Malaysia Airlines flight 370 facts and myths explained

FACT — Malaysia Airlines flight 370 departed from Kuala Lumpur airport at 12.42am on Saturday March 8, the pilot signed off to Malaysian air traffic control at 1.19am and at 1.30am it disappeared from civilian radar. Last detected by military radar at 2.15am near Penang in the Malacca Straits.

MISSING PLANE: The Flight 370 conspiracy theories you haven’t heard

MYTH — Various reports have suggested that the plane flew up to 45,000 feet, down to 12,000 feet and even plunged to 5000 feet to fly like a stealth fighter jet to avoid radar detection. None of these reports have been confirmed as true.

FALSE HOPE: Debris washed up on WA beach not from Flight 370

FACT — None of the passengers on board have been confirmed to have attempted to make a mobile telephone call from the time the plane took off to its disappearance.

FLIGHT 370: Prime Minister Tony Abbott vows to keep searching

MYTH — Reports that the chief pilot made or received a phone call from a mystery woman using a SIM card purchased in a fake name in the moments before the plane took off have been denied by Malaysian authorities. So too have reports that the copilot’s phone was turned on and tried to connect with a tower at some stage as the plane flew over the Malaysia peninsular after turning around.

 

 

 

FACT — The pilot, Capt Zaharie Ahmad Shah, had a homemade flight simulator at his home which was examined by police and aviation experts. It showed “nothing sinister”.

 

 

MALAYSIA AIRLINES FLIGHT: ‘Thrown around like jet fight’ to avoid radar — claim

FACT — The plane was carrying mangosteen fruit and lithium-ion batteries in its cargo hold. The full cargo manifest has not been released.

JETLINER LOST: Tony Abbott says a search rethink will occur

MYTH — The plane was rumoured to be carrying tonnes of gold bullion in cargo.

FACT — Investigators used technical and complex methodologies, never used before, to work out the Boeing 777-200’s flight path after it disappeared from radar but continued communicating with an Inmarsat satellite.

MYTH — Investigators now believe the plane may have landed somewhere and not be in the Indian Ocean at all.

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