A few days ago, Netflix released a show about the disappearance of MH370. I just got done watching this series, so I wanted to first recap the basics, and then share my take, as I have mixed feelings.
In this post:
Netflix show about disappearance of MH370
Arguably the greatest mystery in modern aviation is the disappearance of flight MH370. In March 2014, a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 with 239 people onboard went missing while enroute from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. This has been the source of a lot of theories and speculation over the years, and a new Netflix show is tackling that topic once again.
The “speculative docuseries” was released on March 8, 2023, and contains interviews with family members, scientists, and investigative journalists. This is a three part series:
- The first episode takes a close look into the hours and days following the plane’s disappearance, including what happened when conspiracy theories and false accusations started to spiral out of control
- The second episode discusses how the chances of two aircraft from the same airline crashing just months apart (as MH17 also crashed a few months later) is infinitesimal, causing conspiracy theories to go even further
- The third episode explores how after extensive searches, there are questions of whether the wreckage found off the East African coast is in fact from MH370, as families and some journalists are skeptical
You can see the trailer for yourself below.
My take on Netlix’s MH370 show
Let me start by saying that I like watching just about any sort of crime or mystery show on Netflix, and when there’s an aviation angle, I’m even more interested than usual.
Admittedly one of the challenges with many Netflix documentaries is that they’re painfully drawn out, given that success is measured by minutes watched, rather than total number of viewers. That gives producers a big incentive to make shows longer than they need to be.
With that in mind, I didn’t get bored with this show, and while it was long, it didn’t linger on any one topic for too long, perhaps to a fault.
Let me share a few of my key takeaways…
A lot of air time is given to conspiracy theories
The series definitely gives a lot of attention to MH370 conspiracy theories:
- One theory is that the plane was hijacked by Russians, who entered the electronics bay, took control of the aircraft, and then eventually crashed it, all to distract the world from Russia’s invasion of Crimea
- Another theory is that the plane was shot down by the United States because of the cargo it was carrying to China, after military aircraft disabled MH370’s communications systems
- The series calls into question a lot of the sources of information, like the guy who somehow just randomly finds all the debris in the South Indian Ocean, which sure seems a bit suspicious; there are questions of what his links are to Russia
The problem is, all these theories are presented, but they all seem a little half baked in terms of the details that are shared. In other words, they walk through the possible scenarios, without actually addressing a lot of the logical follow-up questions people would have.
Are these theories really that outlandish?
A lot of people are calling this series reckless, and are saying it gives way too much air time to conspiracy theories. I totally get that, but honestly, is the prevailing theory about what happened any less wild?
That theory is that the captain essentially hijacked the plane, depressurized the cabin to kill everyone onboard, tried to evade radar by making some turns, and then flew the 777 for six to seven hours until it ran out of fuel. I’m not saying that couldn’t have happened (and I agree that it’s the most likely theory), but isn’t this objectively totally preposterous, and even unsubstantiated?
We’ve seen some pilots commit murder-suicide before, but typically they just fly the plane into the ground. Are we to believe that the captain made a huge game of this, flying the plane for hours and hours in order to never be found again? And if the captain really viewed this as a game (which would make him a very sick human being), wouldn’t he have made even more of a game of this, and left some interesting notes or hints? Wouldn’t there have been some reasonable theory as to his motives?
With almost every other pilot suicide we’ve seen, there has been a very clear trail of what lead to that, from bankruptcy, to life insurance policies, to a history of depression. That’s really not the case here.
My point is that there’s literally no evidence pointing to the captain having done this, and I don’t think anyone can honestly argue that this is definitively what happened, beyond a reasonable doubt. In other words, conspiracy theories aren’t as wild as they’d otherwise be when the prevailing belief about the incident also sounds a whole lot like a conspiracy theory.
For that reason, I was also disappointed that the series didn’t spend more time covering the theory about the pilot. How much time was collectively spent talking about the captain’s background? Maybe a minute? I feel like that’s a real missed opportunity…
There are some characters on the show
I appreciated the wide variety of people who were interviewed for the show, from families of the victims, to aircraft accident investigators. However, there are also a lot of more questionable characters being interviewed. I think perhaps they’re overly being presented as experts, when in reality they’re more along the lines of Facebook sleuths (which, there’s value to that, but…).
There were definitely some interviews in the series that I think are worth taking with a grain of salt. I wish there had been more questions with the actual experts (experienced 777 captains, the aircraft accident investigator, etc.), to hash out how exactly the captain could have done this.
Bottom line
A new Netflix series about the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has now been released. I just finished watching this, and it was certainly a captivating show to watch. However, just be aware that it spends a lot of time focused on conspiracy theories, while many of the obvious flaws with these theories aren’t addressed.
Then again, when there really is no evidence, and when the prevailing theory is that this was a mass murder-suicide with no evidence, is there anything that shouldn’t be examined?
Are you going to be watching this show about MH370? If you have the chance to watch, please share your thoughts!
Also, the area where MH370 supposedly crashed in the Indian Ocean is conveniently close to Australia(an American Ally) and literally nothing else.
I watched this documentary a few days ago for the 10th anniversary of the dissaperance, and I thought it was mostly pretty good. However, it did seem like the two main people were somewhat racist. The American dude convinced himself that the Russians must have done it, and the French lady convinced herself that the Americans must have done it. Personally, I think the first and final theory are the only two theories out there...
I watched this documentary a few days ago for the 10th anniversary of the dissaperance, and I thought it was mostly pretty good. However, it did seem like the two main people were somewhat racist. The American dude convinced himself that the Russians must have done it, and the French lady convinced herself that the Americans must have done it. Personally, I think the first and final theory are the only two theories out there that are within the realm of plausibility. It’s doesn’t really make sense for the pilot to take the plane all the way out to the end of its range, and without considering the washed up debris the rest of the evidence seems very flimsy. For example, even if he did fly the simulator on that path, for all we know he started flying nowhere in particular and just randomly clicked the south Indian Ocean for fun. And the posible motives for his suicide mostly were things that happened just a few days before the incident, but he was supposedly planning it for a month. I think that the shoot down theory makes more sense except that it would have been awfully hard to keep that many people quiet, especially on such a high profile case.
I have to say that I agree with the french Journalist. If this plane really did a U turn and flew over Butterworth, jets would have been scrambled. According to official reports it flew through numerous airspaces. It's absolute bullshit to say that nobody knows what happened to that flight. Someone would have been tracking it (leaving Immarsat out of it).
If we are to believe the official reports, no one had tracked this plane...
I have to say that I agree with the french Journalist. If this plane really did a U turn and flew over Butterworth, jets would have been scrambled. According to official reports it flew through numerous airspaces. It's absolute bullshit to say that nobody knows what happened to that flight. Someone would have been tracking it (leaving Immarsat out of it).
If we are to believe the official reports, no one had tracked this plane that would have been visible on numerous military tracking devices, in fact, three of them; the Americans, the Australians and the Malaysians.
A woman finds debris in the south china sea and nobody investigates it.
So, sticking to the facts, here it is:
1. The plane was not tracked or intercepted by any military personnel, despite the planning flying over Butterworth, near Garcia Diego and through Malaysian military radar; or no one claimed to;
2. Debris located in the South China Sea on satellite imagery was not investigated. The lady claimed she was ignored, therefore no one had confirmed to her that they checked the site of the debris.
3. The plane had 2 tonnes of mystery cargo bound for Bejing.
4. The plane's transponder went off.
My conclusion, it reaks of a military operation.
The captain’s wife and kids had actually left him the day before and he had a history of depression.
Those around him said he had been acting quiet and off in the day leading up but thought nothing of it
I literally cannot believe the credence you have given this 'documentary' - frankly, more of a mockumentary in the Spinal Tap vein. It is reckless, irresponsible - and gives far too much time to grandiose, self-satisfied, and self-indulgent conspiracists. This show makes the Harry and Meghan doc seem like cutting edge journalism in comparison. But wait, a woman in a Florida tract-home has cracked the case wide-open but no one will listen! That's because they...
I literally cannot believe the credence you have given this 'documentary' - frankly, more of a mockumentary in the Spinal Tap vein. It is reckless, irresponsible - and gives far too much time to grandiose, self-satisfied, and self-indulgent conspiracists. This show makes the Harry and Meghan doc seem like cutting edge journalism in comparison. But wait, a woman in a Florida tract-home has cracked the case wide-open but no one will listen! That's because they are listening to an "aviation journalist" with a crackpot theory (or 2) and a book to sell. And the one supposedly real journalist - from Le Monde no less - she thinks by simply repeating her opinions and conjecture, well, that's proof enough. Her super-secret source (recreated as an underground parking meet-up straight out some B novel) claims it's The Americans! I mean the French always blame the Americans, don't they? Because, AWACS! The acronym alone suggest nefarious involvement, doesn't it? Oh yes she is selling a book too.
Seriously, they should let the adults get on with the hard work of solving this. As for the families of the victims - their anguish is understandable but in an age of Google and social media where an answer to 'everything' is but a click away - sadly, sometimes it isn't.
My biggest gripe is that there was a major section in each of the three episodes with a man who lost his wife and kids. I was interested in what he had to say and for some reason, all of his interviews are in French (with NO subtitles in English). We even tried to put subtitles on- to no avail. Also same for a Chinese man’s interview. Total waste of important interviews. Whoever edited this series; you messed up huge by not translating to English
French man appeared sad
His eyes spoke
Of anguish
Pain
I heard his heart without knowing lFrench language
Kristie, Kristie, Kristie...you don't speak French? I'm shocked! Just kidding...we had subtitles on our feed.
As Robin Williams once said, "Some things are not meant to be known...such as, 'How does Venus de Milo hitchhike?'"
Or, How did a reply go to Tony when I clearly intended it for Kristie. Oops.
Yes, the Frenchman was clearly bereft and understandably so.
There were definitely subtitles for all non-English interviews! Must have been turned off or cut off by picture size.
I also saw subtitles for all non-english.
One thing that stood out to me was on the final communication the pilot did not repeat the Vietnam ATC frequency he was being handed over to. Not sure how common this is, but it would be interesting to review this pilots historical communications to see if he typically repeated them or not. That might show his state of mind.
Kudos to you for taking notice of this "discrepancy." It is standard practice to read back any "air traffic control" instructions...including radio frequency change overs, to ensure an accurate handoff. Whether this lapse might provide any insight into a pilot's "state or mind" I leave to professionals in another field.
The woman who was a photographer and had an eye for detail was showing on her computer debris scattered off the coast of Vietnam. Why wasn't that investigated? They showed her in the beginning episode and in the last episode but I don't think they gave explanation of that debris. Did I miss something?
Hi, Lynn. I, too, was (initially at least) somewhat surprised when Ms. "satellite screen shot uber detective's" analysis was dropped as suddenly as a hot potato...though Netflix did a brief reprise toward the end. I attribute the shift to the fact that the aircraft's satellite "pings" (the only communication system not readily disabled) continued (at intervals) for 6 more hours. Hard to send such signals if you're already deep sixed and conversing with Neptune.
The last two postings have convinced me that I have it all wrong. The Earth is flat, and the aircraft obviously flew past the edge and dropped off into the void...never too be found.
Good one
The most outlandish theory is that the captain flew such an outlandish route to commit suicide. I personally don't think that the plane is in the South Atlantic off the Australian coast, no matter what the Inmarsat "pings" said. This information is easy for a government agency to create. I also agree that the "debris" found is too convenient and also can't definitively be confirmed to be from MH370. I am 100% convinced that a...
The most outlandish theory is that the captain flew such an outlandish route to commit suicide. I personally don't think that the plane is in the South Atlantic off the Australian coast, no matter what the Inmarsat "pings" said. This information is easy for a government agency to create. I also agree that the "debris" found is too convenient and also can't definitively be confirmed to be from MH370. I am 100% convinced that a government is involved in the downing and that all the "information" that we've been given is a distraction. Fact is that there was a group of software engineers on board on their way to China. Fact is that the were two Iranians under false passports on board and fact is that for the captain to have flown to the South Atlantic, the Air Forces of several nations would have had to ignore this plane - which was not then not flying a standard route - and these militaries would have known that. Put the then Presidents of Malaysia, China and the USA on a lie detector test and I am 100% convinced that it will show that at least one, if not all, is not telling the truth.
The true is, this case is never going to be resolve. In my opinion I don't think it was mass suicide. With the enormous technology these days doesn't matter how huge and how deep the ocean is. After years of search they should found something somewhere. Someone with a lot of power is behind these mystery. I don't believe a plane can disappear these days anywhere in the world without zero track evidence. It's just impossible to believe.
As a retired B-777 Captain I naturally have a deep interest in this unfortunate event. With regard to the theory that the aircraft was deliberately directed towards the southern Indian Ocean (after the initial convoluted flight path) and people wondering how or why the Captain would continue to fly for 6 hours awaiting fuel exhaustion, keep in mind that the plane was likely on autopilot (the normal mode of operation once airborne), with "altitude hold"...
As a retired B-777 Captain I naturally have a deep interest in this unfortunate event. With regard to the theory that the aircraft was deliberately directed towards the southern Indian Ocean (after the initial convoluted flight path) and people wondering how or why the Captain would continue to fly for 6 hours awaiting fuel exhaustion, keep in mind that the plane was likely on autopilot (the normal mode of operation once airborne), with "altitude hold" and "auto throttles" engaged. It's a simple matter to activate "heading select" and dial in 180 degrees. The aircraft will maintain that heading indefinitely. Assuming that the cabin (and cockpit as a consequence) had in fact been purposely depressurized, everyone aft of the cockpit door would have used up their available oxygen supply and expired. Knowing that the aircraft would continue on to the desired vast and empty ocean to the south, the Captain would have no need to continue any further action, would simply remove his crew oxygen mask...even the more robust cockpit supply would run out before engine(s) flame out occurred...and silently and painlessly nod off and expire.
So yes, I lean toward "theory one."
J.H.
Could not a catastrophic failure of plan
Lead to
Attempt by pilot to turn back
And same series of events
Nonfunctional electronics leading to
pilot not being able to communicate..
I am a retired physician, not a pilot
So want expert opinion from you. Thanks
Thoughts?
Hi, Tony. It's been 17 years since my "official" retirement flight from Tokyo to Atlanta, though I (and others) was/were asked to come back for 3 months to ensure a full flying schedule while replacement pilots were being trained on the 777. My actual final landing was in Paris. I bring this chronology up solely in the interest of "full disclosure," meaning that my current grasp of the 777 systems has had more than enough...
Hi, Tony. It's been 17 years since my "official" retirement flight from Tokyo to Atlanta, though I (and others) was/were asked to come back for 3 months to ensure a full flying schedule while replacement pilots were being trained on the 777. My actual final landing was in Paris. I bring this chronology up solely in the interest of "full disclosure," meaning that my current grasp of the 777 systems has had more than enough time to gather a few cobwebs. Nonetheless I retain sufficient knowledge of the aircraft's architecture to assure you that complete inability to "communicate" with the outside world would be extremely unlikely...unless it was a deliberate choice. There are multiple options powered by multiple independent sources.
Why there is no consideration nor any suggestion that it might have been the copilot?
I can’t believe Netflix published this. The preposterous theories expressed are obviously wrong, for anyone with half a brain. Reminds me of the 9/11 conspiracies. The only thing I learned is how many people are willing to aggrandize themselves at the expense of the victims’ families, and how obvious facts can be successfully twisted in our new Information Age. In other words, the implications of this documentary are about as disturbing as the loss of...
I can’t believe Netflix published this. The preposterous theories expressed are obviously wrong, for anyone with half a brain. Reminds me of the 9/11 conspiracies. The only thing I learned is how many people are willing to aggrandize themselves at the expense of the victims’ families, and how obvious facts can be successfully twisted in our new Information Age. In other words, the implications of this documentary are about as disturbing as the loss of the plane itself.
Why shouldn't Netflix publish this?
They are a for profit company selling content. No different than CNN ,FOX, or Hollywood. As long as there are viewers, trash is still making them money at your expense of time.
Avatar 2 is trash (a good looking trash) and I spent $30 to see trash in 3D.
Network news are mostly propaganda trash but its fun to waste time to see politicians trash talk.
...
Why shouldn't Netflix publish this?
They are a for profit company selling content. No different than CNN ,FOX, or Hollywood. As long as there are viewers, trash is still making them money at your expense of time.
Avatar 2 is trash (a good looking trash) and I spent $30 to see trash in 3D.
Network news are mostly propaganda trash but its fun to waste time to see politicians trash talk.
George Santos is like those limited time special trash that is more fun than Avatar 2 in 3D.
Your rant is no different than complaining about contents on TikTok Twitter Facebook, etc.
Just like news networks, they keep pushing trash to people who wanted to hear those trash because people still pay to get addicted to their favorite propaganda trash.
Point taken.
Thanks
I watched the series and agree with most comments here, about how silly the French reporter came across. I too found it very unusual that it went off course and no one saw it, in a very heavily watched area of the world. I do not think the pilot did it, sure some things point to him, but the series should have debunked or affirmed the theories more. So sad for the 239 souls lost and their families.
The best example of "I too found it very unusual that it went off course and no one saw it, in a very heavily watched area of the world."
See: Chinese (alleged) weather balloon not being shot down until it reached the east coast.
Seven years ago, in Montenegro, at a friend's daughter's wedding, I am seated with a French married couple: She the only former Concorde lady pilot (now on A350), he the Head of Security (he still is) at a very large airline, bla bla bla.... (not difficult to guess).
The topic came on MH370: His unequivocal reply, which I tend to agree with:
" I Do not know, but one thing I can guarantee is that there are people who do".
Does this morph into a conspiracy theory?
At least 239 people knew about it. We just couldn't locate them yet.
Actually, more likely than not, the passengers never knew what hit (or didn't) them.
I'm not sure how it works in France, but in America, knowing what hit them even for a split second can mean millions in pain and suffering. I can't think of a clean and sudden death on a flying 777 unless the entire plane incinerated by a very powerful explosion.
Haven't the maintenance records showed work on pressurization system prior to take-off????-per recent reporting.
Wow!
The reason that MH370 has not been found is that the relevant data from the flight voice recorder and the flight data recorder is not available. With modern encryption techniques streaming the encrypted data to a land based storage server and keys (passwords, pass phrases and the like) stored in a third country that takes data security seriously and releases them when all involved parties agree, such information should have been available within days if...
The reason that MH370 has not been found is that the relevant data from the flight voice recorder and the flight data recorder is not available. With modern encryption techniques streaming the encrypted data to a land based storage server and keys (passwords, pass phrases and the like) stored in a third country that takes data security seriously and releases them when all involved parties agree, such information should have been available within days if not hours. Upon finding the wreckage, recreating the situation would stop the rampant speculation. Malaysia's government interference in uncovering the flight path certainly caused problems but I'm not sure that if it had been 100 percent transparent from the beginning that anything would have changed.
And like I am saying on all the accident posts, all the technology is already here.
Dinosaurs are not making them mandatory.
Good point
Boeing asked for additional money
For additional sensors
And airlines avoid
Non mandated accessories
That may come handy in such unfortunate turn of events
I enjoyed watching the show. A character mentioned that Jeff and Florence and another character ignored the evidence. Given the obviously suspicious circumstances and situations, the evidence could have been faked. The show merely documented what actually transpired and happened. The accusation against the pilot was actually made, but it was a mere accusation and not proven, hence he is innocent. Yes, maybe he should not have been accused in the first place given the...
I enjoyed watching the show. A character mentioned that Jeff and Florence and another character ignored the evidence. Given the obviously suspicious circumstances and situations, the evidence could have been faked. The show merely documented what actually transpired and happened. The accusation against the pilot was actually made, but it was a mere accusation and not proven, hence he is innocent. Yes, maybe he should not have been accused in the first place given the lack of evidence but the accusation actually took place. Netflix debunked the theory, so that's that.
It was cartoonish. Jeff Wise and every French National come off as ludicrous charlatans.
Thanks for the heads up about it. I'll be sure to skip it. Netflix content in the last couple of years is just dwindling in quality and it sounds like this is just the latest example of that. I did see an actual factual show I think on Prime about MH 370 and it was good. It didn't go into any dramatic conspiracy theories. I'd recommend checking that one out.
It almost sounds like...
Thanks for the heads up about it. I'll be sure to skip it. Netflix content in the last couple of years is just dwindling in quality and it sounds like this is just the latest example of that. I did see an actual factual show I think on Prime about MH 370 and it was good. It didn't go into any dramatic conspiracy theories. I'd recommend checking that one out.
It almost sounds like Netflix is just trying to make this in to some cheap drama instead of actually investigative and remembering the people who are gone which is the most unfortunate thing of all.
The closest , and not that close , parrallel is the Hellas 522 crash.
Unfortunately I think much of the blaming of the Captain is xenophobic in nature.
Very much possible
And easy scapegoat
All theory is possible, what made me laugh so hard are the absurd stuff to back those theories.
1.The Pilot? Unless timing is critical, why don't he do it on flights to Europe no hassle of backtrack flying.
2.The Hijack? C'mon they're not that sophisticated to leave no trace. Heck, they probably admit and don't give AF.
3.The Intercept? If it was some tech espionage, we would have seen many more mysterious...
All theory is possible, what made me laugh so hard are the absurd stuff to back those theories.
1.The Pilot? Unless timing is critical, why don't he do it on flights to Europe no hassle of backtrack flying.
2.The Hijack? C'mon they're not that sophisticated to leave no trace. Heck, they probably admit and don't give AF.
3.The Intercept? If it was some tech espionage, we would have seen many more mysterious accidents. And China would be smarter than that to be transporting them on MH and not CA.
I'm still laughing the hardest about the super AWACS that journalist (disgrace to Le Monde, better fit at National Enquirer) and her 'air force source' believe in. If the E-3 can spy, jam, and shoot, we don't even need F-22s or F-35s. This GOAT can win any battle.
I don't get your #1 take, he is flying to Beijing from Malaysia. There is no Europe involved in this flight. If you mean other flights, I am not sure why convenience should be a factor for someone who is commutting suicide.
One thing for certain, whoever did this had control of the plane and was able to fly it certain specific paths before straight down the Indian Ocean based on the military radar and imersat satellite data.
I feel like the producers could have also brought in experts to debunk some of the theories, or at least cast some doubt.
Like the theory of commandeering the avionics bay. Can a 777 really be flown, essentially blind, from the avionics bay alone? It sounds rather dubious, but surely a pilot or maintenance worker could have been brought in to shed some light for us laymen.
And the depressurization of the cabin. I...
I feel like the producers could have also brought in experts to debunk some of the theories, or at least cast some doubt.
Like the theory of commandeering the avionics bay. Can a 777 really be flown, essentially blind, from the avionics bay alone? It sounds rather dubious, but surely a pilot or maintenance worker could have been brought in to shed some light for us laymen.
And the depressurization of the cabin. I understand the pilots have this capability, but is it really that easy as just flipping a switch? I would hope there are more failsafes in place.
Excellent point
The idea that no one picked it up just idly flying over countries in a reasonable heated area of the world has always surprised me.
Is the whole free entry into the electronics bay a fact? Aside from mh370s fate, I found that a pretty unusual thing to learn.
The problem with long documentaries is that they focus on dramatic outcomes to keep the audience interested. The pilot could have noticed a mechanical problem, turned the airplane around, and passed out. The plane flew on until it ran out of fuel. That wouldn't get much viewership interest. Flying over military bases or areas without ground radar might sound evasive (in a dramatic version of the story) or they could be every day occurrences in...
The problem with long documentaries is that they focus on dramatic outcomes to keep the audience interested. The pilot could have noticed a mechanical problem, turned the airplane around, and passed out. The plane flew on until it ran out of fuel. That wouldn't get much viewership interest. Flying over military bases or areas without ground radar might sound evasive (in a dramatic version of the story) or they could be every day occurrences in a fact based mundane story.
Totally agree
And
I feel
This is what would likely have happened
I am quite sure that this was pilot suicide. The pilot just had his wife leaving him. And do not forget that the day before MH370 went missing, the opposition leader of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, was given a long prison sentence, in a court case that the pilot watched closely. He even went to some of the hearings in person. The pilot was a friend of Anwar Ibrahim and I think he hijacked the plane...
I am quite sure that this was pilot suicide. The pilot just had his wife leaving him. And do not forget that the day before MH370 went missing, the opposition leader of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, was given a long prison sentence, in a court case that the pilot watched closely. He even went to some of the hearings in person. The pilot was a friend of Anwar Ibrahim and I think he hijacked the plane in the first place, but then decided to crash it. I think the Malaysian government and the Malaysian army is hiding something.
How many men
Would commit suicide
If
Their cousin
Got arrested?
Must be a deep love with their cousin
"Arguably"? Is there another missing without a trace aircraft in modern aviation?
MH370 had traces of debris.
Same did AF447 for a few years.
And depending on what you call modern aviation, DB Cooper and PIA 404 were some example that comes to mind which was also missing without a trace.
"Arguably" you are just like the wackos in this Netflix docu cash grab who want to believe what you want to believe. There are numerous events without a trace, this one happen to get the...
MH370 had traces of debris.
Same did AF447 for a few years.
And depending on what you call modern aviation, DB Cooper and PIA 404 were some example that comes to mind which was also missing without a trace.
"Arguably" you are just like the wackos in this Netflix docu cash grab who want to believe what you want to believe. There are numerous events without a trace, this one happen to get the most attention thanks to the 'internet'. Had MH370 disappear in 1960s it would have been a lot different.
DB Cooper (or his body) hasn't been discovered, but some of the cash he was given was found.
There is circumstantial evidence for the pilot suicide theory though no smoking gun.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/missing-malaysia-airlines-pilot-terribly-upset-by-marriage-breakup-20140326-zqn4p.html
There are reports that he was going through a divorce and was a shell of himself. The obvious caveat here is that many people get divorced and don't commit mass murder suicide. Furthermore, investigators found that on his home flight simulator he was flying routes over the remote part of the Indian Ocean, where many believe the plane ended up. As...
There is circumstantial evidence for the pilot suicide theory though no smoking gun.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/missing-malaysia-airlines-pilot-terribly-upset-by-marriage-breakup-20140326-zqn4p.html
There are reports that he was going through a divorce and was a shell of himself. The obvious caveat here is that many people get divorced and don't commit mass murder suicide. Furthermore, investigators found that on his home flight simulator he was flying routes over the remote part of the Indian Ocean, where many believe the plane ended up. As I said already it is more circumstantial.
Personally I found the bit about him depressurizing the cabin to suffocate the passengers pure conjecture. There is no proof of that.
We'll likely never know what happened to the plane which is heartbreaking for those affected by it. The families of the victims deserve closure.
Sad
But possible
I think the theory that the military (US or other) shot it down and covered it up makes a lot of sense. The plane went dark and flew over an airbase, very likely anyone would shoot it down given the situation! Let’s also remember the US shot down an Iranian airliner so it would not be the first time. While I agree it sounds crazy it’s just as probable as the current leading theory.
Cover what up?
The basics of cover up is a cover story, think 'weather' balloons. The worst kind of cover up is a loose end. Having no conclusion is a loose end.
Comparing with IR655, mistaken for a military plane, with MH370 a commercial airliner, is just ignorant. Even when the Russians down KAL007 they were assuming the 747 was on a military mission.
And if shooting down a civilian airliner to...
Cover what up?
The basics of cover up is a cover story, think 'weather' balloons. The worst kind of cover up is a loose end. Having no conclusion is a loose end.
Comparing with IR655, mistaken for a military plane, with MH370 a commercial airliner, is just ignorant. Even when the Russians down KAL007 they were assuming the 747 was on a military mission.
And if shooting down a civilian airliner to protect military secrets, we would have much more airlines shot down.
Besides, if China is smuggling something, why not on Air China who also flies that route, or kept quite when they had a chance to blast the west.
It sounds crazy because it is crazy.
That theory makes no sense given the facts we have. The plane communications stop over south China sea and turned around back and passed over the said Australian airbase and continue to fly for hours up the Malaka Straight and then yet turn around again down the Indian Ocean based on imersat satellite ping data. When during this journey did the plane got shot down? And why? If the American knew about the secret cargo,...
That theory makes no sense given the facts we have. The plane communications stop over south China sea and turned around back and passed over the said Australian airbase and continue to fly for hours up the Malaka Straight and then yet turn around again down the Indian Ocean based on imersat satellite ping data. When during this journey did the plane got shot down? And why? If the American knew about the secret cargo, why wait until the plane is in the air and kill all those passengers? The French guy and reporter actually made money and has a book tour about this, kind of disturbing and disgusting to be profiting off such nonsense.
The amount of time devoted to pure speculation is ridiculous. Especially the "Russian agents" theory. Of course we know so little that every theory will involve some speculation, but to spin out a narrative fantasy at that level of detail sounds more like a pitch for a spy thriller than anything grounded in fact. At least they give some airtime to critics, but given how much more credible those critics are, it just begs the...
The amount of time devoted to pure speculation is ridiculous. Especially the "Russian agents" theory. Of course we know so little that every theory will involve some speculation, but to spin out a narrative fantasy at that level of detail sounds more like a pitch for a spy thriller than anything grounded in fact. At least they give some airtime to critics, but given how much more credible those critics are, it just begs the question of giving the theory so much airtime in the first place.
Also, as someone who has been to Kazakhstan, I did not appreciate the shade from a journalist who probably couldn't find it on a map before developing his theory.
That said, I'm a sucker for anything involved aviation + unsolved mysteries, so it's not like I'm not watching this raptly.
The main puzzle that seems to perplex people is the complete disappearance but it shouldn't be. On average one large ship a year also sinks without trace. The Southern ocean is one of the loneliest in the world so it poses immense problems for any searcher. Maybe that was The Plan?
Interesting information about ships
I had to turn it off close to the end of the first episode. The whole thing felt very sensationalist/soap opera like. But the end where the “aviation journalist” (who is presented with zero qualifications as far as I can tell) starts walking through a wildly specific plot without any evidence was enough for me. Complete garbage that doesn’t tell anyone who’s reasonably well read on the subject anything new.
Another three hours that will end by concluding we don't know anything? I have better things to do with my time.
This "documentary" is utter gibberish. Qanon lives on at Netflix. Shameful. They exclude important facts and focus on ridiculous conspiracy claims that are entirely illogical.
I’ll never forget CNNs coverage the day after it “disappeared”. Richard Quest assured us that we would eventually get to the bottom of what happened because no aviation accident has ever been left a perpetual mystery. And yet, here we are. When climate change finally drains the oceans of water, we may get an answer.
I think climate change is unfortunately doing the opposite!
Just saw it. This self-proclaimed "aviation journalist" (Jeff Wise) couldn't have come across much more obnoxious even if he wanted to. Lots of conjectures and all that, but a nice watch to spend an afternoon.
Yeah him, and then the French lady in the 3rd part, were just insufferable.
I'll say this, they at least have more sensible folks pretty much immediately say these "theories" are bunk. But the doc definitely lingers on these theories way more than they should.
I was on a Singapore flight leaving SIN to Beijing that same night. The Malaysian flight left KL about 5 minutes before my scheduled flights departure from SIN with arrivals into PEK scheduled to be around the same time. Was a horrible site landing at PEK and seeing families in the arrival area. Was eerie with how close SIN and KUL are to each other.
Pilot suicide.
Proof?
Honestly, no one has proof of anything on this subject - so clearly it's opinion, which doesn't reqire proof.
It is the most plausible explanation. The captain practiced the diverted route on his flight simulator at home, just consider that as evidence. The other possible explanations proffered in the Netflix series - Russian hijacking, US awacs action, missile strike, etc - are simply beyond bizarre and far-fetched.
Yeah, suicide with a "want to try for the record for longest unpowered glide" on the side is the most plausible explanation from what I've seen.
There will never be any proof even if they found the plane and the black box. It will just confirm the paths that they already know the plane took. Who did it and why, how can that ever be known for sure?
I wonder if they will mention the 20 employees from Freescale that were on the flight. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-airlines-freescale-idUSBREA280T020140309
In all the documentaries I've seen wild speculation occurs, yet the most obvious answer is, who was on the plane, and who benfited from that plane disappearing. The technology and knowhow lost on that flight is massive, yet the press mentions it as a slight inconvenient coincidence. Wake up sheeple! hah.
I wonder if they will mention the 20 employees from Freescale that were on the flight. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-airlines-freescale-idUSBREA280T020140309
In all the documentaries I've seen wild speculation occurs, yet the most obvious answer is, who was on the plane, and who benfited from that plane disappearing. The technology and knowhow lost on that flight is massive, yet the press mentions it as a slight inconvenient coincidence. Wake up sheeple! hah.
Freescale was in the low end IC market... primarily automotive. There was no special knowledge on that flight.
Another wild farfetched theory. If a semi competitor company wants to hurt another company, why should this be the only incident of such murder? If you are willing to kill 200+ innocent people for tech espionage, I think the said people would be willing to do a lot more over the years. Crazy to suggest such a thing.
I was part of the team doing the deep-water searching for the plane in the Indian Ocean. So this will be an interesting series to watch! We'll see how different facts and theories are laid out, versus how much it focuses on the sensationalism of it all.
I was really disappointed in the minimal coverage of the huge search effort by Australia in the remote and very wild southern Indian Ocean. And then by the private company that followed up on a no find, no cost basis. It seemed to me the show was primarily about the conspiracy theories from a couple of journalists, and not the huge multi national effort put into finding the plane.
“ Nowadays a cheap AirTag can track your bag anywhere in the world”
Anywhere with network connected Apple Bluetooth devices nearby. Wouldn’t help in an MH370 ocean crash situation.
In-flight wifi?
All of the electronics were disabled. So In-flight WiFi included.
I wonder what the “too soon” pearl clutchers in this thread think about Titanic? Emotions still raw for jack’s great great grabs nephew.
In general I refuse to watch "true crime" and similar shows because it's 20% facts from the wikipedia page and 80% baseless speculation set to an eerie soundtrack.
Having watched it you were absolutely on the money with this prediction
As long as it actually talks about the disappearance, reliable sources, and family interviews, it will be a good show to watch. If on the other hand, it's like a BBC documentary with a British over voice asking questions: 'but did they? Was it? Etc..., panning of locations, and local background music, I'm out. I don't need the series to be more questions than answers. Those BBC documentaries are at best a good time waster, at most, an insult to injury.
Hard pass. I'm from Malaysia and some of my friends family members were on that flight (and some on MH17). Netflix is profiting off this tragedy way too soon. Family members are still grappling with this and this is what netflix does? Shame.
This was the first thought I had. Netflix's calculation was clearly [audience > aggrieved], so let's make some money.
PS - I'm sorry about your loss. That's absolutely horrible. :(
LOL Mike. 1: It's been NINE (9) YEARS! 2: Netflix is literally THE LAST place to do something on this and the FIRST as far as I've seen to have actually Family Members interviewed & involved to share there feelings/concerns. The more light that is shined on this, the more likely the families are able to get real closure.
Agree. Speculation. It’s the 21st century version of circus freak shows.
So families are sceptical about the aircraft wreckage? I’m sure they all have their own theories, each more bizarre and implausible than the last.
This will be another sensationalist, unbalanced hit-job, like the one they ran on Woody Allen.
How long should they wait Mike?
What about a documentary on the extinction of the dinosaurs? Too soon?
are you really comparing an event that took place 9 years ago to an event that happened 65 million years ago? Can't tell if you're really that thick.
Sorry I must have missed the ceremony where “Owen” was designated arbitrator of society?
Please. What other random rules do I need to be aware of to not offend your sensibilities?
So all the media networks, news, radio, blogs didn't profit from this tragedy hours after MH370 disappear?
How innocent and naive.
Or was it the powerful censorship in Malaysia that made you feel no one was profiting from MH370.
It is very sad to date we have not had any news in regard to the disappearance of MH370 especially the innocent people and crew on board. What amazes me in this modern digital world we still dont know where it disappeared.
I hope and pray that there will be some answers in detecting the whereabouts in due course. May Peace prevail in finding a closure to this mystery with the screening on March 8, 2023 in Netfix.
Well, nobody cares. The corrupt Malaysian Government just wants it to make it disappear.
The big issue I have with Netflix documentaries is that Netflix measures success by watched minutes, not how many people watch an episode. This motivates the producers to make content as long as possible, hence why we see so many documentaries with 4 x 50 - 60 minute episodes to tell a story that could and should have easily been one feature of under 90 minutes. Where the documentary is produced for Netflix, it doesn't...
The big issue I have with Netflix documentaries is that Netflix measures success by watched minutes, not how many people watch an episode. This motivates the producers to make content as long as possible, hence why we see so many documentaries with 4 x 50 - 60 minute episodes to tell a story that could and should have easily been one feature of under 90 minutes. Where the documentary is produced for Netflix, it doesn't need to fit neatly into a commercial television schedule so epsidoes can be 43, 50, or 60+ minutes.
The key to a good documentary is good footage ("American Murder: The Family Next Door" is a brilliant example of this because its almost entirely footage/recordings from the time of the event). A documentary about a plane disappearance where there is little footage makes it less watchable and drags the story out even longer.
So, for this documentary, expect close to 3 hours of talking heads, baseless spectaculation, and the same limited footage repeated at least 50 times.
I'll pass on this one. What does it actually achieve? Everyone already knows what we know about this disappearance. The pilot could have crashed the plane. The plane could have also landed safely on a deserted island where the passengers are now living in pardise. Each theory is as proven as the other.
Sounds like you want to kill yourself (or James Cameron) watching Avatar 2.
Exactly the reason why I avoid watching netflix's Megan-Harry (MH666)
Worth remembering that it's NOT just a plane that disappeared, but 239 people.
Each being someone's wife, husband, son, daughter, brother, sister, friend....