Tough Facts About Missing Flight

In the last few days, Malaysians, the Chinese and a lot of other people in the region have been waiting anxiously for news on the missing flight MH370.  In the beginning there was much hope but as the hours go by, I can feel that there is more frustration in the voices of those speaking about it. Once or twice we see interviews with family members of the passengers. Understandably, some express frustration, anguish and some, become emotional.  This is understandable.  However, despite there are a few things that I think we need to be aware off.

We all hope that the plane will be found but there is a distinct possibility that the plane may not be found.  There are past mishaps involving aeroplanes where the vehicles nor their remains were found. It is not a possibility that I wish to entertain so much but it is undeniably a possibility, albeit a highly regrettable one.

The search cannot go on indefinitely. Considering the amount of assets employed in this search and the width (and depth) of the search, the governments and bodies involved will try their best to extend the search for as long and as deep as possible but they cannot extend it indefinitely.  The search involves cost, a lot of it. The amount these bodies can or are willing to spend on the search is finite.

Yes, you want some news. We all want some news about the plane but often there is no news to tell.

The media is extensively covering the mystery now but the media is a fickle animal and it will move on.  When the media is still interested in something, it will be holding everybody else to the highest moral standards but when it loses interest, it will be the epitome of indifference. When that happens, the very people you are vilifying now may only be the very people you need to be interested in your plight to help you pursue a closure or whatever else you may need to happen at the time.

Sometimes, there is no closure.  Look back at all the tragedies that has happened to us, collectively or individually, how many of those have not left us with a decent closure. I fervently hope that this will not be one of them.

Sometimes, it is a matter of fate not blame nor negligence nor attitude nor incompetency.  There may me someone to blame for negligence and everything else but that may sometimes not be the case, this too is a possibility whether we like it or not.

For the time, I pray that the passengers are found hopefully alive and well. As for us, I hope that we do not get overcome by emotions and lose our objectivity. I have seen that some, particularly the more politically inclined ones are already exploiting the tragedy to the further their political agenda, it all now fall upon us to try and remain as calm, reasonable and concentrate on the only thing that we can do that may make a real difference, pray for their safety.