Mystery Of A Missing Plane

The safety and
security of global air transportation was called to question when recently a Malaysian airplane (Flight MH 370) headed for Beijing, China, with 239 passengers and crew members aboard vanished without trace barely one hour after take-off.
Until now, more than two weeks after the mysterious flight went into obscurity, not a single trace of the accident-prone aircraft has been established by either the authorities in Kuala Lumpur or Beijing. The international security and civil aviation communities have remained dazed about the development.
As several countries, ships, submarines and aircraft engage in a global search for the missing plane, families and relatives of the victims have besieged Kuala Lumpur and Beijing from different parts of the world anxiously searching for information on their beloved ones who boarded the ill-fated aircraft.
Information emanating from the Malaysian authorities had it that nationals of not fewer than 14 countries were affected by the unfortunate incident with China having the highest casualty figure of 154 citizens.
As millions of people all over the world join family members and friends of the victims who are in excruciating pain and grief for their beloved ones, several theories, speculations and hypotheses have been advanced in explanation of the incident.
One theory holds that something as sudden as the “Bang Theory” might have occurred to the plane to explain why the crew was unable to send signal or alarm. Another theory states that the plane was last sighted heading in the opposite direction, which suggests that the pilot might have attempted to make an emergency landing upon realizing that it had developed a technical fault.
Only few days ago, another report emerged that the aircraft flew for over four hours off its course and crashed eventually. The Chinese authorities that allegedly
propagated this theory, produced wreckage of a plane which some people debunked, claiming that it was that of another plane.
Amidst all the speculations, there is also the theory of a possible hijack. This thinking has been premised on the fact that two passengers on the plane, who bought their tickets simultaneously, had with them some stolen passports. However, the veracity of this claim is unlikely since no one or group has taken responsibility for the act.
While speculations and theories on the actual cause of the crash continue to emerge, the relevant authorities as well as the larger global community have to intensify efforts to unravel this mystery. This would not only provide answers to the many questions that agitate the minds of friends and family members of the deceased victims, it will inspire confidence in global air transportation.
At the moment, it is uncertain whether the Malaysian authorities are at their optimum in the search for the missing plane. But if the accusation by China that Malaysia is not doing enough to facilitate search efforts is anything to go by, then there is veritable need for concern.
Given the fact that an aircraft, like any other automotive device, is inclined towards developing sudden problems, what is of utmost significance is the swiftness of the response by the concerned authorities to the issue. In this case, the Malaysian authorities must know that human lives and emotions are involved; hence, the search has to transcend other national considerations.
At this point, both the Chinese and Malaysian authorities should demonstrate adequate concern for the welfare of the victims’ family members. They can show support by facilitating their travels within and outside their countries in quest for information on their loved ones, among others.
Also, given the unusualness and eccentric nature of the incident, there is need to expand the search beyond the 27,000 square nautical miles(about 93,000 square kilometers), the area where the aircraft was said to have made the last radar contact before it vanished.
The fate of the missing plane has raised several issues that will haunt air travel globally. These include terrorism, airport security/intelligence, monitoring of airborne planes and effective collaboration among countries. Until the issues are dealt with effectively, sudden disappearances of planes in the mold of Flight 370 will remain a puzzle.
Arnold Alalibo