Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 24 March 2014, that new analysis of satellite data suggested that the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 "ended" in the southern Indian Ocean. He also said the type of analysis used to investigate the mystery of the jetliner's disappearance has never been used before. The statement sparked intense speculation on the part of international media.

Experts believe the information sent by the engines to a satellite is the key data

Citing satellite data analysis by the British company Inmarsat, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 had met its end thousands of miles away in the southern Indian Ocean. Responding to this, veteran pilot and Hong Kong Consulting CEO Chen Jianguo points out that the clearest direct evidence to confirm the crash of an aircraft is the wreckage, or a distress call made by the pilot. In addition, in accordance with the range of the plane and any landing areas within the programmed route, it can be inferred whether the plane crashed or not. Malaysian Airlines has announced some items of evidence, but nothing that forms a complete chain of evidence.

Military commentator Yue Gang believes that the conclusion was based on new analysis by British satellite firm Inmarsat, which provided satellite data, and the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). According to their new analysis, they have concluded that MH370 flew along the southern corridor, and that its last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth.

But Chen doesn't think this conclusion is sound. The course of flight MH370 is a matter of conjecture, and the final heading remains unknown, so it is not possible to draw a precise conclusion. The course of the flight has been inferred from the last confirmed signal between the plane and a satellite at 8:11 a.m., which proves only that at this particular moment the plane was exchanging information with the satellite, and no more.

The article is edited and translated from《为何未见残骸就确认“终结”？》, source: Beijing News.