ‘presumed dead’, angering next of kin who demand proof.
