Malaysia’s fatal flights

The first fatal flight crash in Malaysia happened in September 1977, the tragedy of JL715, a flight operated by the Japan Airlines. 69 passengers and 10 crew were on board. The pilot miscalculated the runway, and ended up crashing into the side of a 300-foot hill, causing 34 fatalities. The remaining 45 survivors consisted of 43 passengers and 2 crew.

A few months later, in December 1977, Malaysia Airlines suffered its first fatal crash. It was only five years after the establishment of the country’s first airline company. The MH653 flight was scheduled to fly from Penang to Kuala Lumpur, but was hijacked mid-flight.

Later, the hijacker shot both pilots and then himself. Consequently, the plane crashed causing 100 fatalities. The case remains unsolved. However, Kuala Lumpur airport officials claimed that the pilots radioed in, informing that the plane was hijacked by the members of Japanese Red Army.

In March 2014, the MH370 tragedy occurred. It is one of the world’s biggest aviation mystery. The flight was scheduled to fly from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, but disappeared mid-flight. 227 passengers with 12 crew were on-board.

Less than a year later, in July 2014, Malaysia Airlines suffered another aircraft loss. This time, it was MH17. The aircraft was suspected to be shot down by Russian separatist near the Ukranian border using a Buk missile system.