With Malaysian authorities frustrated (and seemingly confused), and US and Chinese government offering "help" to solve this increasingly mysterious disappearance of the Boeing 777-200ER over a week ago, we thought a quick summation of all that we know would be useful. The possibilities remain numerous but it appears the latest line of investigation is the pane vanished through "deliberate action" with the airline pilots coming under increasing scrutiny.
SATURDAY
7.24am: Malaysia Airlines confirms a jet lost contact with Subang air traffic control at 2.40am after it took off from Kuala Lumpur
10.30am: Families waiting at Beijing airport are told passengers will not arrive
By night: International rescue effort is under way. Two passengers used passports – one Austrian, one Italian – reported stolen in Thailand. Airline does not rule out terrorism
SUNDAY
2am: Airline says it last heard from MH370 at 1.30am, not 2.40am
2.43am: Airline chief executive makes first public statement
Noon: Hong Kong Immigration Department confirms 45-year-old local woman was on board
MONDAY
The largest rescue flotilla in Chinese naval history – four warships and five civilian and commercial vessels – speeds overnight to waters between Malaysia and Vietnam. Ten Chinese satellites join the hunt
Night: Airline announces it will give 31,000 yuan (HK$39,200) to relatives of each passenger as a special condolence payment
TUESDAY
Two senior Malaysian military officials say missing jet flew for an hour off its flight course and at a lower altitude after disappearing from civil aviation radar, partly explaining why Malaysia expanded search area to include Strait of Malacca two days earlier.
3pm: Malaysian police say one of two passengers using a stolen passport is an Iranian teenager, and release photos of both
WEDNESDAY
Beijing slams Malaysia's "pretty chaotic" and conflicting information as Kuala Lumpur officials fail to pinpoint the plane's last known whereabouts.
Malaysian media report the government has invited a witch doctor to help look for the plane by using a magic carpet, two coconuts and a wooden stick.
THURSDAY
Malaysian military confirms spotting an unidentified aircraft on its radar about 1 hour and 20 minutes after MH370's signal went cold. Airline says it has not been determined if that was the missing jet.
Malaysian authorities vow to banish witch doctor if he again carries out a ritual at the country's main airport after the scene draws ridicule around the world.
FRIDAY
Investigators are increasingly certain the jet turned back across the Malay Peninsula after losing communication.
International search expands westwards towards Indian Ocean.
YESTERDAY
Search narrows to two air corridors as Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak confirms plane kept flying after it "vanished". Officials also confirm the jet's disappearance was a "deliberate act".
And more on the "deliberate action" from WSJ,
Malaysian police are examining the home flight simulator of the pilot of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in a closer focus on the plane's crew amid suspicion that the aircraft disappeared because of foul play.
The homes and of Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah and co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid were searched by police Saturday and investigators spoke to the pilot's family, the Malaysian Transport Ministry said in a statement.
The searches came as Prime Minister Najib Razak had said that he believes that the plane vanished through "deliberate action'' on March 8, when it disappeared with 239 people on board on a flight between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing.
…
The disappearance of Flight 370 has baffled investigators for more than a week, but Mr. Najib's comments have appeared to corroborate the analysis of U.S. investigators, which determined that one or more people on the plane deliberately changed its course and tried to mask its location.
Malaysia's leader says communications systems on Flight 370 were cut off by "deliberate action." U.S. officials are investigating whether a third system, on the plane's lower deck, was also compromised. WSJ's Jason Bellini explains.
Colleagues have described Capt. Zaharie as an aviation enthusiast who loved to fly and built a flight simulator at home.
…
The Transport Ministry statement said that Malaysia was treating both search corridors with "equal importance'' and is asking countries to provide further assistance in the search for the Boeing BA +1.00% 777-200, including satellite data and analysis, ground-search capabilities, radar data and maritime air assets, and how best to deploy them.
Malaysian officials have contacted countries along the corridors including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, China, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and France, the statement said.
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