Oil Rig Worker Claims Seeing Malaysia Airlines MH370 Boeing 777 Ablaze in 2014

The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 remains aviation’s most perplexing puzzle. The Boeing 777 vanished on March 8, 2014. It was carrying 239 passengers and crew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The decade-long mystery has fueled many theories. One man’s account has persisted since the beginning.

The Forgotten Witness Account

Mike McKay, a New Zealand oil rig worker, claims he saw the aircraft. He was working aboard the Songa Mercur oil rig. This location was off the coast of Vietnam on the fateful night. McKay was taking a cigarette break when he saw the object. He maintains he saw an aircraft ablaze at high altitude. The burning object was visible for about 10 to 15 seconds. McKay immediately reported his observation to his supervisors. He sent an email describing the plane burning at a compass bearing of 265 to 275 degrees. The timing of the sighting aligned with the plane’s loss of contact. Vietnamese officials initially dispatched aircraft following McKay's alert.

Dismissal and Controversy

McKay’s oil rig worker witness account was quickly dismissed. His observation placed the sighting in the South China Sea search area. This location was perpendicular to the plane’s normal flight path. The official investigation later concluded the plane flew west. This trajectory led to the southern Indian Ocean. Experts noted the distance to the last known radar point was approximately 580 km. This distance would likely have placed the aircraft below the horizon from the rig.

McKay’s confidential email was leaked to the media. He later lost his job following the incident. McKay has never withdrawn his Mike McKay account. He insists the official search is misplaced. He questions how the jet crossed the Malay Peninsula unnoticed. He also suggests the break-up could have been in the South China Sea. This is contrary to the widely accepted southern Indian Ocean arc. This highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the commercial aviation mystery.

Renewed Search Efforts

The search for the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 wreckage is resuming. This renewed effort comes nearly 11 years after the aircraft vanished. The Malaysian Transport Ministry confirmed the resumption. Marine robotics company Ocean Infinity will restart operations. The company is operating under a “no-find, no-fee” contract. This renewed search targets a new 15,000 square kilometer area. The location is in the southern Indian Ocean.

Ocean Infinity had previously paused operations in April 2025. This was due to off-season weather and extreme sea conditions. The active search phase is now scheduled to begin on December 30, 2025. The vessel Armada 86 05 is equipped with autonomous underwater vehicles. These tools are essential for mapping the deep seabed. The search remains a critical, unresolved aviation incident.

Impact on Aviation Trust

The MH370 disappearance continues to challenge global aviation. It raises serious questions about tracking technology. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has pushed for better tracking standards. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also monitors these developments. The lack of closure impacts public trust in the industry.

• Trustworthiness: The dismissal of the Mike McKay account shows the challenge of verifying claims against complex data.
• Regulation: The incident spurred new global tracking requirements for commercial aircraft.
• Technology: The search relies on advanced marine robotics from Ocean Infinity. This shows the high cost and difficulty of deep-sea recovery.

Stakeholders, including Boeing, await the search results. The families of the 239 people onboard seek final answers. The ongoing search is a major focus in commercial aviation news. The resumption offers a fresh chance to solve this enduring commercial aviation mystery. For more on this and other aviation news, visit flying.flights.