The mystery and tragedy that surrounds the disappearance of a Malaysian jetliner early Saturday is a story that makes you want to look away, but somehow you just can’t help but stare.
The MH370 flight was en route from Malaysia to China when it suddenly disappeared from radars and was officially deemed “missing” from the knowledge of airline officials. More than half of the 239 people on board were Chinese citizens.
Political tie-ups prevent any one country from spearheading the investigation. When the plane is found on land or in the sea, the government of said land or sea will take charge. In the meantime, efforts by multiple countries are sending about 34 planes and 40 ships in hopes of making some major reconnaissance progress.
At least two passports used to board this flight were listed as stolen in the Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database. They are identified as Austrian and Italian documents. Many wonder how these two passengers boarded the plane originally, and it may not be too far of a jump to figure that those two passengers using stolen passports had something to do with the disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines aircraft.
The plot thickens due to reports that the aircraft may have deviated from its original route. However, there are no signs that this change in route came from distress. This leads experts to suspect foul play. Therefore, speculation ensues: Was the plane hijacked? Did the plane malfunction, or did it crash? Did it land safely? Are there any survivors? But the biggest question at the moment seems to be: Where in the world is this jetliner? Investigators are also looking into their radar readings, which involved the plane turning around on course before it disappeared.
No official sightings of the plane have been recorded — although users across various social media platforms have claimed debris sightings. After two days of searching, authorities haven’t turned over any wreckage from the plane, according to The New York Times.
It is by no fault of any one party, but it seems archaic that in 2014 we cannot locate a missing plane. Man’s control sometimes falls through. After the horror of Sept. 11, the U.S. tightened its belt and increased security regulations for boarding planes. Since then, the U.S. government has added more Federal Air Marshals aboard some domestic and international flights in order to prevent potential hostile threats. An additional safety precaution on planes includes the locking of cockpits to prevent unwanted entry. Such precautions are not confirmed to have been used on the Malaysian Airlines flight.
It is a shame that something tragic must happen before new safety measures are taken. We unfortunately do not have enough foresight to prevent these tragedies in the first place.
To this end, the friends and families of the passengers on flight MH370 are growing frustrated with the lack of information. The story is not black and white. There are many facets to the mystery of how the plane disappeared from radars. Whatever the case, my hopes and prayers go out to those who have been affected.
[Rachel Kalisher is a UF anthropology and classics junior. Her columns appear on Tuesdays. A version of this column ran on page 7 on 3/11/2014 under the headline "Where in the world is the mysteriously missing Malaysian jetliner?"]
