Still no trace of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight as the international search enters its fifth day. Now a woman has come forward claiming she knew the missing co-pilot, and here's how.
"Throughout the whole flight they were talking to us. There were actually smoking throughout the whole flight which I don't think they're allowed to be doing. At one stage, they were basically turned around in their seats." (Via Nine News)
That was Jonti Roos. She says Fariq Ab Hamid invited her and a friend hang out in a cockpit and take pictures during a one-hour flight to Kuala Lupmur back in 2011. (Via Fox News)
Roos later clarified to The Wall Street Journalshe never felt unsafe during the flight and she was not trying to imply the co-pilot was to blame for the plane's disappearance.
Since 9/11, U.S. airlines have banned passengers from flying in the cockpit but internationally that’s not always the case. For that reason, several experts speaking to CNN cautioned against making too much of the allegations.
“International flights are very boring. With the doors unlocked you may have people watching Netflix on their iPads.”
“It’s quite possible it shows an err in judgement in one area and it has nothing to do with their ability to pilot the plane.” (Via CNN)
In a statement, Malaysia Airlines says it had not yet confirmed the Roos' claims but did say it was "shocked by these allegations."
As for the co-pilot, Malaysia Airlines says has about 2,800 hours of experience and had flown for the airline since 2007. His captain had been flying with Malaysia Airlines since 1981. (Via Channel 4)
One of his friends described him as an "aviation tech geek" with an excellent safety record, telling The Guardian that makes pilot error hard to believe.“He knew everything about the Boeing 777 ... Something significant would have had to happen for [him] and the plane to go missing.”
Twelve countries are now involved in hunt for Malaysia Airlines flight 370. Their search now covers 27,000 square miles in the South China Sea.
