Malaysia Airlines MH370: New Search Expedition Launching to Solve 12-Year Aviation Mystery

Three wing fragments recovered have been confirmed to belong to Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The vanishing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 nearly 12 years ago with 239 people aboard continues to be one of aviation's greatest unsolved mysteries.

The Boeing 777 aircraft disappeared during its journey from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. The flight carried more than 150 Chinese nationals, 50 Malaysians, and citizens from various countries including France, Australia, Indonesia, India, the United States, Ukraine, and Canada.

Analysis of satellite data indicated the aircraft likely crashed somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean off western Australia's coast. Despite two extensive search operations, no significant findings emerged.

A fresh search for the missing aircraft is scheduled to begin on December 30, 2025.

WHAT IS KNOWN?

The final transmission from the aircraft occurred approximately 40 minutes after departing Kuala Lumpur. Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah's last communication was "Good night, Malaysian three seven zero" as the plane entered Vietnamese airspace.

Shortly afterward, the aircraft's transponder was deactivated, making it difficult to track.

Military radar detected the plane deviating from its flight path, flying back over northern Malaysia and Penang Island, then heading into the Andaman Sea toward Sumatra's tip. Subsequently, it turned southward before all contact was lost.

UNDERWATER SEARCHES

Malaysia, Australia, and China initiated an underwater search covering a 120,000 square kilometer area in the southern Indian Ocean, based on automatic connection data between an Inmarsat satellite and the aircraft.

This search, costing approximately A$200 million ($131.54 million), was terminated after two years in January 2017 without locating any traces of the plane.

In 2018, Malaysia accepted a "no-cure, no-fee" proposal from American exploration company Ocean Infinity for a three-month search, meaning payment would only be made if the plane was found.

This search covered 112,000 square kilometers north of the original target area but also ended unsuccessfully in May 2018.

DEBRIS

Over 30 pieces of suspected aircraft debris have been collected along Africa's coast and on Indian Ocean islands, though only three wing fragments were confirmed to be from MH370.

Most debris was utilized in drift pattern analysis hoping to narrow down the aircraft's possible location.

INVESTIGATION REPORT

A comprehensive 495-page report on MH370's disappearance, released in July 2018, concluded that the Boeing 777's controls were likely deliberately manipulated to divert it off course, but investigators couldn't determine who was responsible.

The report highlighted errors made by both Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City air traffic control centers and provided recommendations to prevent similar incidents.

Investigators avoided drawing definitive conclusions about MH370's fate, stating that conclusions depended on finding the aircraft's wreckage.

CONSPIRACY THEORIES

The inability to locate MH370's crash site has spawned numerous conspiracy theories, ranging from mechanical failure or remote-controlled crash to more outlandish explanations like alien abduction or Russian involvement.

In recent years, some aviation experts have suggested the most plausible explanation was that an experienced pilot deliberately took the plane off course. However, investigators found nothing suspicious in the backgrounds, finances, training, or mental health of either the captain or co-pilot.

SEARCH RESUMPTION

In December 2024, Malaysia's government announced plans to resume the search following a new proposal from Ocean Infinity, which would receive $70 million if substantial wreckage is discovered. The search began in March this year but was temporarily suspended after several weeks due to unfavorable weather conditions.

The new search commencing December 30 will operate under the same terms and conditions previously agreed between Malaysia and Ocean Infinity in 2024 and will focus on a 15,000 square kilometer area in the southern Indian Ocean. The exact location has not been disclosed.

Ocean Infinity has confirmed it will recommence seabed operations for 55 intermittent days, according to Malaysia's transport ministry, which added that the resumed search would target "an area assessed to have the highest probability of locating the aircraft."