MH370: New Leads on Missing Malaysia Airlines' Flight Shed Light to Its Final Moments

Just minutes after take-off one night in March of 2014, Malaysia Airlines' flight MH370 went off the radar. Since the moment it disappeared, numerous theories have surfaced on how a massive passenger jet with more than 200 passengers could suddenly vanish, with no leads or clues to where it is. Two years later, in 2016, the fate of the plane still remains unsolved. It is known as one of the most mystifying plane crashes of all time.

The two-year search was only able to link three pieces of debris from the missing jet. These pieces may only be small parts of the aircraft, but they have led to a clearer understanding of what happened at the final moments of the missing plane. Analyses of the debris, particularly on the newfound wing flap, have resulted in a shocking discovery: not only is the plane in poorest condition for landing when it hit the water, it was also calculated to have descended at a rapid speed.

According to reports, the degree to which the wing flap has been damaged could indicate that it could have been in a "non-extended position." Not only that, the aircraft was possibly in a diving position rather than a landing position. One of the primary options for water landing is to allow the aircraft to glide, creating lesser risks of impact.

The practice of configuring wing flaps for landing allows for a much slower and safer descent. If it has not been extended, it could only mean that it speedily dove to its fate. Investigators claim that this discovery opens up the idea that there might not be any human intervention at the time of the crash. This means that the pilot may not have been able to do protocols expected during landing or during an emergency. This protocol could have called for readying the plane for a much slower descent. There are even possibilities that there were no attempts to reorient the position of the plane. However, for emergency scenarios like this, the options for a solution are varied.

What really happened is yet to be discovered, and as far as it goes, no evidence is enough that points to a likely suspect. Two years' worth of investigations have resulted to a number of speculations and theories, but these new discoveries have led to re-open discussions on the investigation and possibly revive a bigger and wider search for more clues on what happened to MH370.