FOR ten years it has been a mystery that has left the world confused.
On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
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Police officers remove debris on Reunion Island in 2015. Credit: EPA
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Florence de Changy is convinced that the debris is either planted there or not connected Credit: Elizabeth Leech
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A relative of a passenger cries at a hotel in Beijing on March 9, 2014. Credit: Reuters
But 38 minutes into the journey, at 1.20am, he lost contact with air traffic controllers over the South China Sea.
The fate of the Boeing 777 and its 239 passengers and crew remains unknown.
French investigative journalist Florence de Changy has been investigating the disappearance for a decade and is the author of an explosive book about the mystery.
She says: “It’s shocking for families.
“The official narrative is so strongly imposed on them that they have no choice but to stick to it and the only thing they can ask is to keep looking.
“He’s worried if they start to doubt the authorities, they’ll start cutting off conversations with them.”
Today, in an exclusive interview, Florence disputes key parts of the official version of events.
- The Disappearing Act: The Impossible Case of MH370 by Florence de Changy (Harper Collins) is out now, priced £9.99.
Missing flight MH370 could have been ‘easily sabotaged from the inside’ in plot to bring down plane, ex-pilot says
THE PATH OF FLIGHT The key to the mystery
It is official that the plane was tracked by radar while crossing Malaysia and disappeared over the Andaman Sea.
It said satellite analysis showed it turned around and likely fell into the southern Indian Ocean.
A potential crash site has been identified 1,500 miles southwest of Australia.
The search there was the most expensive in aviation history.
However, apart from disputed debris, there was no trace of the plane.
Florence found evidence from Vietnamese air traffic control and intelligence sources suggesting the plane met its fate at around 2.45am north of Vietnam – two minutes after the cabin was reported to be disintegrating.
She said: “I am more certain than ever that it did not crash in the southern Indian Ocean.
“The plane continued its flight until 2.40am.”
I’m more confident than ever that it didn’t crash in the southern Indian Ocean
Florence de Changy
WASTE Was it planted?
INVESTIGATORS said the first debris found on July 29, 2015 was part of the right wing called the flaperon.
It was on a beach on Reunion Island, a French territory near Mauritius, about 5,500 miles from Malaysia.
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The first debris found was part of the right wing called a flaperon on Reunion Island on July 29, 2015. Credit: Reuters
But Florence said: “There are good reasons not to believe it is from MH370.
“First of all, they never even determined the origin of the flaperons. This is shocking.
“Secondly, they said the flaperon suffered two consecutive impacts, which is not consistent with falling into the ocean.
“Also, that piece of broken composite material is not meant to float.
“But in the fiercest ocean on the planet, he had to travel up to ten miles a day in a straight line for 500 days to reach Reunion.
“Also, he’s lost his ID tag, which is a huge red flag. I’m sure he’s been framed or not connected.”
CAPTAIN Suspect or innocent?
Suspicion initially fell on Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah (52), who was labeled as a troubled man with a chaotic love life.
The Malaysian Prime Minister at the time even hinted that Zaharie might be behind the murder-suicide plot.
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Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah is labeled as a troubled man with a chaotic love life
But Florence says: “I think the important aspect is that the captain is innocent.
“He was at the center of many accusations and smear campaigns.
“I have spoken to people who knew him and seen confidential police reports on him and I am convinced he was a good man and had nothing to do with the fate of the plane.”
I think the important aspect is that the captain is innocent
Florence de Changy
CARGOW Is that a blanket?
ACCORDING to the cargo manifest, there were 4.5 tons of fresh mangosteen, tropical fruit, and 2.5 tons of small electrical items on board.
But Florence said: “The mangosteens made no sense. It wasn’t the right season, it was a ridiculous amount.
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According to the cargo manifest, 4.5 tons of fresh mangosteens and 2.5 tons of small electrical items were on boardCredit: EPA
“I then discovered they were on every MH370 flight for the next month.
“The biggest hub of illegal trade between Africa and China is the Kuala Lumpur airport.
“Mangostines can be a mask for a variety of things, including rhinoceros horns or elephant tusks.”
Regarding the electrical items, she said: “The official report says that this cargo was not X-rayed. This is a big problem.”
Florence believes that the cargo could have forced an emergency landing, adding: “I believe there was a cargo seizure operation. If you are surrounded by military aircraft, follow orders.”
AIR CHEF Is the expert silenced?
At the time of the tragedy, Sir Tim Clark, the British chairman of Emirates airline, said that almost every other missing flight in history was “at least five or ten percent traceable” and that the disappearance of MH370 raised “a degree of suspicion”.
Florence claimed he had been asked by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which led the initial search, to stop commenting.
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Airline chief Sir Tim Clark said the disappearance of MH370 raised ‘a degree of suspicion’Credit: Reuters
She said: “He had the biggest fleet of those planes and he said he couldn’t believe they had lost one. Months later they silenced him.”
Sir Tim said in an interview that she was right about silencing him.
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The Disappearing Act: The Impossible Case of MH370 by Florence de Changy (Harper Collins) is out now priced £9.99 Credit: Alamy
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