New Theory Suggests MH370 Entered Water At 90 Degrees

A new theory suggests that Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished without a trace because the pilot pulled off a perfect nose-dive into the ocean.

A team of mathematicians concluded that the Boeing 777 must have plunged into the water at a 90-degree angle after analysing a series of computer simulations.

They say it is the only scenario that would have kept the aircraft intact and explains why no wreckage or oil has been found since it disappeared in March last year with 239 people on board.

Mathematician Goong Chen, who led the research team, said: 'The true final moments of MH370 are likely to remain a mystery until someday when its black box is finally recovered and decoded.

'But forensics strongly supports that MH370 plunged into the ocean in a nosedive.' 

The researchers used a supercomputer to test five different landing scenarios including a gliding water entry like the one performed by Captain Chesley Sullenberger when he landed a U.S. Airways flight safely on the Hudson River in what is known as 'the miracle of the Hudson'.

However, this was discounted with MH370 because 'ditching a large airplane on the open Indian Ocean generally would involve waves of height several meters or more, easily causing breakup and the leak of debris.' 

The team, from Texas A&M University at Qatar, said the most likely scenario was a vertical or very steep entry because it would have caused the least resistance – much like when a high diver enters the water with little splash.

This would have allowed it to remain completely intact before sinking to the bottom of the Indian Ocean.

The findings come a week after desperate families had their hopes dashed when officials announced they had virtually given up the search for the missing flight.

Salvage experts said the hunt would not be extended beyond the current search zone in the southern Indian Ocean despite earlier promises that it would be.