A Theory About MH370: 'Putin ordered plane to be flown to Kazakhstan'
Vladimir Putin ordered Russia's special forces to hijack Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 and fly it to a spaceport in Kazakhstan, an aviation expert who appeared on CNN has claimed.
Jeff Wise, a private pilot and science writer, became a familiar face during the US news channel's coverage of the plane's disappearance last year and continues his research into the mystery.
He has extensively blogged on the subject and wrote a book called The Plane That Wasn't There outlining his theories.
Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation declared the plane's fate an "accident" last month, saying everyone on board had died when it crashed into the sea after running out of fuel.
Although British satellite company Inmarsat's data concluded that the Boeing 777 went down in the Indian Ocean, Wise contends that the navigation data was "spooked" to disguise the fact it flew north.
Jeff Wise made frequent experiences on CNN as an 'aviation analyst' after MH370 disappeared.
But Mr. Wise claims he has evidence that the plane made its way to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, which is run by Russia as its largest space launch facility.
Investigators initially considered possible journeys by MH370 through a northern "corridor" from Thailand to Kazakhstan but later settled on the southern corridor into the Indian Ocean, where recent searches have been focused.
Wise detailed his theory extensively on his blog, where he claims that hijackers accessed the electronics compartment on the plane to tamper with satellite transponders and fool trackers into believing the plane travelled towards the Indian Ocean.
He used satellite images to find the Yubileyniy area of the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which he contends could have been reached by MH370, and compare changes in the landscape showing the apparent demolition of buildings to suggest that evidence of the landing may have been destroyed.
Map showing the new search area in the Indian Ocean for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in January
On his blog, Mr. Wise wrote that Russia had the "means and technical savvy" to carry out the supposed hijack, noting that MH370's disappearance coincided with the start of the annexation of Crimea as the Ukraine crisis raged.
People have speculated that the plane was shot down by various agents including the US military, hijacked by the Taliban, flown north in the shadow of another plane, landed on a desert island or deliberately crashed by a suicidal pilot.
Investigators have not announced any evidence of foul play but said the "accident" declaration was primarily to allow passengers' relatives to claim compensation under international aviation rules.
