+++ BREAKING NEWS +++
12:30 @BobWoodruff BBC Retweet
An oil slick stretching 12-miles has been sighted between Malaysia & Vietnam possible first sign Malaysia Airlines plane crashed SOURCE @ABC
09:20 Air Expert David Learmount cites case of Air France 2009 aircraft loss over water, approx same time of night, no crew contact, put down to crew fatigue, minor glitch in system, possibly confused pilots.
08:58 C-130 Search Aircraft scrambled by Singapore, now in search zone.
08:43 AGENCIES: AIRCRAFT STILL MISSING, VIETNAMESE TRANSPORT AUTHORITY NOW DENY MISSING PLANE LOCATED IN THEIR TERRITORY (BOTH LAND & SEA), NO DEBRIS OR OTHER MARKERS FOUND. AIRCRAFT, PASSENGERS & CREW STILL POSTED AS 'MISSING'.
04:37 AGENCIES: AIRCRAFT POSSIBLY DITCHED IN SOUTH CHINA SEA. TWO MARITIME RESCUE SHIPS FROM CHINA ON WAY TO BEACON SIGNAL RECOVERY ZONE
04:34 The Xinhua News Agency, citing a local Vietnamese media report, says a Vietnamese search and rescue official reported that the signals have been detected from the plane from about 220 kilometers (120 miles) southwest of Vietnam’s southernmost coastal province of Ca Mau.
04:28 Airline confirms all communications systems 'lost' at same time, says Fuad Sharuji VP Operations in live telecast. Not confirming any speculation but aircaft not in the air.
4:00AM (UK) LOCATOR SIGNALS FROM MISSING AIRCRAFT DETECTED SAYS VIETNAMESE AIR CONTROL AUTHORITIES
Malaysia Airlines FLIGHT MH370
Emergency Telephone for Relatives
+ 603 7884 1234
Malaysia Airlines are reporting that flight MH370 carrying 239 people bound for Beijing "air traffic control has lost contact over the South China Sea"
Local sources claim that it has not landed in Chinese airspace, and that weather conditions in the area are good. Usually aircraft will constantly squawk an identification code, which is read by air traffic controllers along the filed flightplan route.
Local sources claim that it has not landed in Chinese airspace, and that weather conditions in the area are good. Usually aircraft will constantly squawk an identification code, which is read by air traffic controllers along the filed flightplan route.
The state-owned carrier said the Boeing 777-200 disappeared from radar screens and voice contact lost at 2.40am local time.
The aircraft left Kuala Lumpur around midnight, and was due to arrive at Beijing Airport at 6.30am local time.
Malaysia Airlines has issued a statement and an emergency phone number for relatives of the passengers on board to contact in addition, specialist airline staff are in the process of contacting next of kin. An emergency landing has not been ruled out, and the situation could change at any time.
The initial statement read : "The flight is carrying a total number of 227 passengers (including two infants), 12 crew members. The passengers are of 13 different nationalities." Local sources say these include 153 Chinese, 7 Australians, 3 French & 4 USA nationals booked on board.
The passengers come from:
- China - 153, including one infant
- Malaysia - 38
- Indonesia - 12
- Australia - seven
- France - three
- United States - four, including one infant
- New Zealand - two
- Ukraine - two
- Canada - two
- Russia - one
- Italy - one
- Taiwan - one
- Netherlands - one
- Austria - one
The carrier said it was working with all the authorities, they in turn have activated major incident protocols and assembled search and rescue teams to help locate the passengers and aircraft.
Airline staff are also directly contacting next-of-kin of the passengers and crew.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members," Malaysia Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya has said.
The airline said it would be providing "regular updates" and has set up emergency telephone lines on + 603 7884 1234 for relatives of those persons on the flight manifest, to contact the airline.
The airline operates 15 Boeing 777-200 Fly by wire Aircraft. Passenger seating capacity is 282. Power is from Rolls Royce Trent 892, turbofan jets.
The aircraft carries robust self powered emergency locator beacons which would automatically activate if the aircraft had to ditch at sea, but so far no signals detected.
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JULIAN BRAY, broadcaster & Journalist, Media, Aviation, & Travel Expert. Broadcaster & Journalist EQUITY Member NUJ Life Mbr. UK Tel: 01733 345581 (isdn link on application)
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