In a report by The Star today, Raja Delaleh Raja Latife claimed she spotted metallic objects in the Indian Ocean, during her flight home from her pilgrimage to Mecca that flew over the southern Indian city Chennai on March 8.
“It looked like an aeroplane. I took a closer look and was shocked to see what looked like the tail and wing of an aircraft on the water,” the 53-year-old said in the local English daily.
Raja Delaleh added that she did not know where the exact spot was but claimed it was about an hour from Chennai, a timeline that would have placed her flight over the Andaman islands where rescuers were looking during the latter days of the search now nearing two weeks.
She said she tried telling her friends aboard but added that they laughed off her claim, while a flight attendant closed her window and asked her to sleep.
The housewife said she was later advised by her son-in-law, a policeman, to lodge a report over her alleged sighting. She has since made two, on March 8 and March 14.
In the same report, an unnamed pilot who was informed of her story said it was impossible for anyone to spot objects in the ocean or ground from a plane’s cruising altitude of 35,000ft.
“Many of my friends on the flight doubted me at first but they are beginning to believe me now that we know the plane turned back and entered the Indian Ocean,” Raja Delaleh said.
Search efforts are now converging off the west coast of Australia, after Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced the discovery of satellite images showing possible debris from MH370.
The MH370 flight disappeared on March 8 with 239 passengers and crew members onboard, and the overall search entered its thirteenth day today.
