Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

Case summary

On 8 March 2014, MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing disappeared from radar with 239 people aboard. Inmarsat satellite handshake data showed the aircraft turned toward the southern Indian Ocean; confirmed flaperon and wing debris later washed up on African shores. The main wreckage and cause remain unfound; the search resumed in 2025 on a no-find-no-fee basis.

Timeline

1. 2014-03-08Last radio contact at 01:19; the transponder ceased and military radar tracked a turn west.
2. 2014-03-24Inmarsat analysis announced: the flight ended in the southern corridor.
3. 2015-07-29A flaperon found on Réunion was confirmed as belonging to MH370.
4. 2017-01-17The first official underwater search (120,000 km²) ended without result.
5. 2018-05-29Ocean Infinity's first search also ended empty-handed.
6. 2025-02-25Ocean Infinity returned to the search zone under a new contract with Malaysia.

People and connections

• 9M-MRO (Boeing 777-200ER)Object

  The registration of the missing aircraft.

• InmarsatOrganisation

  The operator whose satellite handshakes defined the southern corridor.

• Ocean InfinityOrganisation

  The company running the 2018 and 2025 underwater searches.

• ATSBOrganisation

  The Australian agency that coordinated the 2015–2017 search.

• Inmarsat to 9M-MRO (Boeing 777-200ER)Hourly handshake (BTO/BFO) data defined the 7th arc
• ATSB to Ocean InfinitySearch boxes handed over, updated with drift models

Findings

Every finding lists its source and date. Interpretation stays in the researcher's note.

• That the flight ended in the southern Indian Ocean is documented by satellite data and confirmed debris.

  VerifiedSource: Inmarsat data and ICAO report2018-07

• The assessment that the transponder loss and turn reflect deliberate input was left at 'likelihood' level in the official report.

  ProbableSource: 2018 Safety Investigation Report2018-07

• The official report and independent analyses diverge on the meaning of the pilot's simulator data.

  ContestedSource: ICAO report vs independent analyses2018

• Hijack-to-land, remote-takeover and third-country claims remain unevidenced.

  UnverifiedSource: Open-source review2026-06

Documents

• DocumentICAO Annex 13 final reportThe 1,500-page official investigation record, 2018.
• PhotographCatalogue of confirmed debrisThree 'confirmed' items including the Réunion flaperon, plus many 'likely' pieces.
• MapThe 7th arc and search boxesThe probable end-of-flight line derived from BTO/BFO calculations.

Sources

1. 01

   Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

   Wikipedia, 2026, Encyclopedia entry

   Open source
2. 02

   MH370 Safety Investigation Report

   Malaysian ICAO Annex 13 Team, 2018, Official investigation report

   Open source
3. 03

   The search for MH370

   ATSB, 2017, Official search report

   Open source
4. 04

   MH370 search resumes

   Reuters, 2025, News verification

   Open source

Locations

• 7th arc search zone-36.00°, 92.00°
• Kuala Lumpur (departure)2.75°, 101.71°
• Réunion (flaperon find)-21.11°, 55.54°

Researcher's note

Interpretation: MH370 is the boundary case of modern open-source research: it shows how indirect data like satellite handshakes becomes evidence through careful mathematics, and how, without physical wreckage, the narrative still stays open. Separating conspiracy claims from data-grounded uncertainty is the core discipline of this file.