Malaysia Airlines MH370 Flight Incident – Fiction Versus Reality Timeline

A look back as my updates come to an end.

Over the past three weeks as we enter the fourth, people all around the world have been, like me and my friends extremely curious by the mystery of Malaysian Airlines flight 370. We may never know what happened to it, but as I write this it has to be said that I don’t think any other event or global incident has occurred where I have spent so much time keeping up-to-date with it, from all the articles, statements and daily press conferences online from day one. As the media microphones started to slowly disappear as the global interest started to decline we were still watching waiting for news thinking ‘one of these days they will find that plane’ but unfortunately – and more so for the families – that hasn’t happened.

The Malaysian government in my opinion along with the airline has done extremely well. The Malaysians acting transport Minister has gone from not being able to string a sentence in English, to being able to front a daily media conference and answer difficult questions with some ‘pretty rude media’.

Malaysia airlines were extremely quick and efficient at supplying information online after the incident occurred straight on the front page of their website.

Air travel is safe. MH370 was an incredibly rare event, yes it was extremely sad but lessons will be learnt and I’m sure the aviation industry is reviewing a number of procedures as good things will come out of this one tragedy.

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Archived for viewing, originally posted 10/03/14

I have decided to do this blog to document for myself reports as I hear them (online or in other forms) vs the reality once confirmed by officials. Using the colour key below should make it easier.

I will keep this updated to the best of my ability and my thoughts and prayers are with the families involved. Updated 03:05pm NZT 29/3/14

Key: Incorrect | Reality/Confirmed | General information | Speculation (Yet To Be Confirmed) 

#112 Mar 28, 2014, 10:51 AM GMT: New Zealand Air force plane spots objects in new search area; ship confirmation not expected until tomorrow – CNN

Mar 29, 2014, 12:55 AM GMT: At least 1 of the objects spotted by aircraft in Malaysia Airlines search zone identified as fishing equipment. – AMSA

#111 Mar 28, 2014, 09:35 AM GMT: Study of satellite data showed MH370 flew faster than previously thought, used more fuel and did not fly as far as thought, Malaysia transport minister says.

#110 Mar 26, 2014, 09:59 AM GMT: Hishammuddin said new satellite images provided by France showed 122 potential objects in the southern Indian Ocean, about 2,557km from Perth. They range in sized from 1m to 23m, he said. The images have been sent to Australia which is co-ordinating the seach in Perth. – Press conference/Guardian

#109 Mar 24, 2014, 02:00 PM GMT: “With deep sadness and regret, according to this new data, we must conclude flight MH370 ended in the Southern Indian Ocean.” – Malaysian Prime Minister

Mar 24, 2014, 02:30 PM GMT: Malaysia Airlines announced that it was “beyond reasonable” doubt that the plane was lost with no survivors. “We must now accept all evidence suggests the plane went down in the Southern Indian Ocean,” – 24th Media Statement

#108 Mar 24, 2014, 01:26 PM GMT: Relatives of the 239 people missing on the plane have been called to an emergency briefing, according to reports.

#107 Mar 24, 2014, 05:17 AM GMT: China’s news agency reports searchers aboard saw 2 “big floating objects with many white smaller ones scattered within a radius of several kilometers.” – Xinhua

#106 Mar 24, 2014, 01:25 AM GMT: US Pacific Command orders Navy black box locator into Indian Ocean search area in case debris from missing Malaysia Airlines plane is located.

#105 Mar 22, 2014, 10:03 AM GMT: Malaysia transport minister says Chinese government has received satellite images of new possible debris from missing plane in the southern search area. – Press conference

Mar 22, 2014, 10:22 AM GMT: Chinese embassy confirms satellite imagery spotted floating object along southern corridor. – XHNews

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Mar 23, 2014, 12:02 AM GMT: News reports saying Australia’s prime minister, Tony Abbott “a number of small objects very close together within the Australian search zone” had been reported.

#104 Mar 22, 2014, 09:24 AM GMT: Investigators find nothing suspicious in MH370 pilot’s flight simulator. – SMH

#103 Mar 21, 2014, 05:09 PM GMT: The Telegraph is reporting it has obtained the transcript of the last 54 minutes of communication aboard missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

Mar 22, 2014, 09:47 AM GMT: Transcript released by Telegraph not accurate. – Press conference

#102 Mar 21, 2014, 10:09 AM GMT: CEO of Malaysia Airlines confirms flight 370 was transporting lithium-ion batteries in cargo hold. – Press conference

Mar 22, 2014, 09:36 AM GMT: Cargo manifest with investigation team and will be released in due course.

#101 Mar 21, 2014, 09:45 AM GMT: Authorities will continue to search for missing Malaysia Airlines plane even if black box battery has run out, Hishammuddin says. – Press conference

#100 20, 2014 09:41 AM GMT: 18 ships, 29 aircraft and 6 helicopters deployed in northern and southern corridors in Malaysia Airlines search. – Press conference

#99 Mar 20, 2014 3:35 AM GMT: Objects found in Indian Ocean could possibly be related to the search for Flight 370, Australian PM says. – Australian media.

Mar 20, 2014 05:20 AM GMT: Crew on U.S. Navy P-8 spotter tell ABC correspondent David Wright “significant radar returns” are coming from site in Indian Ocean where possible missing Malaysia Airlines flight objects spotted. – ABC

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Mar 20, 2014 05:27 AM GMT: Malaysia deploys six navy ships, three helicopters to join MH370 search in southern Indian Ocean, says official.

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Mar 20, 2014 09:43 AM GMT: Malaysia’s transport minister calls satellite images of objects a “credible lead”. – Press conference

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Mar 20, 2014 09:43 AM GMT: Hishammuddin cautions that the objects spotted by Australia may not be related to the missing plane. These sightings, while credible, are still to be confirmed. – Press conference

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Mar 20, 2014 10:01 AM GMT: US Navy says P-8 Poseidon aircraft completed 10-hour search mission over Indian Ocean and found nothing. – @FoxNews

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Mar 21, 2014, 08:46 AM GMT: Acting Australian Prime Minister Warren Truss says nothing of significance spotted in missing Malaysia Airlines plane search so far. – AP

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Mar 22, 2014, 12:32 AM GMT: 3 planes already heading to MH370 search area; more Australia and New Zealand Air Force spotter flights to leave at 8pm, 10pm & midnight ET

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Mar 22, 2014, 09:10 AM GMT: Australian searchers find no evidence of debris from MH370, the commander of the first plane to return Saturday says. – CNN

#98 19, 2014 9:45 AM GMT: Hishammuddin confirmed that Malaysia has received some new radar data, but would not reveal where it came from. 

#97 19, 2014 9:29 AM GMT: People, believed to be family members, holding banners physically removed from news conference by security just before it started.

#96 19, 2014: An Indian newspaper has claimed to have found a satellite photo of MH370. The image showed a plane, possibly a Boeing 777, over the Andaman Islands, India’s strategic islands in the Bay of Bengal.

19, 2014 9:38 AM GMT: Hishammuddin dismissed reports that the plane had been seen over the Maldives. This is “not true” – Press conference

#95 18, 2014 10:12 AM GMT: “Yes I can confirm [Mohd Najib Tun Razak – Prime Minister of Malaysia] is my cousin, I don’t know what I’m supposed to be protected from” – Transport Minister in response to French reporter at Press conference.

#94 18, 2014 09:40 AM GMT: Hishammuddin said the search area now covers a “vast” area of 2.24 million square nautical miles.

18, 2014 09:53 AM GMT: Hishamuddin said the southern search area was more of challenge because the area was so huge. He has asked the Malaysia military to re-examine radar and satellite data. – Guardian

#93 17, 2014 07:30 AM GMT: Countries involved in search for jet: Malaysia, Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Turkmenistan, UAE, UK, US, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

#92 17, 2014 04:56 AM GMT: Missing jet flew as low as 1,500 meters to avoid detection. – Malaysian Insider

#91 17, 2014 04:32 AM GMT:  Australia Prime Minister Tony Abbott says Australia will help coordinate MH370 southern arc search after receiving call from Malaysian prime minister.

17, 2014 06:27 AM GMT: The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has just delivered a press conference in Canberra to provide an update on the part of the search operation that Australia has now undertaken.

#90 18, 2014 10:01 AM GMT: “All right, good night” by pilot to air control after someone on the plane disabled its first set of communications. – Press conference

#89 16, 2014 09:50 AM GMT: The plane took off with the planned [amount of] fuel – there was no additional fuel. – Press conference

#88 16, 2014 09:39 AM GMT: The Pilot & Co-Pilot of MH370 didn’t request to fly on the plane together. – Press conference

#87 16, 2014 09:36 AM GMT: The number of countries involved in the search for Flight MH370 has risen from 14 to 25. – Press conference

#86 16, 2014 03:06 AM GMT: U.S. intelligence analysts are leaning toward a theory that the pilots of the Malaysian airliner had a hand in its fate, a U.S. official says. – CNN

16, 2014 09:48 AM GMT: Investigation is refocused on crew, passengers and ground staff of missing Malaysia Airlines jet 

#85 15, 2014 10:19 AM GMT: BBC Myanmar/Burma correspondent Jonah Fisher: Being briefed by Malaysia officials they believe most likely location for MH370 is on land somewhere near Chinese/Kyrgyz border. – BBC correspondent

#84 15, 2014 09:27 AM GMT: Malaysian authorities cancel todays press conference at which they were set to answer questions about the disappearance of flight 370. – NBC/Keir Simmons

#83 15, 2014 08:12 AM GMT: Reuters is reporting; a senior Malaysian police official, that police are searching the home of the missing flight’s pilot.

15, 2014 09:27 AM GMT: Police have reportedly finished their search of the pilot’s home.

16, 2014 09:39 AM GMT: Hussein confirms police have visited the homes of both pilots and inspected the captain’s home flight simulator. – Press conference

#82 15, 2014 06:40 AM GMT: Satellite data places missing jet in 1 of 2 corridors: North of Northern Thailand or south from Indonesia to Southern Indian Ocean, prime minister says – @Reuters

#81 15, 2014 06:39 AM GMT: Malaysian prime minister says authorities reinvestigating passengers after missing plane’s actions suggest deliberate action – Press conference

#80 15, 2014 06:26 AM GMT: Malaysian Prime Minister: Malaysia has put national security second to the search for the missing plane – Press conference

#79 15, 2014 05:24 AM GMT: News wires are reporting that hijacking to be confirmed by Malaysian PM at the press conference soon. – News staff

15, 2014 06:14 AM GMT: Malaysian Prime Minister Razak is running late to press conference after meeting with the families.

15, 2014 06:23 AM GMT: ‘We realize this is an excruciating time for the families of those on board. No words can describe the pain that must be going through’ – Press conference

15, 2014 06:31 AM GMT: Malaysian Prime Minister: Movement of missing Malaysia Airlines plane was consistent with deliberate action of someone on plane – Press conference

15, 2014 06:34 AM GMT: Malaysian Prime Minister: Despite reports that plane was hijacked, authorities are still investigating all possibilities – Press conference/live video

#78 15, 2014 12:31 AM GMT: The investigation into Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 sharpened its focus on sabotage amid indications one or more people on the plane deliberately changed its course and tried to mask the jet’s location. – WSJ

#77 14, 2014, 10:23 AM GMT: Reuters quoted Malaysian sources who said there is evidence the plane was “deliberately flown” toward India’s Andaman Islands. 

#76 14, 2014, 09:49 AM GMT: Hussein said again the investigators could not rule out hijacking, and that all possibilities are being examined. – Press conference

#75 14, 2014, 09:37 AM GMT: We are now entering the 7th day of the search and there are currently 57 ships and 48 aircraft in the search. 13 countries are now involved. – Press conference

#74 14, 2014, 04:02 AM GMT: Malaysia Airlines is fully aware of the on-going media speculations and we have nothing further to add to the information we have already provided. – 18th Media Statement

#73 14, 2014, 02:26 AM GMT: The shutdown of two communication systems happened separately – 14 minutes apart – two US unnamed investigators have told ABC news in the US, this could indicate a possible deliberate act. – ABC News

14, 2014, 09:37 AM GMT: Hussein confirmed that the investigators are examining the possibility that the plane’s transponder was deliberately shut down. – Press conference

14, 2014, 11:42 AM GMT: If multiple communication systems aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 were manually disabled, as investigators increasingly suspect happened, it would have required detailed knowledge of the long-range Boeing 777’s inner workings. – WSJ

#72 14, 2014, 01:24 AM GMT: CNN reporting that the US government believes the missing plane is likely to be at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. – CNN

#71 Mar 13, 2014, 11:12 PM GMT: Search expands to include the Indian Ocean, Malaysian authorities and the airline itself have continued to deny reports the missing plane had transmitted technical  data.

#70 Mar 13, 2014, 07:27 PM GMT: Communications satellites picked up faint electronic pulses (‘ping’) from Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 after it went missing on Saturday, but the signals gave no indication about where the stray jet was heading nor its technical condition, a source close to the investigation said on Thursday. – Reuters

Mar 14, 2014, 04:02 AM GMT: Malaysia Airlines is fully aware of the on-going media speculations and we have nothing further to add to the information we have already provided. – 18th Media Statement

Mar 14, 2014, 09:58 AM GMT: Malaysia’s transportation minister denies reports engine data from missing plane indicates it kept flying for hours. – Press conference

#69 Mar 13, 2014, 10:02 AM GMT: Malaysian transport minister confirms the search teams have found nothing from any of the potential leads. – Press conference

#68 Mar 13, 2014, 09:46 AM GMT: Reports that Malaysian police searched homes of Malaysia Airlines flight crew are wrong, transport minister says citing police statement

#67 Mar 13, 2014, 09:39 AM GMT: Hussein announced that Malaysia has shared raw military radar data with its international partners. – Press conference

#66 Mar 13, 2014, 09:38 AM GMT: 43 ships and 40 aircraft are now involved in the search, military radar data has been shared with search partners, Malaysian transport minister says

#65 Mar 13, 2014, 05:46 AM GMT: Relatives asked whether the military shot down the plane; the military denied this. – CCTV NEWS

#64 Mar 13, 2014, 04:31 AM GMT: U.S. investigators suspect that Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 stayed in the air for about four hours past the time it reached its last confirmed location, according to two people familiar with the details, raising the possibility that the plane could have flown on for hundreds of additional miles under conditions that remain murky. – The Wall Street Journal

Mar 13, 2014, 09:38 AM GMT: Malaysia’s defence and acting transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein said reports that the plane stayed in the air for several hours after losing contact were “inaccurate”. – Press conference

Mar 13, 2014, 09:51 AM GMT: Chief executive of Malaysia Airlines Ahmad Jauhari Yahyain insisted that Rolls Royce and Boeing received no more contact with the plane after 1.07am on Saturday morning.

Mar 13, 2014, 01:18 PM GMT: Rolls-Royce is refusing to comment on claims made by the Malaysian authorities on the last signal sent by the missing plane.

#63 Mar 13, 2014, 02:32 AM GMT: As a mark of respect to the passengers and crew of MH370 on 8 March 2014, the MH370 and MH371 flight codes will be retired from the Malaysia Airlines’ Kuala Lumpur- Beijing-Kuala Lumpur route. MH 318 – Kuala Lumpur – Beijing and MH 319 – Beijing – Kuala Lumpur will be the new codes in effect from 14 March 2014 – 17th Media Statement

#62 Mar 12, 2014, 11:49 PM GMT: The New Zealand oil rig worker, Michael McKay, who has said he believes he saw the plane go down in the South China Sea. The letter has been confirmed as legitimate, the statements contained within it have not been confirmed.

#61 Mar 12, 2014, 08:24 PM GMT: BBC have just broadcast a satellite image which Chinese officials believe could be wreckage from Flight MH370.

Mar 12, 2014, 08:26 PM GMT: CNN has broadcast more details of the Chinese satellite images. It said they were published by the Chinese State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND), and dated March 9. They show a suspected crash site in the South China Sea, not far off the plane’s projected flight path. They show three large pieces at sea, the largest of which, according to SASTIND, measured 24m by 27m.

Mar 12, 2014, 08:32 PM GMT: The Chinese agency gave coordinates of 105.63 east longitude, 6.7 north latitude, which would put it in waters northeast of where it took off in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and south of Vietnam. – CNN

Mar 12, 2014, 11:09 PM GMT: Chinese ships & planes to help search for MH370 China’s satellite found possible debris. Verification in progress. – CCTV_America

Mar 13, 2014, 12:21 AM GMT: The US seventh fleet has told CNBC news it is not changing their search area after the release of the satellite images.

Mar 13, 2014, 02:23 AM GMT: The Vietnamese authorities say they already searched the area where the Chinese satellites photographed possible debris, but will check again to make sure.

Mar 13, 2014, 04:51 AM GMT: Vietnam’s Civil Aviation head says they have “found nothing” in area of Chinese satellite images. Says will continue search in afternoon. – Vincent De Paul.

Mar 13, 2014, 04:58 AM GMT: Malaysian aviation chief says no plane debris found at spot shown by China’s satellite images. – AP

Mar 13, 2014, 05:21 AM GMT: CNN is now confirming earlier reports that Vietnamese authorities have flown over the area where Chinese satellite images showed mysterious debris, and found nothing. – CNN

Mar 13, 2014, 05:21 AM GMT: Malaysia’s transport minister says search teams investigated Chinese satellite photos and did not find anything

Mar 13, 2014, 10:24 AM GMT: Chinese satellite images released by ‘mistake’ Hussein confirmed. We contacted the Chinese embassy who notified us that the images were released by mistake and did not show any debris from MH370.

#60 Mar 12, 2014, 01:48 PM GMT: Vietnam, which had said it was scaling back its search efforts, has said it will resume a full scale operation on Thursday.

#59 Mar 12, 2014, 09:51 AM GMT: Civil aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman confirmed that defence radar picked up an “indication” that the plane turned back. He said this was why the search operation had been extended to the Andaman sea. – Hussein stressed this was just a “possibility”. – Press conference

Mar 12, 2014, 09:57 AM GMT: Hussein was asked why it had taken so long to reveal that the plane had turned back. He said the authorities were still not sure whether the plane had turned back which is why the search continues on both sides of the peninsula. “We have nothing to hide,” he said. – Press conference

Mar 12, 2014, 10:07 AM GMT: A military official admitted they were “baffled” by the lack of a distress signal from the aircraft. He confirmed that the military was “not sure” whether the plane had changed course. “It is a possibility … we did not track it in real time. The data appears [to suggest it changed course] we have to respond,” the military chief said. He added that the raw data would be released in due course. – Press conference/The Guardian

#58 Mar 12, 2014, 09:43 AM GMT: ‘Our immediate focus is to find the aircraft,’ transport minister says, ‘we are focusing on both the South China Sea and Straits of Malacca’ – Press conference

#57 New Scientist are reporting that they have learnt that Rolls Royce may have received two sets of flight data from the missing plane. The first was at take-off and the second was during the climb towards Beijing. The data is from the Airborne Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS)

Mar 13, 2014, 09:51 AM GMT: Chief executive of Malaysia Airlines Ahmad Jauhari Yahyain insisted that Rolls Royce and Boeing received no more contact with the plane after 1.07am on Saturday morning. 

#56 Mar 12, 2014, 03:13 AM GMT: Chinese state media has reported that vessels searching for the Malaysia Airlines plane have pulled floating debris from water. It is not confirmed that the debris is related to the missing flight.

#55 “Alright, good night” – last words from missing plane.

#54 Mar 11, 2014, 05:36 PM GMT: Official says last known location of lost Malaysia Airlines flight was hundreds of miles from flight path – Those details — told to CNN by a senior Malaysian air force official, who declined to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

Mar 11, 2014, 10:24 AM GMT: Malaysia’s military believes it tracked missing plane on radar to Strait of Malacca, military source says – @Reuters

Mar 12, 2014, 01:17 AM GMT: Malaysia air force chief denies reports that missing jet was last detected over Strait of Malacca – @Reuters

#53 Mar 11, 2014, 11:49 AM GMT: Interpol does not believe the disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines plane was the result of a terrorist attack – @Reuters

#52 Mar 11, 2014, 10:39 AM GMT: Online reports of Malaysia Airlines co-pilot had previously let passengers sit in cockpit during flight.

Mar 11, 2014, 04:00 PM GMT: Malaysia Airlines says it is ‘shocked’ by allegations that co-pilot of missing flight let passengers into cockpit in the past – Media Statement 12 

#51 Mar 11, 2014, 10:32 AM GMT: Interpol names Delavar Seyed Mohammadreza as 2nd Malaysia Airlines jet passenger who was traveling on stolen passport – @BBCBreaking

#50 Mar 11, 2014, 07:13 AM GMT: Malaysian police investigators are looking into 4 areas; hijacking, sabotage, psychological problems of passengers and crew, personal problems.

#49 Mar 11, 2014, 06:55 AM GMT: China has deployed 10 satellites to help in the massive multinational effort to find missing Malaysia Airlines jet – @FoxNews, @AP

#48 Mar 10, 2014, 11:28 PM GMT: Underwater search expert: ‘Crucial time is passing’ in search for vanished Malaysia Airlines flight – @cnnbrk

#47 Mar 10, 2014, 03:16 PM GMT: Malaysia expands search for missing jetliner, dispatches ships to check debris near Hong Kong – @BloombergNews

#46 Mar 10, 2014, 02:14 PM GMT: China has adjusted the operations of orbiting satellites to help in the search of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight.

#45 Mar 10, 2014, 01:06 PM GMT: Malaysian authorities identify 1 of 2 men who used stolen passports to board missing plane.

Mar 11, 2014, 07:21 AM GMT: Malaysian police: A 19-year-old passenger using stolen passport on missing jet was Iranian asylum seeker not thought to be a member of any terrorist organization.

#44 Mar 10, 2014, 12:17 PM GMT: All airport and aircraft security protocols were followed, Malaysian official says after investigators examined CCTV footage.

#43 Mar 10, 2014, 12:15 PM GMT: Malaysian authorities will open new expanded search grids, are also searching land for any sign of missing plane.

#42 Mar 10, 2014, 12:14 PM GMT: Malaysian authorities investigating missing Malaysia Airlines flight confirm oil slick found is not from an aircraft.

#41 Mar 10, 2014, 11:28 AM GMT: Civil aircraft spots suspected metal debris in search for missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft – @BloombergTV

#40 Mar 10, 2014, 10:05 AM GMT: Search and rescue teams from Australia, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, New Zealand and the United States have offered assistance.

#39 Vietnam sending helicopters to investigate floating ‘yellow object,’ possible life raft of missing Malaysian plane – @Reuters

Mar 10, 2014, 08:06 AM GMT: Vietnamese jet spotted floating ‘yellow object’ but was unable to get close enough to determine what it was.

Mar 10, 2014, 08:21 AM GMT: Malaysian authorities say ships are being sent to verify sightings of possible life raft.

Mar 10, 2014, 08:55 AM GMT: Vietnam rescue team says ‘yellow object’ floating at sea found not to be a plane life raft, civil aviation body reports – @Reuters

#38 Mar 10, 2014, 04:20 AM GMT: Hijacking not ruled out in disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, Malaysia civil aviation dept chief tells news conference – @BBCBreaking

#37 Mar 09, 2014, 07:32 PM GMT: Photos emerge of the debris found by a Vietnam search plane that may be from the missing MH370 flight.

#36 Mar 09, 2014, 02:58 PM GMT: Officials say possible remains of missing airliner to be investigated in daylight – @BBCBreaking

Mar 10, 2014, 03:55 AM GMT: Vietnamese official: Ships searching through the night couldn’t find object thought to be door from missing jet – @AP

#35 Mar 09, 2014, 02:14 PM GMT: Malaysia Airlines says no further developments regarding missing flight MH370 have been confirmed – @MAS

#34 Mar 09, 2014, 01:32 PM GMT: Vietnam search and rescue authorities say a new object has been spotted 80 km. south-southwest of Tho Chu island 

#33 Mar 09, 2014, 01:27 PM GMT: Vietnam says search plane finds suspected fragments of mising jetliner – @WSJ

#32 Mar 09, 2014, 12:54 PM GMT: Interpol states no one checked ther database for 2 stolen passports used on Malaysia airlines flight – @AP

#31 Mar 09, 2014, 12:31 PM GMT: Malaysian officials say search areas for missing Malaysia Airlines plane expanded from 20 nautical miles to 50 nautical miles

#30 Mar 09, 2014, 10:28 AM GMT: Vietnam’s search and rescue coordinators in Hanoi say Singapore’s search team notified them of a suspicious object floating 100 kilometers south-southwest of Vietnam’s Tho Chu island – @WSJ

#29 Mar 09, 2014, 09:52 AM GMT: Australian government joins search and rescue mission for missing Malaysia Airlines flight.

#28 Mar 09, 2014, 08:00 AM GMT: US Navy U.S. P-3 and USS Pinckney helicopter over Malaysia Airlines search site – @US7thFleet

#27 Mar 09, 2014, 07:55 AM GMT: Malaysia Airlines tells relatives of passengers on missing plane to ‘expect the worst’ as search reaches 36 hours.

#26 Mar 09, 2014, 07:32 AM GMT: Passengers with stolen passports bought their tickets together and were both due to fly onto Amsterdam

#25 Mar 09, 2014, 06:10 AM GMT: Civil aviation chief: 5 passengers did not board missing Malaysia Airlines flight, bags were removed from plane – @BBCWorld

Mar 11,2014, 09:02AM GMT: Police chief denies reports that 5 passengers did not board.

Tuesday, March 11, 05:29 PM MYT – 12th Media Statement: ‘Malaysia Airlines wishes to clarify that there were four (4) passengers who had valid booking to travel on flight MH370, 8 March 2014, but did not show up to check-in for the flight. As such, the issue of off-loading unaccompanied baggage did not arise, as the said four passengers did not check in for the flight. Hence, the above claim is untrue.’

Mar 12, 2014, 10:00 AM GMT: 227 passengers booked on Malaysia Airlines jet, 4 didn’t turn up or check in, their seats were given to 4 standby passengers. – Press conference

#24 Mar 09, 2014, 05:32 AM GMT: Civil aviation chief: Missing Malaysia Airlines plane had wingtip clipped in previous accident, was repaired and certified safe by Boeing

#23 Mar 09, 2014, 05:16 AM GMT: Malaysia civil aviation chief: Authorities examine airport footage of 2 passengers with false passports on missing Malaysia Airlines flight.

#22 Mar 09, 2014, 03:36 AM GMT: Malaysian transport minister says search area expanded due to possibility that missing aircraft turned back – @Reuters

Mar 09, 2014, 05:24 AM GMT: Malaysia military: Radar indicated missing Malaysia Airlines airliner may have turned back before disappearing – @BBCBreaking

#21 Mar 09, 2014, 02:11 AM GMT: Pilot reportedly flying over Vietnam says he made contact with Malaysia Airlines flight shortly before it disappeared

Mar 09, 2014, 03:42 AM GMT: Officials: Report that another pilot established contact with missing flight before disappearance is false – @AntDeRosa

#20 Mar 09, 2014, 01:16 AM GMT: Civil aviation chief: Authorities investigating if Malaysia Airlines plane had previous accidents.

#19 Mar 09, 2014, 01:14 AM GMT: Malaysian official: After all night search and rescue, no trace of missing plane; search area expanded.

#18 Mar 09, 2014, 12:21 AM GMT: FBI to investigate the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines jet, official tells @latimes

#17 Mar 08, 2014, 08:58 PM GMT: No technical problems found in regular check of missing Boeing 777-200 aircraft 10 days ago, Malaysia Airlines’ spokesman says.

#16 Mar 08, 2014, 06:07 PM GMT: Malaysia Airlines says there is no confirmation floating oil belongs to missing flight

#15 Mar 08, 2014, 12:09 PM GMT: The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a Vietnamese search aircraft may have spotted 2 oil slicks that could be from the jet engines of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight.

Mar 08, 2014, 12:53 PM GMT: Vietnamese air force planes spot 2 large oil slicks that authorities suspect are from missing Malaysian jetliner – @AP, @WSJ

Mar 08, 2014, 01:05 PM GMT: Oil slicks discovered by Vietnam air force are ‘consistent with the kinds that would be left by fuel from a crashed jetliner’ – @AP

Mar 10, 2014, 12:34 AM GMT: Analysis of oil slick samples found are expected to completed by Monday afternoon.

Mar 10, 2014, 08:33 AM GMT: Results from the analysis of an oil slick are not yet available, Malaysia’s transport minister says.

Mar 10, 2014, 12:14 PM GMT: Malaysian authorities investigating missing Malaysia Airlines flight confirm oil slick found is not from an aircraft.

#14 Mar 08, 2014, 08:50 AM GMT: Rescue official: Malaysian search ships see no immediate sign of wreckage in area where missing flight last made contact.

#13 Mar 08, 2014, 05:45 AM GMT: Vietnamese state media is reporting that a navy official said Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 crashed into the sea near Tho Chu Island, according to Reuters.

Mar 08, 2014, 06:39 AM GMT: Malaysia transport minister says no signs of Malaysia Airlines plane wreckage; denies reports plane crashed off Vietnam – @Reuters

Mar 08, 2014, 07:26 AM GMT: Vietnam admiral says missing plane ‘could have’ crashed in Malaysian waters, based on calculations; denies reports quoting him saying the plane actually crashed

#12 Malaysia Airlines says pilot of missing flight had logged 18,365 total flying hours; 1st officer had total of 2,763 flying hours – @CNN

#11 China sends 2 ships to South China Sea to help in rescue work for missing Malaysia Airlines plane.

#9 Aircraft engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce to CNBC: ‘We are aware of the situation and are giving Malaysia Airlines the support they need’

#8 A number of online reports mention ‘The plane has been found’

Mar 08, 4:01 AM GMT – On CNN, a Malaysia Airlines official dismissed rumors the missing flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing was located. “We don’t know” where it is, he said.

#7 Mar 08, 2014, 02:41 AM GMT: Weather Channel meteorologist Michel Palmer tells NBC News there are no significant weather conditions in the area where missing Malaysia Airlines flight took off in Kaula Lampur up to Southeast Asia

#6 3:02 PM – 8 Mar 2014: First photo of flight board at Beijing airport shows missing Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur.

Mar 08, 2014, 05:26 AM GMT: Beijing airport officials take missing Malaysia Airlines flight off arrivals board after marking it as ‘delayed’ for 5 hours-plus hours – @griviera

#5 Malaysia Airlines says passengers on missing Beijing-bound flight are of 13 different nationalities.

#4 Malaysia Airlines vice president tells CNN search and rescue underway for Beijing-bound flight with 239 people on board; ‘we have no idea where this aircraft is right now’

#3 Boeing tells CNBC it is aware of the situation with the Malaysia Airlines jet and is monitoring the situation.

#2 It ascended to its assigned cruise altitude of 35,000 feet (10,600 m) and was travelling at 471 kts (540 mph or 870 km/h) when it ceased all communications and the transponder signal was lost. Malaysia Airlines issued a media statement at 07:24 confirming that contact had been lost at 02:40 and that search and rescue operations had begun.

It later emerged that Subang Air Traffic Control had lost contact with the aircraft at 01:22 and notified Malaysia Airlines at 02:40. Neither the crew nor the aircraft’s onboard communication systems relayed a distress signal, indications of bad weather, or technical problems before vanishing from radar screens.

#1 The flight departed from Kuala Lumpur International Airport on 8 March at 00:41 local time (UTC+8) and was scheduled to land at Beijing Capital International Airport at 06:30.