Search for missing aircraft switches to Indian Ocean
The search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has switched to the Indian Ocean after US officials discovered that two communications systems onboard the jet were deliberately shut off 14 minutes apart.
The Boeing 777 disappeared on Saturday morning as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with 239 passengers onboard.
But officials said latest evidence suggests that the plane did not crash because of a sudden catastrophic mid-air failure.
The data reporting system was shut down at 1.07am and the transponder was turned off at 1.21 am, just after the pilot signed off to Malaysian air traffic controllers.
However, according to reports In US media, the aircraft still sent electronic ‘pings’ to a satellite from its service data system for five hours after it vanished from radar.
The final message was sent to satellites – operated by British telecommunications company Immarsat – over water at what officials say was a normal cruising altitude.
US officials declined to reveal the location of the last ever transmission sent by flight 370 and admitted they do not know why they stopped.
However, the U.S. is currently moving surveillance planes to an area of the Indian Ocean 1,000 miles or more west of Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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