“MH370: Missing Plane”, review: aviation secret or human error?

In a three-part documentary MH370: the plane that disappearedfrom Netflix, British director Louise Malkinson makes it clear that Malaysia Airlines has a lot to explain in the wake of the March 2014 disappearance of Flight 370.

This may seem like a no-brainer until careful research reveals the company’s omissions and technical errors. Majority unknown to the general public and appears for the first time. But MH370: the plane that disappeared goes further, revealing the direct responsibility of the airline in the difficulty of unraveling one of the most controversial cases of modern aeronautics.

The script uses both verifiable—or at least accessible—facts and hypotheses to fully reconstruct the event. Something that allows you to explore all facets of a tragedy that quickly became the focus of all sorts of conspiracy theories. The first chapter of the series shows, perhaps, the only point on which all debates converge. There were no signs of the catastrophe that was about to happen.

MH370: the plane that disappeared and that it is still a mystery

At least March 8, 2014, when the plane took off from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. That’s right, the argument includes everything from images of the airport to a brief account of daily life at the facilities. It also makes it clear that MH370 (Boeing 777) was another of the many routes that they took off the same day under similar conditions. Captain Zachary Ahmad Shah’s last message, in which he wished him good night and assured him that everything was in order, did not indicate a serious disorder or even a fatal situation.

Possibly one of the most chilling moments in history MH370: the plane that disappeared be the recognition of a fact that remains a mystery. After the plane has taken off, there are several explanations for what could have happened. The documentary builds a narrative thread that spans the first hours and days of uncertainty. From the increasingly relevant news about the disaster to how the relatives and friends of the victims reacted to this event. The first episode covers the layers of tragedy in an orderly and familiar way. true crime.

But, in addition to reconstructing events, he also points out that the available data do not allow any conclusion to be drawn. The opening chapter ends with an ominous image of the Beijing airport, where flight MH370 is marked as delayed. The first sign of what will be a chain of increasingly dark circumstances.

A case where nothing is as it seems

Perhaps the real mystery surrounding Flight 370 begins with hasty declarations. Malaysia Airlines immediately admitted that it had no indication of what could have caused the disappearance. Besides that it lacked scenarios that could provide any explanation for an event of this magnitude.

The company’s negligence extends beyond how it handles what happened in terms of search and technical resources. MH370: the plane that disappeared shows that there was no method of collecting information. This includes spreading the news and exchanging data with various agencies in neighboring countries who rushed to intervene in the search for the flight.

if something clears up MH370: the plane that disappeared is that the airline responded to the incident recklessly and indiscriminately. And what’s even worse. That his mistakes in the first weeks of tracking the aircraft were the cause of a mystery that remained unanswered. Little by little, the second chapter of the documentary delves into the failed protocol to find clues.

Fatal sequence of events MH370: the plane that disappeared

However, he is sensitive enough to focus his narrative on the families of the missing. Gradually, the plot eschews simple technical details to explore the survivors of a devastating loss. An interest that grows as you delve deeper into the stories of several relatives and friends of the 239 people on board. Director Louise Malkinson pays particular attention to how the greatest suffering lies precisely in the absence of answers.

MH370: missing aircraft This links the airline’s mistakes during the investigation to how they affected entire families. Contradictory versions of the accident are just as important for the production as the pain left by the uncertainty of what happened. Especially after the conspiracy theories about kidnappings, executions and violence multiplied.

The argument delves into some hypotheses, but above all into the possibility that an error – due to malice or omission – is the real cause of the accidents. Which he confirms in the second episode, detailing that Flight 370 is not the only tragedy in the annals of Malaysia Airlines in 2014.

Oddly enough, the second fatality was recorded at the airline on July 17th. Flight 17 was shot down by Russian-controlled forces in Ukraine. Amid public and political tensions, the case turned into a heated debate about aviation security. What happened to opaque and conflicting data like 370 was another element of confusion in the global investigation.

As for the route between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur, there is not enough information about what happened. With 283 passengers and 15 crew dead, it was deemed a disaster that signaled – again – serious breaches of safety protocol. But more worryingly, the airline’s meager efforts to correct the mistakes that led to the tragedies.

After all, history belongs to the victims

But the Netflix documentary is much more interested in the human aspect of the incident. Nine years later, there are still no clear answers. The search was officially terminated in 2017. Relatives of the victims do not have access to documents, data or information about the progress of the investigation. Moreover, to a possible answer in the future to what could happen.

For now, the mystery of Flight 370 remains untouched and, even harder to accept, it is unlikely that the mystery will be solved. Perhaps the most difficult moment of the incident, which has become a collective obsession and is now part of a historical mystery that is trying to unravel in MH370: missing aircraft.