MH 370: The One That Disappeared

Conspiracy theories and sensationalism are on display in the mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370's disappearance in 2014.

Les Abend

Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at 12:22 PM ET

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Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared on March 8, 2014. [Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

The article criticizes the Netflix docuseries "MH 370: The Plane That Disappeared" for irresponsibly promoting unproven conspiracy theories instead of focusing on facts, which is a disservice to the victims' families.
Despite initial confusion, satellite data revealed MH370 turned back and continued flying for hours into the South Indian Ocean, yet extensive searches have failed to locate the main wreckage, though fragments were found off Africa.
The author details and systematically debunks three key conspiracy theories presented in the docuseries: a pilot mass-murder suicide, a hijacking by Russian operatives, and the U.S. shooting down the plane.
The article concludes that credible answers to the MH370 mystery will likely only come once the actual wreckage is found, rather than from speculative theories.

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Other than Amelia Earhart’s fate, civil aviation has no greater mystery than the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on March 8, 2014. The Boeing 777-200 departed Kuala Lumpur International Airport (WMKK) in the very early hours of the morning, destined for Beijing. It never arrived.

Having flown a 777 for nine years and having responsibly contributed to the media frenzy as an aviation analyst, the story resonates on a personal level. Perhaps that’s why I take issue with the Netflix three-part docuseries MH 370: The Plane That Disappeared. But more than my own angst, it is a disservice to the families and friends that lost loved ones to focus on theories that defy the facts for the purpose of generating a profit. Spoiler alert: Among other topics, this column summarizes the three conspiracy theories presented.