What do you think?
Rate this book
The Plane That Wasn't There: Why We Haven't Found Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
The definitive investigation into the greatest aviation mystery in history, with a startling hypothesis about who took the plane, where they took it, and how.
On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared. A year later, still no trace of the plane — or the 239 people on board—has been found. But why?
In “The Plane That Wasn't There,” science journalist and CNN Aviation Analyst Jeff Wise sweeps aside the conspiracy theories and misconceptions and lays out with clear concision just what we know about the plane’s fate — and what we don’t.
The deeper into the technical details one delves, Wise reports, the stranger the case seems. He proposes that in order to make sense of the data we have, a radical new hypothesis ought to be considered—one which he lays out in gripping detail, complete with modus operandi, flight path, possible perpetrators, and a startling destination.
Jeff Wise a science journalist specializing in aviation and psychology. A licensed pilot of gliders and light airplanes, he has also written for 'New York', the 'New York Times', 'Time', 'Businessweek', 'Esquire', 'Details', and many others.
His 2011 'Popular Mechanics' story on the fate of Air France 447 was named one of the Top 10 Longreads of 2011. His last book was 'Extreme Fear: The Science of Your Mind in Danger'.
A native of Massachusetts, he lives in New York City with his wife and two sons.
On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared. A year later, still no trace of the plane — or the 239 people on board—has been found. But why?
In “The Plane That Wasn't There,” science journalist and CNN Aviation Analyst Jeff Wise sweeps aside the conspiracy theories and misconceptions and lays out with clear concision just what we know about the plane’s fate — and what we don’t.
The deeper into the technical details one delves, Wise reports, the stranger the case seems. He proposes that in order to make sense of the data we have, a radical new hypothesis ought to be considered—one which he lays out in gripping detail, complete with modus operandi, flight path, possible perpetrators, and a startling destination.
Jeff Wise a science journalist specializing in aviation and psychology. A licensed pilot of gliders and light airplanes, he has also written for 'New York', the 'New York Times', 'Time', 'Businessweek', 'Esquire', 'Details', and many others.
His 2011 'Popular Mechanics' story on the fate of Air France 447 was named one of the Top 10 Longreads of 2011. His last book was 'Extreme Fear: The Science of Your Mind in Danger'.
A native of Massachusetts, he lives in New York City with his wife and two sons.
95 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 15, 2015
281 people are currently reading
494 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Wise
15 books19 followersJeff Wise is a science writer, outdoor adventurer, and pilot of airplanes and gliders. A contributing editor at Popular Mechanics and Travel + Leisure, he has also written for The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Details, Popular Science, Men’s Journal, and many others. In the course of his journalism career he has surfed in Alaska, scuba dived the South China Sea, piloted a WWII fighter plane, and mushed a dog team in Montana. He lives in New York City.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
February 1, 2022
MH370. I remember the day they announced the plane had disappeared. I figured they would find wreckage quickly and the news would switch from calling it a mystery to an accident quickly. But, it didn't happen. Very little wreckage was found and experts still don't know what happened. I know very little about commercial airliners, flight paths, sonar, and the science involved in finding something underneath miles of ocean water. But I'm fascinated by it and try to learn as much as I can. A plane seems large and basically "unloseable" until the reality sinks in that it's lost amid hundreds of miles of ocean.....and most likely seven miles underwater. The plane really isn't that big when thought of in those terms.
I found this book on Audible Plus and wanted to learn more about the search for the plane and the science behind it. I didn't know who Jeff Wise is until I started listening. Wise is a science journalist and was an expert hired by a media outlet to give reports when the plane went missing. So, he knows the case and has opinions. Better informed opinions than me.
So I listened.
Wise presents the facts and the science in an interesting way. He explains how they used sonar pings and satellite communication to find a way to trace the plane. I kept stopping the audio to look things up when I needed more information on the plane, people he mentions, the situation, the Malaysian government, etc
I enjoyed the science, Wise's explanations of how the search progressed and the information about the plane and its inner workings. But, Wise also interjected an idea of what might have happened to the plane and why. I found his musings about hijacking a bit far fetched because I couldn't find a motive behind it. Why would anyone -- even a terrorist or government group -- go through such an intricate plan to take an airplane? I could follow his ideas through the reasons why it could have happened that way.....but his explanations of WHY it would have been done just didn't seem credible to me. In a James Bond movie where everything has to be grandiose and overdone....yes. In real life world politics, no. The answer to every unexplained tragedy that causes multiple deaths is not: The Russians.
But, I'm not an expert.
The only way we will ever know is if they find the plane.
Interesting listen. The audio runs 2 hrs 22 minutes, and is read by the author. I'm glad I took the time to listen to this audio book. The science and background information is fascinating. But, Wise's conspiracy theory falls a bit flat IMHO.
This is the first book by Jeff Wise that I've read. I will definitely read more!
I found this book on Audible Plus and wanted to learn more about the search for the plane and the science behind it. I didn't know who Jeff Wise is until I started listening. Wise is a science journalist and was an expert hired by a media outlet to give reports when the plane went missing. So, he knows the case and has opinions. Better informed opinions than me.
So I listened.
Wise presents the facts and the science in an interesting way. He explains how they used sonar pings and satellite communication to find a way to trace the plane. I kept stopping the audio to look things up when I needed more information on the plane, people he mentions, the situation, the Malaysian government, etc
I enjoyed the science, Wise's explanations of how the search progressed and the information about the plane and its inner workings. But, Wise also interjected an idea of what might have happened to the plane and why. I found his musings about hijacking a bit far fetched because I couldn't find a motive behind it. Why would anyone -- even a terrorist or government group -- go through such an intricate plan to take an airplane? I could follow his ideas through the reasons why it could have happened that way.....but his explanations of WHY it would have been done just didn't seem credible to me. In a James Bond movie where everything has to be grandiose and overdone....yes. In real life world politics, no. The answer to every unexplained tragedy that causes multiple deaths is not: The Russians.
But, I'm not an expert.
The only way we will ever know is if they find the plane.
Interesting listen. The audio runs 2 hrs 22 minutes, and is read by the author. I'm glad I took the time to listen to this audio book. The science and background information is fascinating. But, Wise's conspiracy theory falls a bit flat IMHO.
This is the first book by Jeff Wise that I've read. I will definitely read more!
March 5, 2015
So, let's make sure we're on the same page:
1) We never found any wreckage from MH370 in the Indian Ocean;
2) Therefore it must have actually flown north, toward Kazakhstan;
3) But, since the satellite communications data SAID it went south, that data must have been faked.
Therefore, Russian commandos hijacked the plane, flew it to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and faked its disappearance to pay back the west for levying sanctions in the aftermath of the invasion of the Ukraine. Got all that?
Yeah, me neither.
1) We never found any wreckage from MH370 in the Indian Ocean;
2) Therefore it must have actually flown north, toward Kazakhstan;
3) But, since the satellite communications data SAID it went south, that data must have been faked.
Therefore, Russian commandos hijacked the plane, flew it to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and faked its disappearance to pay back the west for levying sanctions in the aftermath of the invasion of the Ukraine. Got all that?
Yeah, me neither.
February 27, 2015
We all remember the news stories about Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which set out from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing and should have arrived six hours later. Instead, it left Malaysian airspace with a standard message to sign off and then, seemingly, disappeared. Within fifteen minutes, air traffic controllers in Hanoi were wondering why MH370 had not radioed in to establish contact – it never would. Declared missing, a search began, which left specialists discussing what had happened and why the plane had seemingly veered off in a different direction than the flight path it had been following. Had the plane come down in the Southern Indian Ocean, was it hi-jacked?
Author Jeff Wise was one of CNN’s aviation analysts and, when the story was headline news, he appeared on television – often several times a day – to give his opinions as to what might have happened and speculate with other experts. Like all news stories, though, this one was eventually replaced by others and, despite there being no answers, it was given less and less coverage. For Jeff Wise, though, and a scattered group of amateur experts around the world and united by the internet, this story was far from over. Analysing data, mathematical formula and discussing theories, they named themselves the Independent Group and included experts as far apart as New Zealand, the UK, Frankfurt and Sweden. Wise refers to them, only half-jokingly, as “the Bletchley Park of aeronautical sleuthing.”
Although much of this short ebook can be hard to follow – with the author discussing various ‘pings’ and electronic handshakes the plane transmitted – it is also riveting. Obviously, there have been theories about what happened to MH370 and they range from the obvious (mechanical failure) to the absurd (alien abduction). There is no way to know, at the moment, whether this theory is correct or not (I will not spoil the read for you by explaining the authors conclusions) although Wise has unveiled his thoughts in the New York Magazine before. This kindle single is an expanded version and, when he outlines what he thinks happened on board, it reads like a thriller. However, we have to remember that this was a real plane and real people were on board, with families who have still not received answers to what actually happened to their loved ones. However, it is hard not to be impressed by his research and this is an intriguing and interesting read.
Author Jeff Wise was one of CNN’s aviation analysts and, when the story was headline news, he appeared on television – often several times a day – to give his opinions as to what might have happened and speculate with other experts. Like all news stories, though, this one was eventually replaced by others and, despite there being no answers, it was given less and less coverage. For Jeff Wise, though, and a scattered group of amateur experts around the world and united by the internet, this story was far from over. Analysing data, mathematical formula and discussing theories, they named themselves the Independent Group and included experts as far apart as New Zealand, the UK, Frankfurt and Sweden. Wise refers to them, only half-jokingly, as “the Bletchley Park of aeronautical sleuthing.”
Although much of this short ebook can be hard to follow – with the author discussing various ‘pings’ and electronic handshakes the plane transmitted – it is also riveting. Obviously, there have been theories about what happened to MH370 and they range from the obvious (mechanical failure) to the absurd (alien abduction). There is no way to know, at the moment, whether this theory is correct or not (I will not spoil the read for you by explaining the authors conclusions) although Wise has unveiled his thoughts in the New York Magazine before. This kindle single is an expanded version and, when he outlines what he thinks happened on board, it reads like a thriller. However, we have to remember that this was a real plane and real people were on board, with families who have still not received answers to what actually happened to their loved ones. However, it is hard not to be impressed by his research and this is an intriguing and interesting read.
March 25, 2015
This was a wonderful read. For the first time, I felt like someone very knowledgable provides me with all that's known about the wretched flight, explained very clearly and grippingly. It was so gripping, in fact, that I actually stayed up reading it at night, not being able to stop. On top of that, Wise weaves a plausible-sounding theory for what might have happened to the flight and its passengers. I've read some cut-throat critique on it, but I found the calculations sound, and the explanations well based on the known and accepted information. I'm now looking forward to reading Wise's earlier book, Extreme Fear. Whatever it is about, I'm sure it will be fascinating, and that Wise can turn even the phone book into an exciting read. Will continue following his writing.
March 23, 2023
The Plane that wasn't there - I picked this book after seeing the teaser of the Netflix show. Since Jeff Wise seemed to be pretty vocal on the logical reasoning and science part, I expected this book to attempt at explaining the unsolved mystery. I remember the panic and excitement when it happened but slowly it moved out of the conscious concerns list.
I found the book's detailing of the factual events accurate and well researched. The parts that offered a plausible alternative, first started out as a stretch, but then he lines of events and possible evidences to convince you. Will you be convinced? I am not so sure since you have identified a villain who is easy to fear.
I found there is a sequel written in 2019 after every department failed spectacularly in finding the wreckage despite Wise warning them this would happen. By failing to prove him wrong, Wise would try to convince you the 100% of his tale. Plausible and probable are at loggerheads in this with conflicting "data backed insights" and lack fo research. I kept wondering if there was someone hidden in the passenger list that was the intended victim.
As far as documentary books go, this book is a decent one. Peace to the family of all the victims.
I found the book's detailing of the factual events accurate and well researched. The parts that offered a plausible alternative, first started out as a stretch, but then he lines of events and possible evidences to convince you. Will you be convinced? I am not so sure since you have identified a villain who is easy to fear.
I found there is a sequel written in 2019 after every department failed spectacularly in finding the wreckage despite Wise warning them this would happen. By failing to prove him wrong, Wise would try to convince you the 100% of his tale. Plausible and probable are at loggerheads in this with conflicting "data backed insights" and lack fo research. I kept wondering if there was someone hidden in the passenger list that was the intended victim.
As far as documentary books go, this book is a decent one. Peace to the family of all the victims.
March 21, 2015
The mystery of flight MH370 has fascinated me and compelled me to buy this book. In this book, Wise starts out on a Sherlock Holmes-esque mystery, and hopes that in the end the reader will accept his Sherlock Holmes answer of, "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."
He fails miserably.
In the early pages Wies throws out credible, new, interesting, and intriguing facts. He then tries to connect the facts to come to a conclusion about what happened to Flight MH370. Here is where the problems begin. He ignores some of the most interesting and credible facts, and stretches the others. He finally comes to an unsupported conclusion that ranks up there with "alien abduction."
Wies is a professional writer and reporter. As such, I expected a comprehensive well thought-out and structured argument. What I got was a poorly crafted argument with holes in it big enough to hide a Boeing 777, and an unsupported conclusion.
Other than that, he should have hired an editor to fix grammar, typos and the like. I am sorry Wise published this book, it destroyed my respect for him and his brand.
He fails miserably.
In the early pages Wies throws out credible, new, interesting, and intriguing facts. He then tries to connect the facts to come to a conclusion about what happened to Flight MH370. Here is where the problems begin. He ignores some of the most interesting and credible facts, and stretches the others. He finally comes to an unsupported conclusion that ranks up there with "alien abduction."
Wies is a professional writer and reporter. As such, I expected a comprehensive well thought-out and structured argument. What I got was a poorly crafted argument with holes in it big enough to hide a Boeing 777, and an unsupported conclusion.
Other than that, he should have hired an editor to fix grammar, typos and the like. I am sorry Wise published this book, it destroyed my respect for him and his brand.
November 22, 2016
This should have been much better. Aside from the numerous typographical errors and grammatical mistakes, the entirety of the story kept pushing a ridiculous theory that had little supporting evidence and even less motivational fortitude. Perhaps the plane went north instead of south; if we completely ignore one data set from the satellites. Perhaps "the hijackers" were such criminal masterminds that they predicted hacking into a computer satellite/plane system and planting false data in a program that had never been used to track a plane to such a degree before. Way too many what ifs. No motivations. And even less evidence. I was hoping for some clarity and just got some outlandish, crazy hypotheses. I think it was a Smithsonian documentary that managed to shed much more light on the situation.
September 23, 2016
Well, theories about what happened to flight 370 are a dime a dozen, the author relies heavily in hijacking and Russian intelligence retaliation as a cause of the plane's disappearance. The lack of debris (at the time the book was written) is also used as a reason the author thinks the plane did not went south but north somehow avoiding detection and landing in Kazakhstan.
New debris has been found yet none has been confirmed to be from flight 370 to the date. The newest, I believe is the "death dive", the pilot(s) deliberately made the plane crash into the ocean hours after signaling off manually: "Good Night Malaysian Three Seven Zero."
New debris has been found yet none has been confirmed to be from flight 370 to the date. The newest, I believe is the "death dive", the pilot(s) deliberately made the plane crash into the ocean hours after signaling off manually: "Good Night Malaysian Three Seven Zero."
November 12, 2018
Interesting read - very detailed, hypotheses well-supported.
Too bad this came out right before we did find actual wreckage from MH370. Otherwise this might have become a bigger deal.
Too bad this came out right before we did find actual wreckage from MH370. Otherwise this might have become a bigger deal.
January 22, 2025
Thought this would be an exploration of the full evidence we'd found and known facts at the time, and Wise had me in the first half. But apparently Wise has plucked a theory out of thin air and fully admits he has no idea about the motive for his theory.
April 24, 2015
Very insightful
I thought the author made a lot of interesting and insightful points in this book. His research seemed very solid as did many of his deductions. And he was upfront about his own fears that a mistake had been made by himself and other investigators when they concluded early on that the plane had most likely gone south. ***spoiler alert*** I do have some degree of difficulty with the authors' final conclusion about who exactly hijacked the flight. He comes up with the Russian government as the bad guys, citing certain circumstantial evidence, including where he feels the plane landed if it actually went north, instead of south as previously assumed. When another Malaysian flight is shot down by the Russians sometime later (6 months or so, I think), he feels this bolsters his theory. He doesn't have much of a theory as to why exactly the Russian government would do this, except a rather vague idea about Russia trying to pick a fight with the United States, possibly with an eye to starting world war III. I find this scenario to be a little far fetched. With the biggest pieces of evidence to bolster his case being where he thinks the plane landed and the other Malaysian plane being shot down, it seems like a stretch. I think regular terrorists were dismissed too soon from his scenario. The consensus being that terrorists wouldn't have tried so hard to hide hijacking a plane. There would have been demands and hostages being shot, right? Normally, yes. But maybe the terrorists did this because they wanted the plane for some reason. They want this plane, but they don't want anyone to know they have it. Why? To use in some major terrorist operation down the line. Far-fetched? Sure. But no more so than the Russian government being behind it. What could they use the plane find for? Delivering a dirty bomb or a nuke? I keep thinking about the EMP scenario, where a singleness detonated over central North America would shut down almost all of the United States and Canada, taking years and possibly decades to recover from. The bomb would have to be detonated between 25 and 500 miles above the ground. The world record height of a jumbo jet flying is just over 18 miles, because their engines need oxygen, and it gets thinner the higher you go. Could one reach 25 miles? Or is this too silly to even contemplate? If a terror group actually had a nuke, I'm sure they would be able to come up with an easier way to deliver it, right?
I thought the author made a lot of interesting and insightful points in this book. His research seemed very solid as did many of his deductions. And he was upfront about his own fears that a mistake had been made by himself and other investigators when they concluded early on that the plane had most likely gone south. ***spoiler alert*** I do have some degree of difficulty with the authors' final conclusion about who exactly hijacked the flight. He comes up with the Russian government as the bad guys, citing certain circumstantial evidence, including where he feels the plane landed if it actually went north, instead of south as previously assumed. When another Malaysian flight is shot down by the Russians sometime later (6 months or so, I think), he feels this bolsters his theory. He doesn't have much of a theory as to why exactly the Russian government would do this, except a rather vague idea about Russia trying to pick a fight with the United States, possibly with an eye to starting world war III. I find this scenario to be a little far fetched. With the biggest pieces of evidence to bolster his case being where he thinks the plane landed and the other Malaysian plane being shot down, it seems like a stretch. I think regular terrorists were dismissed too soon from his scenario. The consensus being that terrorists wouldn't have tried so hard to hide hijacking a plane. There would have been demands and hostages being shot, right? Normally, yes. But maybe the terrorists did this because they wanted the plane for some reason. They want this plane, but they don't want anyone to know they have it. Why? To use in some major terrorist operation down the line. Far-fetched? Sure. But no more so than the Russian government being behind it. What could they use the plane find for? Delivering a dirty bomb or a nuke? I keep thinking about the EMP scenario, where a singleness detonated over central North America would shut down almost all of the United States and Canada, taking years and possibly decades to recover from. The bomb would have to be detonated between 25 and 500 miles above the ground. The world record height of a jumbo jet flying is just over 18 miles, because their engines need oxygen, and it gets thinner the higher you go. Could one reach 25 miles? Or is this too silly to even contemplate? If a terror group actually had a nuke, I'm sure they would be able to come up with an easier way to deliver it, right?
April 17, 2018
3.5 stars.
The mystery of Malaysia Flight MH370 is one that still boggles pretty much everyone. I don't know what I was expecting from this book by Jeff Wise, I knew he couldn't possibly provide much fact about what happened to the airliner, but I was expecting a little more than educated conspiracy theories. I have to give him some credit, his theories were interesting, and in the prologue he did mention that he would be stating his theories. "Our data didn't lead to anything so it must have been the Russians." Kind of a far reach.
He seemed to know what he was talking about as far as general information about the flight, and it really was a "thought-provoking" read. It makes me want to know more about what happened to MH370, but unfortunately, I may never know.
I still say Aliens.
The mystery of Malaysia Flight MH370 is one that still boggles pretty much everyone. I don't know what I was expecting from this book by Jeff Wise, I knew he couldn't possibly provide much fact about what happened to the airliner, but I was expecting a little more than educated conspiracy theories. I have to give him some credit, his theories were interesting, and in the prologue he did mention that he would be stating his theories. "Our data didn't lead to anything so it must have been the Russians." Kind of a far reach.
He seemed to know what he was talking about as far as general information about the flight, and it really was a "thought-provoking" read. It makes me want to know more about what happened to MH370, but unfortunately, I may never know.
I still say Aliens.
February 8, 2022
No one, till date, knows what happened to the missing MH370. There are all kind of theories floating around. In this book, Jeff Wise puts together a reasonable scenario of what might have happened. The theory seems plausible, but the motive doesn't fit in. He gives a very vehement argument on why a motive doesn't have to fit it.
This book read like a detective novel. I am impressed by the detailed analysis. The technical details were mind-boggling.
The audible narration by the author was fine, however 'quote'- 'unquote' was distracting.
This book read like a detective novel. I am impressed by the detailed analysis. The technical details were mind-boggling.
The audible narration by the author was fine, however 'quote'- 'unquote' was distracting.
November 26, 2023
Exhaustive read, not overly technical. Not sure why people call the author racist, only because of a theory that he founds basis and motiv for.
December 4, 2017
I've always found the mystery of what happened to flight MH370 intriguing. Despite our technological advances, we still don't have a definitive conclusion of MH370 accident.
The author in this book gathers the facts and everything that was done for MH370 to try to come with a theory that explains what happened. Unfortunately, his theory is so ridiculous and absurd that it touches the boundaries of fiction. The theory lacks strong basis and has many illogical jumps. In addition to this, the scenario of what happened that the author proposes needs to be perfect, too perfect in fact, for it to hold up.
Disappointing read for an interesting topic.
The author in this book gathers the facts and everything that was done for MH370 to try to come with a theory that explains what happened. Unfortunately, his theory is so ridiculous and absurd that it touches the boundaries of fiction. The theory lacks strong basis and has many illogical jumps. In addition to this, the scenario of what happened that the author proposes needs to be perfect, too perfect in fact, for it to hold up.
Disappointing read for an interesting topic.
February 19, 2024
Mh370, the plane that disappeared without a trace. The author meticulously gathered information from various scientific sources, incorporating physics and mathematics to support the investigation. Despite the consistent conclusion that the plane's whereabouts remain unknown, it's still reassuring to have this comprehensive overview.
After reading this book with all the facts and figures, I still want to believe that the plane has shifted its 5th dimension (time) and is still there in some timeline 😂
After reading this book with all the facts and figures, I still want to believe that the plane has shifted its 5th dimension (time) and is still there in some timeline 😂
November 4, 2024
This book gives us the insight that the Netflix documentary failed us to give. This makes much sense but also is kind of scary how a common man has to pay between the wars of bigger countries. Unfortunately the families of the passengers might not get the answers.
January 8, 2022
A fascinating theory on what may have happened to Flight 370.
February 16, 2022
A very fun quick read. Learned a lot about planes. I was in the hospital while everything was going on so I didn't follow this to much back in 2014 so it was nice this author started from the beginning and explained the situation and what was going on in the world at the time.
Now I just want to read more mysteries and anything about planes.
It seems so hard to find good books lately I really appreciate when I find one.
Now I just want to read more mysteries and anything about planes.
It seems so hard to find good books lately I really appreciate when I find one.
December 11, 2017
This was a very well written and researched account of what we know about MH370. The author first summarizes what we know occurred, investigates discrepancies in the satellite data and proposes a theory as for what happened. This is by far the most objective and most convincing book out there on MH370; this doesn't mean that the author's theories are necessarily true but I think his case is quite convincing and fact-based. The book also gives a brief overview of how the satellite data unit(SDU) inside the electronics and equipment bay(E/E bay) works and how they could potentially be hacked and spoofed. Moreover, the author also touches upon the possible connection with the shoot-down of MH17 as well as geopolitical backdrop of these events.
While I appreciate that the author spent a considerable amount of time and money in investigating the satellite data as well as the backgrounds of three passengers, I felt that his theories for possible motive are a bit lacking. Obviously, we cannot know the true motive, but I felt the book would have been more thorough if it gave a list of other possible motives including precious cargo or passengers, pilot suicide, etc. Overall this book is a must-read for anyone who has been following the mysterious disappearance of MH370 or anyone who is concerned about flight disappearances, vulnerabilities in airplane electronics and satellite communications and how to prevent these tragedies from occurring in the future.
While I appreciate that the author spent a considerable amount of time and money in investigating the satellite data as well as the backgrounds of three passengers, I felt that his theories for possible motive are a bit lacking. Obviously, we cannot know the true motive, but I felt the book would have been more thorough if it gave a list of other possible motives including precious cargo or passengers, pilot suicide, etc. Overall this book is a must-read for anyone who has been following the mysterious disappearance of MH370 or anyone who is concerned about flight disappearances, vulnerabilities in airplane electronics and satellite communications and how to prevent these tragedies from occurring in the future.
July 4, 2023
The mysterious case of the vanishing Flight MH370 has both chilled and intrigued me since it was first reported. This book, although not nearly as good as another I read last year - Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: Why It Disappeared and Why It's Only a Matter of Time Before This Happens Again - it still does a serviceable job in postulating an alternative scenario. This in spite of the extremely hacky segment where Wise attempts to dramatize his scenario in the form of a thriller novel, with cringey prose like: "Here for the next six hours, they will be pressed together in a forced camaraderie of late capitalistic travel drudgery".
September 12, 2020
Thought Provoking Analysis & Speculation
This was an excellent short book about why we haven't found this missing plane. The first part gives information about what facts we do know, how satellites were used to track the plane's trajectory and how some of the major search efforts were conducted. There is a chapter on speculation that is quite interesting, with information regarding his search efforts in the following chapters. It would make an excellent conspiracy show on one of the streaming channels. An informative read. The author narrated the audio book and he has an excellent voice for it.
This was an excellent short book about why we haven't found this missing plane. The first part gives information about what facts we do know, how satellites were used to track the plane's trajectory and how some of the major search efforts were conducted. There is a chapter on speculation that is quite interesting, with information regarding his search efforts in the following chapters. It would make an excellent conspiracy show on one of the streaming channels. An informative read. The author narrated the audio book and he has an excellent voice for it.
June 29, 2018
Good read
I liked this book. It's a good book for techies. I think the average reader may get bored, however since I spent my life working in aviation, I found this book very interesting....I never accepted the crap the American news media relayed on the disappearance of this plane.
I liked this book. It's a good book for techies. I think the average reader may get bored, however since I spent my life working in aviation, I found this book very interesting....I never accepted the crap the American news media relayed on the disappearance of this plane.
April 17, 2022
Good this audiobook was free, I would have regretted buying it. Wild conspiracy theory about the events. We don't need another one. Someone please save us from these people.
January 23, 2023
This is a ridiculous book.
Wise spends 50% of the book sketching, with reasonable success, the puzzle of conflicting sources of satellite data. We come to appreciate how physics makes locating a plane more of an art than science. We actually learn something here.
The other 50% of the book amounts to one of saddest conspiracy theories I've heard. Basically, Wise wants to convince you that a Russian and two Ukrainian passengers collaborated to temper with sophisticated control gear on a Boeing 747, incapacitated all 12 crew members, and landed the plane in "one of the stans". He doesn't explain what happens next, but implies that all the passengers are probably all killed, since, you know, Russians bad.
As to motive, Wise first refused to give one, as "proving a murder case doesn't require providing a motive" (never mind that you do, actually). Then he implies that it's Putin trying to get back at Obama for his sanctions! That makes sense because in order to harm US national interests you would TOTALLY kill about 150 Chinese and 50 Malaysians, wouldn't you?
Even if we forgive Wise for understanding a negative amount of how international politics works, we cannot overlook how stupid the argument is. The argument consisted of - if we can't find the plan in Indian Ocean, then it must be in Kazakhstan, never mind that humans fail to find plane wreckage all the time when they drop into oceans. Predictably, Wise does not even mention the many marine debris that we can conclusively show are from MH370.
What makes this book truly sad is the apparent harassment that Wise put MH370 families through in this the most brainless of pursuits. Wise recounts how he paid translators and investigators to track down the suspected Ukrainian and Russian passengers, in an attempt to establish imaginary criminal links to the Russian state. That's just an awful appendage to an already sufficiently tragic story.
Wise spends 50% of the book sketching, with reasonable success, the puzzle of conflicting sources of satellite data. We come to appreciate how physics makes locating a plane more of an art than science. We actually learn something here.
The other 50% of the book amounts to one of saddest conspiracy theories I've heard. Basically, Wise wants to convince you that a Russian and two Ukrainian passengers collaborated to temper with sophisticated control gear on a Boeing 747, incapacitated all 12 crew members, and landed the plane in "one of the stans". He doesn't explain what happens next, but implies that all the passengers are probably all killed, since, you know, Russians bad.
As to motive, Wise first refused to give one, as "proving a murder case doesn't require providing a motive" (never mind that you do, actually). Then he implies that it's Putin trying to get back at Obama for his sanctions! That makes sense because in order to harm US national interests you would TOTALLY kill about 150 Chinese and 50 Malaysians, wouldn't you?
Even if we forgive Wise for understanding a negative amount of how international politics works, we cannot overlook how stupid the argument is. The argument consisted of - if we can't find the plan in Indian Ocean, then it must be in Kazakhstan, never mind that humans fail to find plane wreckage all the time when they drop into oceans. Predictably, Wise does not even mention the many marine debris that we can conclusively show are from MH370.
What makes this book truly sad is the apparent harassment that Wise put MH370 families through in this the most brainless of pursuits. Wise recounts how he paid translators and investigators to track down the suspected Ukrainian and Russian passengers, in an attempt to establish imaginary criminal links to the Russian state. That's just an awful appendage to an already sufficiently tragic story.
November 9, 2021
An entertaining story but definitely not a particularly well backed investigation or theory. The author puts himself at the centre of the investigation, even though it’s clear he heavily relies upon the expertise of others to formulate his ideas. The fact that he doesn’t give credit already makes his story pretty dubious, even before he gets into the more dramatic parts of his theory. He also frequently mentions how he was pretty much the only person to work out certain things, even though almost everything he mentions in regards to this was already known to me, a person who only followed major news sources on this at the time. He has an idea that Russia were involved (didn’t everyone?) and searches the plane to find three Russian or Russian-influenced nationals who he can pin the blame on and then comes up with a great story to explain what they did. He doesn’t investigate each passenger. He doesn’t go through multiple theories. He just picks one and runs with it. If he investigated more thoroughly, then he failed in explaining himself in this book. Not does he manage to get there on what they did and on why his only explanation is “well bad guys do bad things, right?”. Is it plausible Russia were involved somehow? Yes. Is it plausible that other nations played down potential involvement to avoid war with Russia? Also yes. Is this new information? No. Is his theory groundbreaking or well researched or well proven? Sorry, no. The fact that his main “proof” is no debris being found isn’t helped by the fact that in recent years it is believed debris found in/washed up off the South Indian Ocean is from the plane. A fun listen but not one to take at all seriously in my opinion.
April 4, 2023
The level of obsession I have with documentaries about plane crashes is unhealthy. And with that, of course, I also mean the MH370 the plane we are talking about in this book.
You know, I enjoyed this. It was insightful and interesting. I will admit, that some of the technical talks went right over my head or confused me at parts but no matter. I have been reading and watching all sorts of things about this disappearance. I was honestly shooketh when I realized that the guy from the documentary series on Netflix was the author of this book. I only understood that after the chapter about what the author thinks happened and his "conspiracy".
The problem here is, I think Jeff is a little self-centered. Or at least that's how he came off in the series because it felt as though he didn't actually care about people in the plane but more about publicizing himself. I tried not to think about it while reading this book and I am sorry Jeff, I just could not look past it. I am giving it a benefit of the doubt that he actually has compassion towards the "deceased" individuals on the plane.
Back to his theory. I have heard a million and one of them and for some odd reason, I think his theory is the most far-fetched. It just doesn't seem possible. To me, it makes no sense because even if they had actually planned it, I don't think they could have timed it so well.
My honest thoughts are that no one knows what happened. Nothing can be ruled out because there is so little evidence. Could he be right? Maybe, I don't believe it but at the end of the day, no one will ever know...probably. Overall, it was nice to hear more information about the MH370, especially since some of it, I had not heard of till this point. The inclusion of pictures was very helpful.
You know, I enjoyed this. It was insightful and interesting. I will admit, that some of the technical talks went right over my head or confused me at parts but no matter. I have been reading and watching all sorts of things about this disappearance. I was honestly shooketh when I realized that the guy from the documentary series on Netflix was the author of this book. I only understood that after the chapter about what the author thinks happened and his "conspiracy".
The problem here is, I think Jeff is a little self-centered. Or at least that's how he came off in the series because it felt as though he didn't actually care about people in the plane but more about publicizing himself. I tried not to think about it while reading this book and I am sorry Jeff, I just could not look past it. I am giving it a benefit of the doubt that he actually has compassion towards the "deceased" individuals on the plane.
Back to his theory. I have heard a million and one of them and for some odd reason, I think his theory is the most far-fetched. It just doesn't seem possible. To me, it makes no sense because even if they had actually planned it, I don't think they could have timed it so well.
My honest thoughts are that no one knows what happened. Nothing can be ruled out because there is so little evidence. Could he be right? Maybe, I don't believe it but at the end of the day, no one will ever know...probably. Overall, it was nice to hear more information about the MH370, especially since some of it, I had not heard of till this point. The inclusion of pictures was very helpful.
August 30, 2021
Certainly an interesting look back on the events that surrounded the vanishing of the plane. I can't comment on its accuracy or political bias. Certainly the author has some shameless suspicions towards Russia, even if they're not confident on those thoughts.
If you want to look back on what happened and why it happened and what we think and yada yada, this may be the best way to remind yourself of everything.
Speaking for myself I was still watching/reading the news regularly to follow along. I remember when the flight disappeared, when certain key passengers were admitted to have been on the plane and when parts of the plane started appearing on Australian beaches. I thought I knew as much as I could've. But turns out the whole time that America and Russia were kinda glaring at each other while this happened.
Not just that but they discussed every possible option from hijacking or malfunction. Including a segment where they do an idea of how the plane would've been taken over by criminals. I guess only time will tell what really happened.
If you want to look back on what happened and why it happened and what we think and yada yada, this may be the best way to remind yourself of everything.
Speaking for myself I was still watching/reading the news regularly to follow along. I remember when the flight disappeared, when certain key passengers were admitted to have been on the plane and when parts of the plane started appearing on Australian beaches. I thought I knew as much as I could've. But turns out the whole time that America and Russia were kinda glaring at each other while this happened.
Not just that but they discussed every possible option from hijacking or malfunction. Including a segment where they do an idea of how the plane would've been taken over by criminals. I guess only time will tell what really happened.
April 5, 2025
"The Point That Wasn't There..."
After burying the lede near the centre of the earth and spending chapter after chapter of this short, yet somehow interminably long audiobook analysing every tedious detail of the fruitless search which has still found absolutely nothing, Jeff Wise finally regales us with his own pet conspiracy theory that Russia hijacked or shot down MH370, merely because it wanted to and it could???... Even going to the extent of pointing out that just because there is no rational reason for Putin to commit such a crime/act of war, it doesn't mean that he didn't have an irrational one. And even implying that the world is somehow covering up the crime because it doesn't want to start WW3?
In short then, even listening at 3.5x speed, this audiobook is a total waste of everyone's time and money, and the author should be held liable for something... I'm not sure what, and I'm not sure by whom, but he needs to be held liable for 'SOMETHING!!!'
After burying the lede near the centre of the earth and spending chapter after chapter of this short, yet somehow interminably long audiobook analysing every tedious detail of the fruitless search which has still found absolutely nothing, Jeff Wise finally regales us with his own pet conspiracy theory that Russia hijacked or shot down MH370, merely because it wanted to and it could???... Even going to the extent of pointing out that just because there is no rational reason for Putin to commit such a crime/act of war, it doesn't mean that he didn't have an irrational one. And even implying that the world is somehow covering up the crime because it doesn't want to start WW3?
In short then, even listening at 3.5x speed, this audiobook is a total waste of everyone's time and money, and the author should be held liable for something... I'm not sure what, and I'm not sure by whom, but he needs to be held liable for 'SOMETHING!!!'
December 4, 2017
Keeping along the lines of my fascination with aviation and how it sometimes goes wrong, Jeff Wise has put together a good account of the disappearance of Malaysia flight 370 and a plausible alternative to what may have happened. Frankly, I always felt that the plane went north and not south as was believed.
Wise substantiates my thoughts with his theory. Neither Wise nor I are 'conspiracy theorists' - we're simply looking at evidence. When you can't find something that ought to be in a certain place based on what you know - you have to look at whether you're interpreting the evidence correctly and define a possible option. That's exactly what Wise has done.
It's a short book - readable in about an hour or so. Fascinating look at the search details and what else may have happened to this flight.
Wise substantiates my thoughts with his theory. Neither Wise nor I are 'conspiracy theorists' - we're simply looking at evidence. When you can't find something that ought to be in a certain place based on what you know - you have to look at whether you're interpreting the evidence correctly and define a possible option. That's exactly what Wise has done.
It's a short book - readable in about an hour or so. Fascinating look at the search details and what else may have happened to this flight.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews