Nearly nine years after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished, a new Netflix docuseries attempts to untangle the many theories surrounding the disappearance. The three-part series, titled 'MH370: The Plane That Disappeared', examines the evidence that emerged in the weeks and years following the flight's disappearance on 8 March 2014.
The flight, a Boeing 777 jet, departed Kuala Lumpur at 12:41am local time bound for Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board. The majority of passengers were Chinese, alongside citizens from Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, India, France, the US, Iran, Ukraine, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Russia and Taiwan. The pilot in command was Zaharie Ahmad Shah, a 53-year-old senior pilot, with first officer Fariq Hamid, 27.
The last communication from the flight came at 1:19am, when Zaharie responded to Malaysian air traffic control with 'Good night. Malaysian three-seven-zero'. Seconds after crossing into Vietnamese airspace, MH370 disappeared from radar. Subsequent analysis of military radar data indicated the flight made a sharp left turn, heading back over the Malay peninsula, then north-west up the Strait of Malacca and out over the Andaman Sea, where it dropped off radar.
However, data from an Inmarsat satellite showed the aircraft continued to transmit signals for about six hours. According to the satellite company and independent experts, the data suggests MH370 turned south, flew until it ran out of fuel, and crashed into the southern Indian Ocean. The series posits that whoever was flying the plane likely depressurised the cabin early, killing everyone on board before the crash.
Director Louise Malkinson described the case as 'the greatest aviation mystery of all time'. The official narrative, supported by a group of aviation experts known as the Independent Group, points to pilot Zaharie as the likely perpetrator, though no motive has been established. The Malaysian government has faced criticism for its handling of the investigation and lack of transparency.
