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It was a routine red-eye route for the Boeing 777, but what started as a commonplace flight soon became one of the [biggest mysteries](https://www.rd.com/list/strangest-unsolved-mysteries/) in aviation history. Less than an hour after takeoff, MH370 lost radar contact as it crossed into Vietnamese-controlled airspace. The plane and all 239 people on board were [never seen or heard from again](https://www.rd.com/list/mysterious-disappearances-no-one-can-explain/). “For years, I have been asking, ‘What do you mean by lost contact?'” Li Eryou, whose son disappeared on the flight, [told the BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68476289). “It seems to me that if you lose contact with someone, you should be able to reconnect with them.” Authorities tried, kicking off a multinational, [multiyear search](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/06/mh370-search-timeline-malaysia-airlines-flight-missing-plane-disappearance-visual-guide) via air, sea and deep-sea sonar mapping. But neither government nor private search-and-rescue teams have been able to locate the wreckage. With questions mounting and answers in short supply, the [strange disappearance](https://www.rd.com/list/missing-people-found/) has fueled speculation and conspiracy theories, ranging from mechanical failure to remote-controlled hijacking to a suicidal pilot. Now, more than a decade later, the story has resurfaced as a new deep-sea search kicked off on Dec. 30, 2025. As the families of the lost passengers await search results that they hope will bring [closure and accountability](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/08/the-mh370-families-seeking-closure-justice-and-a-fresh-search) for the disaster, we scoured the web for the best news articles for additional context about the missing flight and what really happened on that terrible night. **Get** ***Reader’s Digest*****’s** [**Read Up newsletter**](https://www.rd.com/newsletter/?int_source=direct&int_medium=rd.com&int_campaign=nlrda_20221001_topperformingcontentnlsignup&int_placement=incontent) **for more unexplained mysteries, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.** ## The flight began like any other It was a “quiet and moonlit” morning as MH370 departed Kuala Lumpur in a routine takeoff. As the plane was nearing Vietnamese airspace, the pilot in command of MH370, 53-year-old Zaharie Ahmad Shah, was instructed by a Kuala Lumpur air traffic controller to make contact with Ho Chi Minh’s air traffic control, as per usual. Zaharie replied, “Good night. Malaysian 370.” It is a common sign-off for pilots as they leave airspace, and it was the last transmission anyone heard from MH370. Discovered on [NBC 5](https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/what-to-know-mystery-malaysia-airlines-flight-370-search-resumes/3962584/) ## The flight path was unusual  Handout/Getty Images Shortly afterward, the plane’s transponder was switched off, making it invisible to civilian air traffic control systems. Military radar continued to detect it, and a later investigation showed that MH370 changed course from its planned route to Beijing, turning back across northern Malaysia and Penang Island before heading northwest into the Andaman Sea. It then turned south, after which all contact was lost. Experts believe the plane continued flying for hours before crashing into a remote section of the southern Indian Ocean. No one has been able to determine why this course change was made or if it was purposeful. Discovered on *[Marine Link](https://www.marinelink.com/news/find-fee-search-mh-commence-533899)* ## The flight was carrying people from many different nations MH370 carried 227 passengers and 12 crew members, none of whom [survived or were recovered](https://www.rd.com/list/flight-safety/). Most of the passengers were Chinese, but citizens from the United States, Indonesia, France, Russia and elsewhere were also on board. Among those lost were two Iranians who were later discovered to be traveling with stolen passports, actor Jet Li’s stunt double and several families with young children. Discovered on *[The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/travel/news-and-advice/mh370-malaysia-airlines-flight-missing-theories-b2891973.html)* ## It was the largest search in aviation history The governments of Australia, Malaysia and China worked together to look for the wreckage, launching a 52-day search, conducted mostly by airplanes, that covered 1.7 million square miles. They made a total of 334 search flights, to no avail. A second phase of the search used sonar equipment to scour more than 46,000 square miles of the Indian Ocean floor. Ship crews bravely battled typhoons in the hunt, but their efforts went unrewarded, and in January 2017, the search was officially called off. Outraged family members, many of whom learned of the call-off via a text, put pressure on the Malaysian government to continue the search. In 2018, Malaysia enlisted the Texas-based exploration company Ocean Infinity to lead another effort, but its underwater vehicles also failed to find the [final resting place](https://www.rd.com/list/strangest-things-found-by-deep-sea-divers/) of MH370. Discovered on *[The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/article/malaysia-airlines-missing-flight-mh370.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share)* ## Some wreckage has been found  Anadolu/Getty images Several confirmed pieces of debris washed up on Indian Ocean shorelines, the first being a wing flaperon found in 2015 on the nearby French island Réunion Island. Other pieces washed up along the east coast of Africa. While the wreckage itself has provided little information about the cause of the crash, wildlife growing on it might hold some clues. Gooseneck barnacles, called *Lepas anatifera*, were found attached to the flaperon. Barnacles’ sizes depend on many factors, including their age, the temperature of the water they grow in and the amount of available food. Considering these variables and other data points, experiments at Kuwait University, led by researcher Nasser Al-Qattan, found that the barnacles on the flaperon could indicate that the crash zone was actually 1,000 miles away from the search zone. Discovered on *[Intelligencer](https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/mh370-search-debris-barnacles.html)* ## The search area presents massive challenges Bad weather has repeatedly hindered search efforts, but the biggest issue that experts have faced is the sheer vastness of the area where MH370 may have gone down. The Indian Ocean is the third largest on the planet, and the suspected crash area has an average depth of 2.5 miles. The Aviation Safety Network reports that over the past 50 years, dozens of [planes have gone down](https://www.rd.com/article/survival-stories-the-girl-who-fell-from-the-sky/) in deep areas and have never been recovered. Discovered on [PBS](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/mh370-disappeared-ten-years-ago-and-search-for-the-plane-may-be-renewed-heres-what-we-know-about-one-of-aviations-biggest-mysteries) ## The flight’s unknown fate has fueled conspiracy theories over the years Several [conspiracy theories](https://www.rd.com/list/conspiracy-theories-that-turned-out-to-be-true/) have come out of the search for the truth, from mechanical error to a remote-controlled terrorist takeover of the flight to an alien abduction. Some also blamed the crew for deliberately crashing the plane, but investigators say a deep look into the pilot and co-pilot’s personal histories revealed no evidence of financial or mental health problems that could lead to that conclusion. Discovered on [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/what-we-know-about-malaysias-missing-mh370-plane-11-years-2025-02-26/) ## The final report is inconclusive In 2018, Malaysian civil aviation authorities issued a final report, stating that without MH370’s cockpit voice recorder, flight data recorder or the plane’s main wreckage, it is impossible to conclusively explain what happened. The report cited issues with the airline’s flight-following system and emergency locator technology (ELT), and it pointed out that [air traffic controllers](https://www.rd.com/list/air-traffic-controller-secrets/) did not alert the air force or keep a continuous watch on the radar display. In the wake of the report, the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia resigned. Discovered on [ABC News](https://abcnews.go.com/International/report-finds-air-traffic-control-lapses-missing-flight/story?id=56934080) ## Malaysia Airlines was ordered to pay damages to the families of the disappeared  GREG BAKER/Getty Images In December 2025, a Beijing court ordered Malaysia Airlines to pay \$410,000 in compensation to each of the eight families that filed a case. The awarded amount is meant to cover damages, funeral costs, emotional distress and related expenses. “This judgment recognizes not only the loss of life, but also the profound psychological trauma suffered by the families,” a court spokesperson said, according to *AeroTime*. Forty-seven other cases have been settled and withdrawn, and 23 cases are still being tried. Discovered on *[AeroTime](https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/mh370-malaysia-airlines-pay-410-search-resumes)* ## The flight’s disappearance is changing the aviation industry Following the disappearance of MH370, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an agency of the United Nations, developed a device to track planes and make it easier to locate them in [the event of a crash](https://www.rd.com/article/plane-crash-survivors-alaskan-wilderness/)—something that would have helped in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight. Known as the Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS), it has three main components: flight tracking, autonomous distress tracking and postflight localization and recovery. It has been embraced in Europe and Latin America, as well as in many Asian nations, but there have been delays in certifying and deploying the hardware. During normal aircraft operations, GADSS provides updates on its position every 15 minutes. This standard has already been adopted globally. And if a plane is in distress, autonomous tracking kicks in, giving updates every minute. The United States and China have declined to adopt this measure over U.S. airspace, with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson explaining, “The U.S. already has a robust surveillance network that satisfies the GADSS expectations.” Discovered on [Avionics International](https://interactive.aviationtoday.com/avionicsmagazine/november-december-2022/the-latest-updates-in-the-global-aeronautical-distress-and-safety-system-gadss-initiative/) ## A new search is underway On Dec. 30, Ocean Infinity restarted its seabed search, which was scrapped in April due to bad weather, with a 55-day “no find, no fee” agreement. The search, which targets a 5,800-square-mile area of the Indian Ocean (based on new computer modeling of the aircraft’s final path), uses improved technology and software, and autonomous underwater vehicles. If successful in locating the wreckage, Ocean Infinity will receive \$70 million. And from that wreckage, families hope that they will finally understand what happened to their loved ones a decade ago. Discovered on [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/03/asia/malaysia-mh370-robotics-search-latam-intl) ## RELATED: - [I Watched All 12 Hours of Ken Burns’s Revolutionary War Documentary So You Don’t Have To—Here Are the 12 Most Interesting Things I Learned](https://www.rd.com/article/ken-burns-american-revolution-documentary-highlights/?int_campaign=tmb_trend_recirc&int_source=direct&int_medium=tmb.com&int_placement=single_card) - [This Isn’t the First Time the White House Has Been Renovated, but the 2025 Changes Are Definitely Different—See How They Compare to Previous Updates](https://www.rd.com/article/white-house-renovations/?int_campaign=tmb_trend_recirc&int_source=direct&int_medium=tmb.com&int_placement=single_card) - [Dick Cheney Was One of the Most Influential—and Polarizing—U.S. Vice Presidents in History, and These 14 Facts Explain His Legacy](https://www.rd.com/article/dick-cheney/?int_campaign=tmb_trend_recirc&int_source=direct&int_medium=tmb.com&int_placement=single_card) ## Why trust us At *Reader’s Digest*, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our [team](https://www.rd.com/our-editorial-team/), our contributors and our [editorial policies](https://www.rd.com/about-readers-digest/). 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Just after midnight on March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport heading to Beijing. It was a routine red-eye route for the Boeing 777, but what started as a commonplace flight soon became one of the [biggest mysteries](https://www.rd.com/list/strangest-unsolved-mysteries/) in aviation history. Less than an hour after takeoff, MH370 lost radar contact as it crossed into Vietnamese-controlled airspace. The plane and all 239 people on board were [never seen or heard from again](https://www.rd.com/list/mysterious-disappearances-no-one-can-explain/). “For years, I have been asking, ‘What do you mean by lost contact?'” Li Eryou, whose son disappeared on the flight, [told the BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68476289). “It seems to me that if you lose contact with someone, you should be able to reconnect with them.” Authorities tried, kicking off a multinational, [multiyear search](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/06/mh370-search-timeline-malaysia-airlines-flight-missing-plane-disappearance-visual-guide) via air, sea and deep-sea sonar mapping. But neither government nor private search-and-rescue teams have been able to locate the wreckage. With questions mounting and answers in short supply, the [strange disappearance](https://www.rd.com/list/missing-people-found/) has fueled speculation and conspiracy theories, ranging from mechanical failure to remote-controlled hijacking to a suicidal pilot. Now, more than a decade later, the story has resurfaced as a new deep-sea search kicked off on Dec. 30, 2025. As the families of the lost passengers await search results that they hope will bring [closure and accountability](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/08/the-mh370-families-seeking-closure-justice-and-a-fresh-search) for the disaster, we scoured the web for the best news articles for additional context about the missing flight and what really happened on that terrible night. **Get** ***Reader’s Digest*****’s** [**Read Up newsletter**](https://www.rd.com/newsletter/?int_source=direct&int_medium=rd.com&int_campaign=nlrda_20221001_topperformingcontentnlsignup&int_placement=incontent) **for more unexplained mysteries, humor, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.** ## The flight began like any other It was a “quiet and moonlit” morning as MH370 departed Kuala Lumpur in a routine takeoff. As the plane was nearing Vietnamese airspace, the pilot in command of MH370, 53-year-old Zaharie Ahmad Shah, was instructed by a Kuala Lumpur air traffic controller to make contact with Ho Chi Minh’s air traffic control, as per usual. Zaharie replied, “Good night. Malaysian 370.” It is a common sign-off for pilots as they leave airspace, and it was the last transmission anyone heard from MH370. Discovered on [NBC 5](https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/national-international/what-to-know-mystery-malaysia-airlines-flight-370-search-resumes/3962584/) ## The flight path was unusual  Handout/Getty Images Shortly afterward, the plane’s transponder was switched off, making it invisible to civilian air traffic control systems. Military radar continued to detect it, and a later investigation showed that MH370 changed course from its planned route to Beijing, turning back across northern Malaysia and Penang Island before heading northwest into the Andaman Sea. It then turned south, after which all contact was lost. Experts believe the plane continued flying for hours before crashing into a remote section of the southern Indian Ocean. No one has been able to determine why this course change was made or if it was purposeful. Discovered on *[Marine Link](https://www.marinelink.com/news/find-fee-search-mh-commence-533899)* ## The flight was carrying people from many different nations MH370 carried 227 passengers and 12 crew members, none of whom [survived or were recovered](https://www.rd.com/list/flight-safety/). Most of the passengers were Chinese, but citizens from the United States, Indonesia, France, Russia and elsewhere were also on board. Among those lost were two Iranians who were later discovered to be traveling with stolen passports, actor Jet Li’s stunt double and several families with young children. Discovered on *[The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/travel/news-and-advice/mh370-malaysia-airlines-flight-missing-theories-b2891973.html)* ## It was the largest search in aviation history The governments of Australia, Malaysia and China worked together to look for the wreckage, launching a 52-day search, conducted mostly by airplanes, that covered 1.7 million square miles. They made a total of 334 search flights, to no avail. A second phase of the search used sonar equipment to scour more than 46,000 square miles of the Indian Ocean floor. Ship crews bravely battled typhoons in the hunt, but their efforts went unrewarded, and in January 2017, the search was officially called off. Outraged family members, many of whom learned of the call-off via a text, put pressure on the Malaysian government to continue the search. In 2018, Malaysia enlisted the Texas-based exploration company Ocean Infinity to lead another effort, but its underwater vehicles also failed to find the [final resting place](https://www.rd.com/list/strangest-things-found-by-deep-sea-divers/) of MH370. Discovered on *[The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/article/malaysia-airlines-missing-flight-mh370.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share)* ## Some wreckage has been found  Anadolu/Getty images Several confirmed pieces of debris washed up on Indian Ocean shorelines, the first being a wing flaperon found in 2015 on the nearby French island Réunion Island. Other pieces washed up along the east coast of Africa. While the wreckage itself has provided little information about the cause of the crash, wildlife growing on it might hold some clues. Gooseneck barnacles, called *Lepas anatifera*, were found attached to the flaperon. Barnacles’ sizes depend on many factors, including their age, the temperature of the water they grow in and the amount of available food. Considering these variables and other data points, experiments at Kuwait University, led by researcher Nasser Al-Qattan, found that the barnacles on the flaperon could indicate that the crash zone was actually 1,000 miles away from the search zone. Discovered on *[Intelligencer](https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/mh370-search-debris-barnacles.html)* ## The search area presents massive challenges Bad weather has repeatedly hindered search efforts, but the biggest issue that experts have faced is the sheer vastness of the area where MH370 may have gone down. The Indian Ocean is the third largest on the planet, and the suspected crash area has an average depth of 2.5 miles. The Aviation Safety Network reports that over the past 50 years, dozens of [planes have gone down](https://www.rd.com/article/survival-stories-the-girl-who-fell-from-the-sky/) in deep areas and have never been recovered. Discovered on [PBS](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/mh370-disappeared-ten-years-ago-and-search-for-the-plane-may-be-renewed-heres-what-we-know-about-one-of-aviations-biggest-mysteries) ## The flight’s unknown fate has fueled conspiracy theories over the years Several [conspiracy theories](https://www.rd.com/list/conspiracy-theories-that-turned-out-to-be-true/) have come out of the search for the truth, from mechanical error to a remote-controlled terrorist takeover of the flight to an alien abduction. Some also blamed the crew for deliberately crashing the plane, but investigators say a deep look into the pilot and co-pilot’s personal histories revealed no evidence of financial or mental health problems that could lead to that conclusion. Discovered on [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/what-we-know-about-malaysias-missing-mh370-plane-11-years-2025-02-26/) ## The final report is inconclusive In 2018, Malaysian civil aviation authorities issued a final report, stating that without MH370’s cockpit voice recorder, flight data recorder or the plane’s main wreckage, it is impossible to conclusively explain what happened. The report cited issues with the airline’s flight-following system and emergency locator technology (ELT), and it pointed out that [air traffic controllers](https://www.rd.com/list/air-traffic-controller-secrets/) did not alert the air force or keep a continuous watch on the radar display. In the wake of the report, the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia resigned. Discovered on [ABC News](https://abcnews.go.com/International/report-finds-air-traffic-control-lapses-missing-flight/story?id=56934080) ## Malaysia Airlines was ordered to pay damages to the families of the disappeared  GREG BAKER/Getty Images In December 2025, a Beijing court ordered Malaysia Airlines to pay \$410,000 in compensation to each of the eight families that filed a case. The awarded amount is meant to cover damages, funeral costs, emotional distress and related expenses. “This judgment recognizes not only the loss of life, but also the profound psychological trauma suffered by the families,” a court spokesperson said, according to *AeroTime*. Forty-seven other cases have been settled and withdrawn, and 23 cases are still being tried. Discovered on *[AeroTime](https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/mh370-malaysia-airlines-pay-410-search-resumes)* ## The flight’s disappearance is changing the aviation industry Following the disappearance of MH370, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an agency of the United Nations, developed a device to track planes and make it easier to locate them in [the event of a crash](https://www.rd.com/article/plane-crash-survivors-alaskan-wilderness/)—something that would have helped in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight. Known as the Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS), it has three main components: flight tracking, autonomous distress tracking and postflight localization and recovery. It has been embraced in Europe and Latin America, as well as in many Asian nations, but there have been delays in certifying and deploying the hardware. During normal aircraft operations, GADSS provides updates on its position every 15 minutes. This standard has already been adopted globally. And if a plane is in distress, autonomous tracking kicks in, giving updates every minute. The United States and China have declined to adopt this measure over U.S. airspace, with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson explaining, “The U.S. already has a robust surveillance network that satisfies the GADSS expectations.” Discovered on [Avionics International](https://interactive.aviationtoday.com/avionicsmagazine/november-december-2022/the-latest-updates-in-the-global-aeronautical-distress-and-safety-system-gadss-initiative/) ## A new search is underway On Dec. 30, Ocean Infinity restarted its seabed search, which was scrapped in April due to bad weather, with a 55-day “no find, no fee” agreement. The search, which targets a 5,800-square-mile area of the Indian Ocean (based on new computer modeling of the aircraft’s final path), uses improved technology and software, and autonomous underwater vehicles. If successful in locating the wreckage, Ocean Infinity will receive \$70 million. And from that wreckage, families hope that they will finally understand what happened to their loved ones a decade ago. Discovered on [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/03/asia/malaysia-mh370-robotics-search-latam-intl) ## RELATED: - [I Watched All 12 Hours of Ken Burns’s Revolutionary War Documentary So You Don’t Have To—Here Are the 12 Most Interesting Things I Learned](https://www.rd.com/article/ken-burns-american-revolution-documentary-highlights/?int_campaign=tmb_trend_recirc&int_source=direct&int_medium=tmb.com&int_placement=single_card) - [This Isn’t the First Time the White House Has Been Renovated, but the 2025 Changes Are Definitely Different—See How They Compare to Previous Updates](https://www.rd.com/article/white-house-renovations/?int_campaign=tmb_trend_recirc&int_source=direct&int_medium=tmb.com&int_placement=single_card) - [Dick Cheney Was One of the Most Influential—and Polarizing—U.S. Vice Presidents in History, and These 14 Facts Explain His Legacy](https://www.rd.com/article/dick-cheney/?int_campaign=tmb_trend_recirc&int_source=direct&int_medium=tmb.com&int_placement=single_card) ## Why trust us At *Reader’s Digest*, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. 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