New speculation - hope they are still alive

Malaysia Airlines plane Flight MH370 missing: New hostage theory

• News.com.au and Network Writers
• News Corp Australia
• March 13, 2014 5:57PM

Malaysia Air Flight MH370: The Transponder Mystery1:37

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WSJ has confirmed that the pilot had the ability to manually turn off the transponder on Flight MH370. A mid-air catastrophe could have destroyed it. Why is the transponder so significant? WSJ's Jason Bellini has #TheShortAnswer.

US investigators are pursuing the possibility that missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 and its 239 passengers and crew are being held against their will at an unknown location.

The Wall Street Journal has this afternoon published sensational claims that counterterrorism officials now believe somebody on board deliberately turned off the plane’s transponders to avoid radar detection.

The report said data automatically downloaded and sent to the ground from the Boeing 777’s engines indicated the plane remained in the air for a total of five hours – a further four hours after contact was lost.

“Officials were told investigators are actively pursuing the notion that the plane was diverted ‘with the intention of using it later for another purpose’,” the paper said, quoting an unnamed source.