Missing plane's signal detected

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Vietnamese rescue official says the missing Malaysian plane's signal has been detected, according to latest information released by Xinhua News Agency.  

The official told local VNExpress that signal of the plane has been detected at some 120 nautical miles southwest of Vietnam's southernmost Ca Mau province.

The rough location where the missing Malaysian HM370 flight signal has been detected. [Sina]

A Malaysian passenger plane carrying 239 people has lost contact with air traffic control after leaving Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur, the carrier said on earlier Saturday morning.

The B777-200 aircraft departed Kuala Lumpur at 00:41 a.m. on Saturday, and was expected to land in Beijing at 6:30 a.m. that same day.

Malaysia Airlines said it was working with the authorities who have dispatched search and rescue teams to locate the plane.

According to a statement from Malaysia Airlines, the HM370 flight was carrying a total of 227 passengers, including two infants and 12 crew members. The passengers were of 13 different nationalities.

The HM370 flight information has been "marked red" inside Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport, its scheduled destination, on March 8, 2014, as the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control shortly after leaving Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur. [Beijing News]

The Flight-aware tracking program lost contact with the flight about 20 minutes after take-off as it was crossing the Malay peninsula at 35,000 feet, while the Flightradar24 program was able to track it into the South China Sea towards Vietnam before losing contact completely.

The Vietnam Subang Air Traffic Control reported that it lost contact at 2.40 a.m. today.

China's Civil Aviation Administration (CAAC) confirmed the flight had about 160 Chinese passengers on board and did not contact Chinese air traffic management department or enter China's air traffic control area.

China's air control authority said there were no storms in the area of the South China Sea where the plane was flying across. The weather was generally fine with light clouds.

A VP of the Malaysia Airlines said the plane had enough fuel to fly for seven hours, one hour more than the flight time to Beijing.

The aircraft, a Boeing 777-200ER reportedly registered 9M-MRO, was delivered to the airline in May of 2002 and powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engines.

The Boeing 777 was introduced in 1995. Since then, it has been involved in only two other major accidents and three hijackings.

The most notable accident occurred in July 2013, when an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777-200 carrying 291 passengers and 16 crew members crashed during landing in San Francisco, killing three passengers and seriously injuring 48 others. Investigators blamed the accident on a pilot error.

Malaysia Airlines is the national carrier of Malaysia and one of Asia's largest, flying nearly 37,000 passengers daily to some 80 destinations worldwide.

The airline said the public can call +60-378841234 for information about the plane.

A Malaysian passenger plane [File photo]

Malaysia Airlines plane carrying 239 people goes missing

Authorities are searching for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 bound for Beijing after air traffic controllers lost contact with theairliner carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members early Saturday morning, the airline said.

Malaysia Airlines said flight MH370 lost touch with Subang Air Traffic Control around 02:40 local time Saturday morning.

The aircraft left Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 00:41 and was expected to land in Beijing at 06:30 local time (22:30 GMT).

"The flight was carrying 227 passengers (including two infants), 12 crew members," the airline said in astatement.

"Malaysia Airlines is currently working with the authorities who have activated their search and rescue team to locate the aircraft," the airline added.

There were 14 nationalities represented among the 227 passengers, according to airline officials. Passengers include 153 Chinese, 38 Malaysians, 12 Indonesians, seven Australians, four Americans, and one Russian, among others.

A woman (C), believed to be the relative of a passenger onboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, covers her face as she cries at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing March 8, 2014. (Reuters / Kim Kyung Hoon)

“Our team is currently calling the next-of-kin of passengers and crew,” Malaysia Airlines said in a further statement.“Focus of the airline is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilize its full support.”

The last contact the plane had was reportedly in Vietnamese airspace.

China is assisting Malaysia Airlines with the search for the plane, Chinese state television reported.

"We are very worried after learning the news. We are trying to get in touch with relevant parties to check it out," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in statement.

Prior to July 2013's deadly crash of an Asiana Airlines 777 in San Francisco, the aircraft had been one of only a few long-range jets built by Boeing and Airbus to have never recorded a fatality.

The 777 first flew in 1994, and was introduced into commercial service in 1995. Boeing had delivered 1,100 of the aircraft around the world as of last year.

"We're closely monitoring reports on Malaysia flight MH370," Boeing tweeted. "Our thoughts are with everyone on board."

Image from flightaware.com

File photo. Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 (Image from wikipedia.org)