Missing Malaysia Air plane

[KenAdams]

It's so sad. They still haven't found anything, but thinks it's crashed into the sea.

For anyone that hasn't heard

[Beaverfeaver]

Terrible news.

Hope there might be some survivors at the very least

[Ninehoursahead]

It's awful. I'm in Oz and it's been on the news all day. There were a few Australians and kiwis on board. :(

[Cerisier]

I'm in Singapore. This is terrible news. KL and Beijing are such popular places to visit and the airline is well respected. I hope there is some news soon.

[tess73]

Oh that is awful, you don't think a plane can just go missing on that kind of route, it's not like it was flying over the Atlantic / pacific.

[Onesleeptillwembley]

I agree. Odd for it yo just disappear. I've flown that route a couple of times. It brings it home to you. Poor people.

[Onesleeptillwembley]

Sorry, not insinuating a conspiracy or anything similar, just agreeing with Tess.

[WildThong]

Terrible scenes on the news of microphones, cameras and smartphones being pushed in the face of a crying woman.

[KenAdams]

It didn't even give a de stress signal. People are making comparisons with the 2009 Air France crash.

[EnlightenedOwl]

News reporting that planes flying over are seeing oil slicks on sea surface does sound like an oceanic disaster unfortunately similar to the Air France accident.

[TheOneWithTheNicestSmile]

\link{http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2576087/Malaysia-Airlines-says-plane-missing.html\at least one passenger was travelling on a false passport} (link is DM, sorry)

that doesn't sound good

[ShredMeJillianIWantToBeNatalie]

I'm really not seeing what photographs of crying distressed relatives are adding to my understanding of this story, I agree WildThong. Horrible situation, those poor people.

[usuallyright]

speculation on the internet that it could've been a bomb, as it went off radar very quickly with no communication from the pilots. If it is terrorism, which group and why?

[usuallyright]

adding to the terrorist angle, 2 passengers were using stolen passports.

[HellonHeels]

I'm not clicking a DM link but really how the hell do they know someone was travelling on a fake passport?

[usuallyright]

Apparently one of the names on the list was an italian man who reported his passport stolen last year.

[EnlightenedOwl]

Because a guy listed as being on on the passenger manifest told his parents don't panic I'm not on the plane.
He had his passport stolen in August.
So the conclusion is someone was travelling as him.

[meditrina]

Two people using stolen passports points to criminals on board, not necessarily terrorism.

[EnlightenedOwl]

It sounds a very similar situation to the Air France disaster in 2009 and that was not terrorist related.Could be many causes for this.

[FrankelInFoal]

The BBC are also reporting that two passengers were using stolen passports - 1 Italian and 1 Austrian.

One possibility I've heard is, given the number of Chinese nationals on board, that the group that carried out the stabbings at a Chinese train station the other week could be involved. Another, and potentially far worse, scenario is that North Korea are involved. They have form for test firing missiles without telling anyone.

It could also just be a tragic accident, as with so many of these things.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Whilst I hate speculation it is natural and Frankels point about North Korea is true bbc report from 2 days ago

[FrankelInFoal]

Thanks BadKitten, I knew there had been something in the news recently. Fingers crossed it is all pure speculation.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I really hope so. I don't think they would deliberately target a plane consisting of mostly Chinese nationals.

[EdithWeston]

That article refers to incidents close to North Korea. I can't think of any incidents where they have acted aggressively so far away from its own airspace.

Unless wreckage is found (and reports suggest that they're examining floating oil S of Vietnam), it's not going to be possible to do much more than speculate about cause. The basic possibilities are: a) catastrophic mechanical function, b) 'natural causes' (lightning, bird strike) c) terrorist action d) hostile act such as missile.

It's just horrible for the families, and two families who have no idea that their loved one used someone else's id.

[NotDavidTennant]

The plane was nowhere near North Korea.