Chronology of events leading to the disappearance of MH370:
(Source: The Star Online)
Saturday, March 8
12.41am: Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370 takes off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). The Boeing 777-200 was ferrying 239 people on board, including two infants, and 12 crew members. 38 on board are reported to be Malaysian.
1.30am: MH370 signal suddenly disappears from Department of Civil Aviation radar. The aircraft did not enter airspace controlled by China and did not make contact with Chinese controllers. (http://bit.ly/1fMqKhn)
6.40am: Flight was scheduled to arrive in Beijing, China.
10.15am: False report of flight MH370 making emergency landing in Nanning, China published. Revealed to be untrue within minutes.
11.55pm: False report of Vietnamese aviation authorities receiving the plane's signal is published. Report debunked within minutes.
12pm: In a press conference in Sepang MAS group chief executive officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said that the passengers of flight MH370 are of 14 different nationalities. The passengers include 153 Chinese nationals, 38 Malaysians, 12 Indonesians, six Australians, three French, four Americans, two from Ukraine, New Zealand and Canada respectively and one each from Russia, Taiwan, Italy, Netherlands and Austria. The flight was a codeshare with China Southern Airlines (http://bit.ly/1lHDpEX).
12.30pm: MAS says the last point of contact with flight MH370 was approximately 120 nautical miles east of Kota Baru at the South China Sea.(http://bit.ly/1ff0Kp9)
12.50pm: A Vietnamese rescue official denies that the signal of the missing Malaysian plane MH370 has been detected (http://bit.ly/MVD6H8).
1pm: China dispatches two maritime rescue ships to the South China Sea to help in search and rescue operations for the missing flight MH370 (http://bit.ly/1ozmXDx).
1.10pm: The Malaysian Embassy in Beijing arranges a hotline for all enquiries relating to missing flight MH370. All calls related to the incident can be directed to +86 10 6532 2531/2/3. (http://bit.ly/1kDDcCs)
1.30pm: A statement posted on the official Vietnamese government website said that the plane lost contact near Ca Mau province airspace as it was preparing to transfer to Ho Chi Minh City air traffic control. The transfer never took place (http://bit.ly/1qhLZuJ)
2pm: The passenger list of all onboard is made publicly available (http://bit.ly/1cJqx8R).
2.20pm: Unofficial reports in Vietnamese and Chinese media have quoted the Vietnamese Navy as saying that flight MH370 went down in the South China Sea. Rescue ships have been dispatched to the area, says Al-Jazeera (http://bit.ly/MVMafc).
3pm: The Malaysian Navy are in communication with its Vietnamese counterpart to verify reports of the sighting of the wreckage of flight MH370 near an island in southern side of the country (http://bit.ly/1g7UnIP). MAS asks for two next of kin of each passenger to be at KLIA at 6pm Saturday (http://bit.ly/1cJtne4).
4.20pm: Vietnamese government confirms that flight MH370 disappeared in Vietnamese airspace (http://bit.ly/1cj69As).
6pm: Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines and United States reported to have joined Malaysia in search and rescue operations.
7pm: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak says search area to be expanded.
9pm: Report says Vietnam's Department of Civil Aviation located two giant oil slicks off the southern coast consistent with fuel left behind by crashed jetliner.
Sunday, March 9
1.30am: A team of 92 MAS personnel has landed in Beijing. The team of caregivers and volunteers dubbed GoTeam by MAS departed KLIA at 4.30pm on Friday will assist family members of the passengers. http://bit.ly/1lKHHv1
1.50am: The Pentagon on Saturday dispatched a naval destroyer and a surveillance plane to aid in the search for the missing MH370 flight. US military officials said in a statement that the destroyer, the USS Pinckney, was en route to the southern coast of Vietnam to help search for the MAS jet that had disappeared in waters off Vietnam. http://bit.ly/1fNPBBH
4.00am: There is no firm news of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing although it has been reported missing more than 24 hours ago. MAS' Executive Media Relations and Strategic Communications Malini Saudranrajan urged Malaysians and people worldwide to pray for flight MH370. http://bit.ly/1fWoaQ4
6.00am: US officials said they are investigating terrorism concerns after two people listed as passengers on the missing MH370 turned out not to be on the plane and had reported their passports stolen. http://bit.ly/1fdfMAv
8.40am: A Texas semiconductor firm said Saturday that 20 of its employees were confirmed passengers aboard a missing Malaysia Airlines jet that has abruptly vanished. http://bit.ly/1kFv3gC
10am: At a press conference Department of Civil Aviation director-general Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said the search and rescue mission to locate the missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370 has yet to produce any findings as at 7am Sunday. The operation was carried out through the night and will continue, he said. http://bit.ly/O8QWa0
10.10am: The US government is sending a Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) team to assist in investigating the disappearance of MH370. http://bit.ly/1ipq7fE
10.40am: The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) announces it is conducting investigations of the two suspected holders of missing passports aboard missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370. http://bit.ly/1kF1P1u
11am: Singapore sends two warships and a naval helicopter to help in the six-country search for the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) plane that went missing on Saturday. http://bit.ly/1h3oezS
12pm: The US National Transportation Safety Board said it has dispatched a team to Asia to help investigate the MH370 disappearance. http://bit.ly/1cLYDZO
2pm: The two impostors who travelled on the missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370 using fake passports were captured on closed-circuit television (CCTV) at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. http://bit.ly/1fVV3ML
3.30pm: The RMAF confirmed the possibility that flight MH370 performed an air turn back. This was according to a recording captured on the military radar, said RMAF chief General Tan Sri Rozali Daud. He described an air turn back as a flight which had deviated from the flight path and into a reciprocal heading. http://bit.ly/1Clzcje.
A poster with words of support for the passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. |
Indian sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik creates a message of prayers for the missing flight MH370. |
Dear MH370, Where are you? Please come back safely.
Video below is the message from an air traffic controller in Guangzhou, China reaching out to the passengers of the missing MH370 flight.
This is so heartbreaking. I've flown Malaysia Airlines several times in the past. I hope answers are found soon.
ReplyDeleteAgony for those families. Hoping for the best!
ReplyDeleteRachel, trininista: Thanks ladies for sharing your thoughts and concern.
ReplyDelete