As the search area widens for Malaysia Airlines flight 370, which disappeared a week ago, Malaysia's prime minister said Saturday he believes someone on board purposefully altered the plane's flight path.
According to CNN, Malaysian military radar indicates the plane made unusual changes in altitude and direction and investigators believe communications systems were shut off manually by someone on board.
"A data link that transmits messages about the jets performance and engines: shut down. And so did the transponders which send controllers detailed information about the plane's speed, altitude and position." (Via CBS)
That information led Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak to tell reporters: "This movement is consistent with deliberate action on the plane." (Via Euronews)
The New York Times reports the search has no become a criminal inquiry. Investigators are still unsure why the plane would've changed course but have continually said they're keeping all possibilities open.
Najib also said at the press conference the search has now moved from the South China Sea to two different zones: Central Asia, as far north as Kazakhstan, and the southern Indian Ocean.
The New York Times reports, "That conclusion was based on a final signal from the plane picked up on satellite at 8:11 a.m. on March 8, nearly seven hours after ground control lost contact with the jet."
According to The Wall Street Journal, authorities will begin refocusing attention on the passengers and crew members and earlier this week, NASA said it will help in the search effort by analyzing satellite images to find possible crash sites.
Najib said there are currently 14 countries, 43 ships and 58 aircraft involved in the search of the missing flight.
