Authorities have yet to find any sign of a Malaysia Airlines flight that went missing over the weekend. Multiple reports of possible debris and oil slicks have turned out to be unrelated, and families of those onboard are left with little more than hope. Flight MH 370 vanished off radar, about an hour into its flight to Beijing. More than 200 people were on board, including three Americans.
At a press conference Monday, authorities said the two men known to have boarded the plane using stolen passports didn't appear to look Asian. They made the statement after reviewing security footage of the men. Officials said the search has now been expanded by 100 nautical miles. The search operation for the missing plane has involved 34 aircraft and 40 ships from several countries.
It's been three days since Malaysian flight 370 disappeared into thin air, and there are still no clues to explain what happened. Aside from radar showing the plane may have tried to turn back, the mystery is merely sparking speculation.
Fresno aviation expert and pilot Doug Betts says, "Does that mean it turned back or could that mean that it's falling down to the ground or that it's falling down to the ground closer to where it took off?"
Betts says signs point mostly toward a massive equipment failure, but he also says a mid air explosion can't be ruled out.
"If the plane broke apart then I would anticipate that we could find some debris floating in the waters, however it's a really big area," says Betts.
The disappearance of the Boeing 777 comes less than a year after the same type of plane crashed at San Francisco International, killing three people. The latest tragedy is not enough to stop people from flying. Agents at Fresno's Pro Travel have been busy all day booking flights.
Pro Travel agent Jessica Henderson says, "We haven't had any phone calls or anything and it hasn't affected anybody traveling."
"You can't live your life in fear. You can't live your life like that otherwise you wouldn't get in car, you wouldn't send your children off to school," says resident Linda Cole.
Statistics show commercial airline accidents are few and far between, and fatal accidents even more rare. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, in 2011, there were more than 32,000 highway fatalities; that's compared to nearly 500 aviation deaths- none of which involved a commercial plane.