Here are 10 frequently asked questions:
1. Who were on MH370?
There were 239 people on board: 227 passengers, from 14 nationalities and 12 Malaysian crew.
These were 152 Chinese, 38 Malaysians, seven Indonesians, six Australians, five Indians, four French and three Americans. These included two infants.
Of the Chinese nationals, 19 of them were artists who attended an exhibition in Kuala Lumpur.
It is believed that there were at least two passengers who had boarded the flight using stolen passports.
2. When was the last moment the airplane was detected?
Flight MH370 took off from KLIA at 12.41am on Saturday and was scheduled to arrive Beijing at 6.30am. However, communications with the air traffic control was lost at 1.30am.
3. Where did the aircraft go missing?
The Boeing 777-200ER crossed the South Chia Seat, in the south of Ca Mau, Vietnam.
This is the normal route that goes through Cambodian and Vietnamese airspace before reaching China.
There were no signals, emergency or otherwise, sent. However, the plane is believed to have made an ‘air turn back’ from its scheduled flight path in an attempt a return to the KLIA.
4. Where is the focus of the search and rescue mission?
The focus of the search and rescue mission on MH370 is focused on the waters in East Malaysia, in the South China Sea.
However, due to the possibility of the craft making a u-turn, the operations have now included the Straits of Malacca in the waters closest to the West Coast of Malaysia and also the Andaman Sea.
5. What are the theories that exist over the missing aircraft?
The factors that have been focused on are the possibilities of bad weather conditions, a possible human mistake as well as the qualifications of the pilot.
However, reports have confirmed that the weather during MH370 flight was good. The pilot was also said to have more than 18,000 flight hours and began his duties since 1981.
Malaysia Airlines is also has a good flight record. The Boeing 777-200ER is said to be safest aircraft that is equipped with the most modern technologies.
The same aircraft had underwent a minor accident when moving along runway in 2012 but was fixed and received approval for operations. The last checks on the airplane, with the registration number 9M-MRO, was done 10 days ago.
6. Is there a possibility that it was a terrorist attack?
MAS have not rejected any theories. The FBI have also not ruled out the possibility of terrorists.
The existence of two passengers using allegedly stolen passports is another factor that points to a possible criminal activity. However, so far there is no confirmation that they were, in fact, terrorists.
7. Can a modern plane disappear without a trace?
The Air France flight 447 from Brazil to France went missing above the Atlantic Ocean on June 2009. All 228 people on board were never found.
Pieces of the aircraft was found in the next few days but it took almost two years to find the full body of the blackbox and the fuselage of the aircraft that sank to the bottom of the ocean. The waters in the South China Sea and Straits of Malacca are more shallow compared to the Atlantic Ocean.
The blackbox has the capability to emit ultrasonic waves that can be traced even underwater. In good condition, this signal can be traced from as far as several hundred kilometers.
Without knowing the trajectory of a crashed flight, or the wind and wave conditions, the operations would have to widen its search and rescue operations.
8. It was said that the MH370 may have tried to turn back to KLIA before its movements disappeared from radar, did the aircraft experience problems?
According to the Royal Malaysian Air Force and Civil Aviation Department (DCA) radar signals, there were possibilities that the craft may have made an ‘air turn back’.
However, until now, there is still no clear answers as to what problems could have occurred that may have caused the U-turn.
9. Which countries are involved in the search and rescue efforts?
Aside from Malaysia, this gargantuan search effort is also assisted by Vietnam, China, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand and the US.
The operations include military assets that span the air, sea and land, including maritime enforcement and police from these countries.
10. How can we get the latest information and updates about the missing MH370?
The latest official information can be accessed on the Facebook and Twitter pages of Malaysia Airlines (@MAS), the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and other agencies involved in the search.
Aside from that, we at Astro AWANI or channel 501, or www.astroawani.com is always keeping you updated with timely and in-depth news, including airing the live press conferences on the search and rescue operations.
