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The statement by the Malaysian Prime Minister that flight 370 was deliberately diverted presents a confusing end to very chaotic week of wild reports and speculation about what happened to the flight. Could it get any more confusing? Well, we just found out.
It seems likely that the Malaysian government knew of this possibility before now. It seems likely that they were sitting on the information, waiting for additional confirmation or the right moment to release it. Government officials facing crisis situations often delay announcements of a drastic nature, hoping something else will turn up or simply to let the public digest the first part of a crisis before adding to general concerns.
Is it possible the airline crew decided to take the Boeing 777 in an unscheduled direction? Yes. Is it possible that other crew members tried to reassert control or were themselves in on it? Yes, again. The Malaysian government might have more information about this possibility than it is ready to disclose right now. After all, it makes the airline and the government look bad if the pilots themselves took the airplane.
Some major, additional clarification is probable within in the next 24 to 48 hours. It could come from the American government, which is monitoring the situation and sharing the frustration of the world that better information has not been forthcoming. The fact that the Prime Minster acknowledged the possibility of a hijacking, a deliberate diversion of the aircraft, will create enormous pressure to provide concrete information, as much as is known, about the situation.
Doug Terry, 3.15.14
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