MALAYSIA – A PRELIMINARY report into MH370’s disappearance reveals that there was a four-hour gap between the time officials realised that the jetliner was missing and when the rescue was officially activated.

As well as the report, officials released the audiotapes of the last transmissions from the missing plane’s cockpit, the cargo manifest and the seating plan.

The report noted that 1.38am on March 8, 17 minutes after the Boeing 777-200 disappeared from radar, the Vietnamese air traffic control questioned the whereabouts of the plane, which was to have entered their airspace.

They told their counterparts in Kuala Lumpur that verbal contact had not been made with MH370.  Other air traffic controls in the region also reported no contact.

A table was released showing what happened in the four hours after MH370 went missing showed Kuala Lumpur air traffic control querying other countries about knowledge of the plane and a request to another Malaysian Airlines plane in the region to make contact with MH370 on emergency frequencies.  (continue reading)