Looking at the history of plane disappearances
On Thursday, Jan. 29, the Malaysian government announced the loss of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 327, which went missing in March, to be an accident. Australia, China, and Malaysia are continuing the search for evidence, but all passengers of the flight are presumed dead.
Officials are now proceeding with compensation for families, as well as issuing death certificates for the 239 victims of the crash.
This announcement leaves several questions: where did the plane go, and how can an airplane completely vanish? Furthermore, how has this happened so many times throughout history?
Although lost aircrafts are quite rare, there have been approximately 80 recorded disappearances since 1948.
The last recorded disappearance, prior to the recent Malaysia Airlines mysteries, was in 2009, when Air France flight 447 – an airbus that supposedly crashed into the Atlantic Ocean with 228 passengers aboard – went missing. Some of the debris and bodies were found, though many passengers remain unaccounted for, leaving the world to wonder. Approximately two years later, it was revealed that ice crystals caused the autopilot to malfunction, crashing the aircraft.
In 2003, the “stolen” American Airlines Boeing 727 left the runway in Quatro de Fevereiro on an un-cleared flight with an unknown number of passengers aboard. The plane seemed to be heading toward the Atlantic Ocean with no lights or transmission turned on. After takeoff, the passengers and aircraft were never seen again. This disappearance generated a worldwide investigation and terrorist suspicions, though no evidence ever turned up.
The FlyingTiger Line Flight disappearance of 1962 is one that still holds an air of uncertainty. The plane, carrying U.S. and South Vietnamese soldiers, disappeared somewhere over the Pacific Ocean on its way to Saigon. The plane was fully refueled upon takeoff, and there was no distress call made from the aircraft. To this day, the cause of the crash remains a mystery, as no parts were ever found despite an intensive air and sea recovery mission. Every passenger was declared dead within two months of the crash; unlike the 327 days it has taken to declare the fate of passengers on the recent Malaysian flight.
Possibly the most iconic and famous aircraft disappearance is that of Amelia Earhart. July 2 will mark the 78 anniversary of Earhart’s disappearance on her second attempt to fly around the world. She was last heard from somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, giving reports of overcast weather, when the transmission system failed. Despite the largest search in the American Navy’s history, no plane or body was ever found, and two years later, Earhart was declared dead.
There are many conspiracies surrounding the topic of missing airplanes, such as hijack schemes, the infamous engulfment of the Bermuda triangle, or possible military attacks. For the most part, nothing has ever or will ever be proven. It is a difficult situation for officials to determine when to conclude recovery attempts and start handing out death certificates.
Realistically, the planes must be resting peacefully in the crevices of the ocean or in the cliffs of the mountains – places that we will likely never reach. Yet, without physical evidence, we are still left with the unanswered conclusion: what if?