There are fears the missing Malaysia Airways jet may have been ‘hijacked by hackers using a mobile phone.’
Intelligence experts reportedly believe the plane could have been controlled remotely using a mobile device.
Those involved could alter the plane’s speed, altitude or direction using electronic signals, the Daily Express reports.
Potential culprits are thought to range from terrorists to a foreign government.
Dr Sally Leivesley, a British anti-terrorism expert, told the paper: “Thee appears to be an element of planning from someone with a very sophisticated systems engineering understanding.
“This is a very early version of what I would call a smart plane, a fly-by-wire aircraft controlled by electronic signals.”
For all the latest on the disappearance of flight MH370 follow coverage of the story
The revelations come after Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak yesterday confirmed the Boeing 777 jet was deliberately diverted from its planned route between his country’s capital Kuala Lumpur and Beijing.
Investigators said trackers aboard the plane, which transmit its location to air traffic controllers, were disabled moments after take-off last Friday.
And the airliner could have flown on for seven hours after vanishing from radar over the South China Sea.
The jet vanished in the early hours of the 8th.
Experts say it could have crossed up to 14 countries and landed safely in Kazakhstan or crashed into the Indian Ocean.
Investigators believe someone with flying experience took the cockpit controls and steered Flight MH370 off its planned route.
A Malaysian government official said the hijacking theory was now “conclusive”.
Radar tracks show the plane climbing and descending in unusual patterns, which should have alerted air traffic controllers that something was wrong.
MH370 flew to 45,000ft – almost 2,000ft above what Boeing says is its maximum recommended height – before descending to 23,000ft.
It changed course at least twice from its scheduled route – first to fly west back towards Malaysia and then north west into one of two air lanes used by commercial planes.
A total of 57 ships, 48 aircraft and 13 nations are taking part in the air and sea search .
Loaded with maximum fuel, a Boeing 777 plane can fly for 7,725 miles.
But aviation experts said it was unlikely it would have that much in the tanks for its scheduled flight path.
If MH370 flew through other countries’ airspaces it should have triggered national air defences.
Malaysian authorities have been criticised for keeping the possibility of a hijack secret for eight days.
Malaysian PM Razak said yesterday: “We can say with a high degree of certainty that the aircraft communications addressing and reporting system was disabled just before it reached the east coast of peninsular Malaysia.
“Shortly afterwards the aircraft’s transponder was switched off.
“From this point onwards, the Royal Malaysian Air Force primary radar showed an aircraft believed to be MH370 did indeed turn back. It then flew in a westerly direction back over peninsular Malaysia before turning north west.
“These movements are consistent with deliberate action by someone on the plane.”
