A New Zealand oil rig worker who claims to have witnessed Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 burning in the sky says he has been forgotten. Mike McKay, 57, was working on the Songa Mercur rig off the coast of Vietnam on 8 March 2014 when he took a cigarette break and saw what he believed to be the missing aircraft.
McKay sent an email to his superiors describing how he observed a plane burning at high altitude for 10-15 seconds. The message stated: 'While I observed (the plane) it appeared to be in one piece.' He added that there was no lateral movement, suggesting the aircraft was either stationary or falling.
The oil rig worker lost his job after the email was leaked to the media. He told CNN: 'Of course, I ended up looking like a fool. But what happened to me is of no consequence considering those who lost family on the flight.'
Despite his report, Vietnamese authorities scrambled aircraft to search for the plane. However, McKay now questions whether his sighting was of MH370, given the generally accepted flight path. He asks: 'How did the flight return across the Malay Peninsula and fly over the F16 base at Butterworth and the Penang Airport basically unnoticed?'
Meanwhile, a recent search by Ocean Infinity was halted in April, with Malaysia's Transport Minister citing the season. Ismail Hammad, Chief Engineer at Egyptair, has also cast doubt on photos of wreckage, arguing the paint condition is inconsistent with prolonged saltwater exposure.
