Amid Ahmedabad plane crash, a look at modern aviation’s biggest mystery: The Boeing flight that went missing forever

As authorities and rescue teams deal with the aftermath of Thursday’s tragic Air India crash near Ahmedabad airport, the catastrophe casts a fresh spotlight on one of aviation’s most enduring and confounding cases: the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. While investigators now try to uncover what led to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s fiery crash shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad with 242 people on board, MH370 remains a haunting reminder of how, even in the age of advanced radar and satellite tracking, a modern aircraft can seemingly vanish without a trace.

MH370: A Decade Without Answers

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, a Boeing 777-200ER, took off from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, headed for Beijing with 239 people on board. Less than an hour into the flight, the Boeing 777 suddenly vanished from civilian radar over the South China Sea. Military radar later tracked the plane veering sharply west, crossing the Malay Peninsula and into the Andaman Sea.
The last satellite signal, detected by an Inmarsat satellite, came nearly seven hours later over the southern Indian Ocean, far from its planned route, after which its transponder and data systems were switched off. Based on signal analysis, authorities concluded the aircraft had likely crashed 2,500 km southwest of Australia, in a remote ocean stretch.
Search operations initially focused on the South China Sea before shifting to the vast and remote waters off the Australian coast. Despite years of efforts led by governments and private companies, including a 120,000-square-kilometre search by Australia and a later attempt by Ocean Infinity, only fragments of the plane—like a wing flaperon found on Réunion Island—were ever recovered.

Theories That Refuse to Rest

MH370’s disappearance has sparked a wave of speculation and investigation. Theories have ranged from technical failure to deliberate human action:

• Pilot Involvement: One of the most widely discussed possibilities is that Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah may have intentionally diverted the aircraft. Though the 2018 official report did not accuse any individual, it did note that the plane’s course had been manually changed. Some experts believe the flight may have been commandeered from inside the cockpit.

• Hijacking or Terrorism: Initially considered, this theory lost ground as no credible group claimed responsibility, and no motive was ever established.

• Mechanical Failure: Investigators ultimately found this unlikely, especially since systems like the transponder and ACARS were deliberately switched off in sequence—an unlikely coincidence in a purely technical failure.

• Rogue Takeover or Crew Intervention: Another theory suggests that someone other than the pilot may have taken control of the plane. However, there was no distress call or indication of struggle, and no passenger background checks yielded threats.

• Fire or Rapid Decompression: Some experts proposed a sudden fire or loss of cabin pressure incapacitated the crew, allowing the plane to fly on autopilot until it ran out of fuel. But the aircraft’s unusual course changes contradict the idea of a ghost flight.

Despite intense public interest, none of these theories have been definitively proven or ruled out. The final report left many questions unanswered, stating that investigators could not determine what caused the aircraft to divert and eventually disappear.

Resumed Hope, Renewed Frustration

In early 2025, search firm Ocean Infinity restarted efforts to locate the aircraft under a “no find, no fee” arrangement. However, Malaysia’s transport minister later confirmed that the latest phase of the search had been suspended temporarily due to seasonal conditions. The hunt is expected to resume by the end of the year.
Despite a 2018 final report suggesting the flight’s path was likely altered manually, investigators were unable to explain why.

On the 11th anniversary of MH370’s disappearance in April, families of the missing passengers came together in Malaysia and China to renew their calls for transparency and answers. Holding placards that reflected their frustration and pain, they questioned how long their wait for truth and closure would continue.

The ongoing lack of resolution has left many families emotionally burdened, with their grief deepening over time. As per reports, at a remembrance event, one relative made an emotional plea to Malaysian authorities, urging them to return their lost loved ones — a sentiment that underscored the enduring anguish felt by those still searching for answers.

Ahmedabad plane crash tragedy

In India, Thursday’s accident in Ahmedabad adds another chapter to the list of aviation-related tragedies. The Air India flight, headed to London, crashed shortly after takeoff, sparking a massive fire fueled by the aircraft’s heavy load for the international journey. Emergency crews rushed to the site in the Meghani area, with rescue operations continuing into the night.

The flight, AI171, was under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar. The cause of the crash is still unknown, and a full investigation by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation and possibly Boeing is expected to follow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have assured full central assistance for relief and investigation.

While the circumstances differ—one aircraft exploded in a city neighborhood; the other vanished over the ocean—both events show the vulnerabilities that persist in modern aviation. The MH370 mystery endures because of its total absence of answers. The Ahmedabad crash brings instant, visible horror, but will likely result in conclusive findings. Together, they reflect how fragile certainty can be in aviation, even in an era of constant connectivity and sophisticated engineering.

As one crisis unfolds and another remains unresolved, aviation authorities worldwide face a sobering task: ensuring that the skies are safer—and that no family is left waiting indefinitely for answers.