The other day, my husband and I watched the new Netflix documentary “MH370: The Plane That Disappeared”. It is a limited 3-part series where they discusses the various theories that have been put forward to explain what happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which disappeared in 2014. The investigative docu-series was released on March 8, 2023, nine years later.
As a flight attendant working for leading commercial airlines, it helps to understand how tragedies like this can occur, and what measures are being done to prevent similar occurrences. It intrigues me to watch aviation-related shows, much more so when it comes to unsolved mysteries such as this one.
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What Happened in the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370
The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has become one of the most widely discussed aviation mysteries in history. On March 8th, 2014, the plane disappeared from radar en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing; 239 passengers and crew were on board. Despite an extensive international search operation, no trace of the plane was ever found.
This mystery has spawned a range of theories as to what happened – including hijacking, a mid-air explosion, and a military exercise. However, the prevailing theory is that the captain hijacked the plane himself and depressurized the cabin in order to kill everyone onboard before intentionally evading detection by making some turns with the aircraft until it ran out of fuel. This theory is based largely on conjecture and lacks any concrete evidence – yet remains unquestioned by many.
Netflix Docuseries: MH370: The Plane That Disappeared
MH370: The Plane That Disappeared is a Netflix documentary series exploring the 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. This is a 3-part series that examines various theories as to what happened and features interviews with families of victims as well as experienced aviation journalists and avid hobbyists.
The investigative documentary explores the conspiracy theories that have been put forward since the tragedy occurred and attempts to zero in on the truth. However, I think it should be noted that not all of these theories are given equal weight or investigated in depth.
Video: Trailer of Netflix MH370 Docuseries
Check out the trailer below:
Review: My Take on the Docuseries as a Cabin Crew
The series does a great job of capturing the anguish of those affected by the tragedy and provides insight into how something like this could happen. However, it also devotes a considerable amount of time to conspiracy theories – some of which are plausible, but many are based on flimsy evidence and unsupported claims. Some of the more far-fetched and less likely explanations were given a lot of attention, while critical questions were not asked in a very probing manner.
Despite the prevailing theories, there is still no concrete evidence as to what happened to flight MH370. Until that day comes, the only thing we can do is remember the 239 passengers and crew who were taken from us too soon.
As a cabin crew, some of the things that are discussed during our flight attendant training include different airplane scenarios that have happened in the past. This is to help equip us with some knowledge about how to handle unexpected events that may occur during a flight. After all, while aviation as a career can be incredibly rewarding, it is also important to remember that safety always comes first.
It’s scary to think that worst-case scenarios during my duty as a crew and the passengers onboard my flight could happen to us. This goes to show that the job is not all smiles and luxury – safety is always a priority no matter the situation. After all, this is a frontline job and we must always be prepared for whatever may come our way.
On another note, I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated with the series as it went on. While it is necessary to explore all possibilities when faced with such an incredible mystery like this one, it is important not to forget that there is still no concrete evidence pointing towards any particular cause for this tragedy.
To me, the run time is also an issue. I felt that it was prolonged and too focused on sensational theories with little to no evidence. I wish the series had focused on the known facts about the event and used that as a basis for further exploration. But that’s just me.
I’m not saying that the series is bad, or that it doesn’t have any merit. There are still valuable lessons to be learned from this tragedy and it’s good that they released one to remember the victims and the families affected by this tragedy, hoping it will inform others about it.
Although time has yet to reveal the truth behind Malaysia Airlines flight MH370’s demise in 2014, one thing is certain – whatever happened was catastrophic enough without fabricating wild conspiracy theories that lack any factual evidence.
Also Read: 22 Best Jobs for Ex-Cabin Crew | Career Options for Ex Flight Attendants
Summary
Netflix’s MH370: The Plane That Disappeared is a 3-part docuseries that attempts to explore the mysterious circumstances surrounding 2014’s Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 tragedy. The series features interviews with some family members of victims as well as aviation experts and hobbyists while exploring various conspiracy theories.
However, many of these theories are given more attention than warranted and lack any concrete evidence to back them up. As a cabin crew, I believe it is important to remember that safety always comes first, no matter what the situation may be.
Even though we cannot definitively discern what happened to Flight MH370 until new evidence arises, one thing is definite: the event was traumatic enough without concocting baseless conspiracy theories. We pray for the victims and families affected by this tragedy.