News Stories

[Tom Bombadil]

Originally Posted by JokerD

MAS KL-Beijing Flight MH370

A bit more on this flight:
Navies from Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Philippines is searching in the area.
Singapore Air Force is sending a C130 to search, with another on alert. <= I'm slightly surprised, since I thought the Fokker 50s were the SAL plane in the RSAF inventory.
Some Italian sites claim the Italian in the passenger list is not on the plane and had lost his passport in Thailand in 2013. Make of it what you will (tabloid folder I think).
This airframe apparently had a ground incident where it's wings hit another plane, it's wingtips were cut off in this incident.

Given the manner how the plane "disappeared", likely the plane dissembled in midair, giving no time for the pilot to make any sos signals. Either the plane had some serious problems, or it was caused by explosives.

Edit: The plot thickens. There was one man who has boarded the plane using a fake passport. In the passenger list, there is a Italian named "Luigi Maraldi". But it is now confirmed that he is safe in Thailand. It turns out that he lost his passport last year.

http://world.people.com.cn/n/2014/03...-24575701.html
http://www.ilrestodelcarlino.it/cese...araldi.shtml#1

[ganbaru]

China draws 'red line' on North Korea, says won't allow war on peninsula
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...A2703Q20140308

Angry Chinese want information on missing Malaysia Airlines flight
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...A2709E20140308

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

China draws 'red line' on North Korea, says won't allow war on peninsula
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...A2703Q20140308

China's tolerance for North Korea is really getting strained it seems.

[Tom Bombadil]

Now there are at least two passengers on board that plane with fake passports.

Stolen European Passports on Missing Plane

Foreign ministry officials in Rome and Vienna confirm that names of two nationals listed on the manifest of the missing Malaysian airlines flight match passports reported stolen in Thailand.

Italy's Foreign Ministry said Saturday that an Italian man whose name was listed as being aboard is traveling in Thailand and was not aboard the plane.

A foreign ministry functionary, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed Italian reports that Luigi Maraldi had reported his passport stolen last August.

Italian news agency ANSA says Maraldi called home after hearing reports that an Italian with his name was aboard the plane.

Austrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Weiss confirmed that a name listed on the manifest matches an Austrian passport reported stolen two years ago in Thailand. Weiss would not confirm the identity.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/...plane-22831723

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by Tom Bombadil

Now there are at least two passengers on board that plane with fake passports.



http://abcnews.go.com/International/...plane-22831723

Great. Now we need to really seriously investigate the possibility if this was terrorism via stolen passports to get onto an airliner.

[Tom Bombadil]

The third fake passport appeared. This passport is issued by China, but the name of the passenger does not match the passport number. The original passport holder is currently in China, safe at home.

Only Chinese source this time.

http://news.ifeng.com/world/special/...578693_0.shtml

Two other European passport holders are suspicious.

http://my.news.yahoo.com/two-more-eu...005206266.html

[KiraYamatoFan]

What in the world 3 passengers would do in the same plane after coming in with stolen passports? The possibility of terrorism is getting stronger.

I hope someone is analyzing the security cameras' tapes to identify the passengers.

[JokerD]

Originally Posted by KiraYamatoFan

What in the world 3 passengers would do in the same plane after coming in with stolen passports? The possibility of terrorism is getting stronger.

I hope someone is analyzing the security cameras' tapes to identify the passengers.

Drug mules or secret agents? But yeah:
Malaysia probing possible terror link in jet mystery
FBI's getting involved. Also US is sending an Arleigh Burke class and a P3C to help search

Well at least the waters in the gulf of Thailand is relatively shallow (up to 80m) so retrieval of the plane should be easier...

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by JokerD

Drug mules or secret agents? But yeah:
Malaysia probing possible terror link in jet mystery
FBI's getting involved. Also US is sending an Arleigh Burke class and a P3C to help search

Well at least the waters in the gulf of Thailand is relatively shallow (up to 80m) so retrieval of the plane should be easier...

So they are aiming Chinese now?

These extremists REALLY want to fight everyone if so.

[Ithekro]

Hmmm. That makes me wonder if the plane did crash, or if it just got under everyone's radar and landed someplace else for some odd purpose.


Highly unlikely since that sounds like some sort of James Bond villian's plotline.

[MeoTwister5]

Crashing a plane straight into the sea without anyone knowing and without making yourselves known is kind of contradictory to the standard attention seeking terrorist MO.

Which tells me if this was a terrorist act, the plane's disappearance wasn't part of their plan.

[Fireminer]

Ufo warning! Ufo warning!

[Vallen Chaos Valiant]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

Crashing a plane straight into the sea without anyone knowing and without making yourselves known is kind of contradictory to the standard attention seeking terrorist MO.

Which tells me if this was a terrorist act, the plane's disappearance wasn't part of their plan.

IF it was a terrorist attack, I agree that they must have failed their mission. Alternately it might have been an assassination, but that seems too extreme when no one THAT important was on-board.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

Hmmm. That makes me wonder if the plane did crash, or if it just got under everyone's radar and landed someplace else for some odd purpose.

Highly unlikely since that sounds like some sort of James Bond villian's plotline.

Has the Disco Volante been seen anywhere in the area? (more)

[Roger Rambo]

some recent reports indicate the plane *might* have tried turning back before it disappeared.


Botched hijacking?

[JokerD]

Passport Theft Adds to Mystery of Missing Malaysia Airlines Jet

Of interest in this article:

Using a system that looks for flashes around the world, the Pentagon reviewed preliminary surveillance data from the area where the plane disappeared and saw no evidence of an explosion, said an American government official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the subject matter was classified. A team of aviation experts led by the National Transportation Safety Board was on its way to the area.

So no big boom. Something leading to electrical failure?

[Fireminer]

Just listen to the radio. The Vietnamese plane has found a debris, 80 km on the South of Tho Chu island. However, because of the night, they couldn't land and has to take an image.

The image is here (just scroll down): http://m.vnexpress.net/thoisu/thuy-p...bay/2961240/p0

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by JokerD

Passport Theft Adds to Mystery of Missing Malaysia Airlines Jet

Of interest in this article:

So no big boom. Something leading to electrical failure?

Think it's likely the crew got overpowered and the plane was brought down in M'sia's jungles?

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

Think it's likely the crew got overpowered and the plane was brought down in M'sia's jungles?

Not likely. It should have went into the seas.

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Not likely. It should have went into the seas.

Well it was turning back though. Under whose control is another matter entirely...