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Missing Malaysia plane: Search begins in two air corridors Missing Malaysia plane: Co-pilot 'spoke last words'
(about 1 hour later)
Searches have started in two vast air corridors for missing flight MH370, Malaysia's transport minister has said. Officials in Malaysia say they believe the co-pilot of missing flight MH370 spoke the last words to ground controllers before it vanished.
Investigators are looking into the possibility that the aircraft's crew were involved in its disappearance.
The search for the plane has extended into two vast air corridors.
Twenty-six countries have been asked to help find the jet, which went missing over a week ago with 239 people on board.
Malaysia says the plane was intentionally diverted and could have flown on either a northern or southern arc from its last known position.Malaysia says the plane was intentionally diverted and could have flown on either a northern or southern arc from its last known position.
Twenty-six countries have now been asked to help find the jet, which disappeared over a week ago with 239 people on board. Ahmad Jauhari Yahy, chief executive of Malaysia Airlines, told a press conference on Monday that initial investigations had indicated that co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid had calmly said "all right, good night" shortly before the plane disappeared.
The airline believes the co-pilot spoke the final words to ground controllers. However it is not clear whether the last words came before or after one of the plane's tracking devices was switched off. Officials believe the communications systems were deliberately disabled.
Malaysia Airlines chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya also said it is not clear whether the last words from the cockpit - "All right, good night" - came before or after one of the plane's tracking devices was switched off. 'Switched off'
Officials previously said they did not know who said those words, but the airline says it now believes it was co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid. Police have searched the homes of Captain Zaharie Shah, 53, and Mr Hamid, 27. A flight simulator taken from the captain's home was being reassembled and examined at police headquarters, officials said.
Meanwhile, investigators are looking at a northern arc stretching from the border of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to northern Thailand, and a southern arc from Indonesia to the Indian Ocean.
"Today, I can confirm that search and rescue operations in the northern and southern corridors have already begun," the Malaysian Transport Minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, told a press conference on Monday.
Australia is taking charge of the southern area search for the missing Malaysian plane.
"Over the past two days, we have been recalibrating the search for MH370," said Mr Hussein.
"It remains a significant diplomatic, technical and logistical challenge. Malaysia is encouraged by the progress made during such a short period of time."
Police have searched the homes of Captain Zaharie Shah, 53, and co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27. A flight simulator taken from the captain's home was being reassembled and examined at police headquarters, officials said.
Friends of both pilots - who investigators say did not ask to fly together - have expressed disbelief at the possibility of their involvement.
Investigators are also looking at passengers, engineers and other ground staff who may have had contact with the aircraft before take-off.Investigators are also looking at passengers, engineers and other ground staff who may have had contact with the aircraft before take-off.
The plane left Kuala Lumpur for Beijing at 00:40 local time (16:40 GMT) on 8 March.The plane left Kuala Lumpur for Beijing at 00:40 local time (16:40 GMT) on 8 March.
Officials say the sign-off to air traffic controllers came at 01:19 as it left Malaysian airspace.
The last transmission from the plane's Aircraft and Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) was received at 01:07.
"We don't know when the ACARS was switched off after that," Mr Ahmad Jauhari said. "It was supposed to transmit 30 minutes from there, but that transmission did not come through."
It disappeared off air traffic controllers' screens at 01:21, when it was over the South China Sea.It disappeared off air traffic controllers' screens at 01:21, when it was over the South China Sea.
The Malaysian transport minister responded to speculation that the Malaysian authorities had withheld information, saying they had been open throughout the investigation. Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Saturday that satellite and radar evidence showed the plane had changed course and could have continued flying for a further seven hours.
'Anguish'
Searches have started in two air corridors - one stretching from the border of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to northern Thailand, and another from Indonesia to the Indian Ocean.
"Today, I can confirm that search and rescue operations in the northern and southern corridors have already begun," Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told a press conference on Monday.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Monday he had agreed to take the lead in scouring the southern Indian Ocean for the "ill-fated aircraft".
Mr Hussein said: "Over the past two days, we have been recalibrating the search for MH370."
He also responded to speculation that the Malaysian authorities had withheld information, saying they had been open throughout the investigation.
"For the families, I understand that every day prolongs the anguish," he said. "I understand because Malaysia, too, is missing its sons and daughters."For the families, I understand that every day prolongs the anguish," he said. "I understand because Malaysia, too, is missing its sons and daughters.
"Our priority has always been to find the aircraft. We would not withhold any information that could help. But we also have a responsibility not to release information until it has been verified by the international investigations team.""Our priority has always been to find the aircraft. We would not withhold any information that could help. But we also have a responsibility not to release information until it has been verified by the international investigations team."
Two thirds of the passengers were from China and the country's state media has been criticising the Malaysian operation. Two-thirds of the passengers were from China and the country's state media has been criticising the Malaysian operation.
Countries including Australia, China, Indonesia and Kazakhstan have started searching the two air corridors. Meanwhile, three French officials involved in the search for Air France flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, which crashed in 2009, have also arrived in Malaysia to offer their expertise.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott told parliament on Monday that he agreed to take the lead scouring the southern Indian Ocean for the "ill-fated aircraft".
He said Australia and had offered more surveillance resources as well as the two P-3C Orion aircraft his country had already committed.
Meanwhile three French officials involved in the search for Air France flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, which crashed in 2009, have also arrived in Malaysia to offer their expertise.