It’s been more than a decade since the mysterious disappearance of a Malaysian Airlines flight, leading to numerous theories over the years.
The MH370 flight, which had 239 individuals on board traveling from Malaysia to China, disappeared in March 2014 as it lost contact with flight radars while over Vietnamese airspace.
Shortly after the pilot’s final communication, ‘Goodnight Malaysia three seven zero’, the airplane was no longer traceable.
This incident has sparked many conspiracy theories, especially since exhaustive searches, ranging from the ocean west of Australia to areas in Central Asia, have not provided a conclusive answer.
The Malaysian military managed to track MH370 to an extent, observing it make a sharp left turn back into Malaysian airspace before it continued flying for approximately seven more hours, ultimately reaching the Indian Ocean.
The prevalent belief is that the aircraft ran out of fuel and went down into the ocean.
Australian officials decided to halt the search in 2017, stating: “Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting edge technology, as well as modeling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft.
“The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness.”
The enigma of MH370’s disappearance has inspired an array of theories and approximately 150 books, as stated by Richard Godfrey, a retired aerospace engineer who maintains a website dedicated to the search.
In an interview with news.com.au, Godfrey noted: “The various theories range from the bizarre like MH370 was taken by aliens, to the conspiratorial, like there was a plot involving several governments and secret service agents.”
He also mentions more unsettling scenarios, proposing that perhaps China, Russia, or the US could be involved in the plane’s disappearance.
Godfrey has suggested to The Telegraph that ‘ghost radio signals’ and historical Weak Signal Propagation Reporter (WSPR) data could aid in pinpointing the location where the plane vanished.
From his analysis, Godfrey has narrowed down a search area to less than 20 miles, situated about 1,000 miles west of Perth, Australia.
However, the validity of the WSPR theory remains questioned by Professor Joseph Taylor of Princeton University, who invented the transmitters. Taylor expressed skepticism about the network’s ability to track the aircraft.
A renewed search initiative is on the horizon, as British maritime exploration company Ocean Infinity is close to finalizing a contract with the Malaysian government.
Malaysian transport minister Anthony Loke announced this development, expressing enthusiasm for Ocean Infinity’s initiative to deploy their ships.
The search will cover a new seabed area, approximately 5,800 square miles in size.
This search will incorporate WSPR transmissions.
These ‘whisper’ transmissions are used by amateur radio users to test antenna range and functionality, working by sending thousands of low-power radio pulses every two minutes globally. These signals are believed to be disrupted by crossing aircraft, which were active when MH370 disappeared.
Meanwhile, Oliver Plunkett, the CEO of Ocean Infinity, remarked that the decision to recommence the search is ‘great news’.
“We look forward to sharing further updates in the new year once we’ve finalized the details and the team gets ready to go,” he stated.