The disappearance of MH370 is unsettling for not only observers within Malaysia but people around the world. Aviation experts, investigators, engineers and authorities are at a loss to explain the sudden incognito status of a Boeing 777 off the radar – it just does not make sense. One cannot even imagine the horror the dear ones of the passengers feel at this moment but what does not help in this fiasco and storm of doubt is the slew of conspiracy theories and – as one can see rampant on social media – the flood of insensitive digs made at the MH370. You could blame it on social media and the saturation of information that leads consumers to deem themselves armchair comedians and analysts of tragedies that deserve a lot more respect and tactful reaction.
Here’s what doesn’t help: Regurgitating hyperbolic claims made out of little to no fact that are further swallowed up by gullible onlookers. It is extremely convenient to stick to a post-9/11 narrative that a crew of scary-sounding Muslims have somehow hijacked a plane. Here’s what also doesn’t help: Throwing jabs at something as terrifying as not knowing where your loved ones are, suspended in air. We get it: You have friends and followers on social networks who think you’re witty and sardonic but it would be wonderful – for a change – to see something like this unnerving development handled with more decency.
Here’s what helps: Knowing how airplanes function – and malfunction. If an airplane is set up to fly on a straight path at a given altitude, it will change course from that altitude inevitably. It has more to do with natural weather phenomena and less to do with extremist ideology. The accuracy of military radars in estimating altitude is highly important and for now, we do not know the capability of the Malaysian military radars. In addition to this, radar coverage over water is not universal and so pilots are required to radio in their positions at intervals. Anything can happen during an interval and that is probably the most frightening aspect of it all: The unpredictable outcome of technology met with nature. For now, let us leave it to the sensibilities of experts and nark e-conspiracy theorists because they are the last thing we need.