Edited and translated by Huang Jin, People's Daily Online

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 24 March 2014, that new analysis of satellite data suggested that the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 "terminated" in the southern Indian Ocean. He also said the type of analysis used to investigate the mystery of the jetliner's disappearance has never been used before. The statement sparked intense speculation on the part of international media.

Is UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) credible?

The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is part of the Department for Transport and is responsible for the investigation of civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents within the UK and its overseas territories. It was established in 1915. The branch has 79 employees divided into 6 teams. All investigators are experienced aviation experts, engineers, or licensed pilots.

AAIB has investigated many air crashes. The most notable case was the Lockerbie bombing in 1988. In previous investigations conducted by AAIB, there is no precedent for declaring that an air crash has occurred without finding definite wreckage or the black boxes, making the case of flight MH370 very unusual.

As a manufacturer of the engines of the MH 370 Boeing, the UK is assisting Malaysia in the investigation, which is normal procedure after an accident. Two senior investigators from the AAIB arrived in Kuala Lumpur on March 15. Their main tasks are to cooperate with the Malaysian side and follow up the overall progress of the investigation. However, since the beginning of the investigation, Malaysia has refused to disclose to reporters the whereabouts of the international experts, and as a result the reporters have been unable to contact them.

Read the Chinese version: 为何未见残骸就确认“终结”？; Source: Beijing News