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Mount Vernon Unnerved By Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. – Mount Vernon residents expressed alarm and concern while speculating about Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which mysteriously disappeared nearly two weeks ago.

Mount Vernon resident Mike Simpson was shaken by the news of flight 370.

Mount Vernon resident Mike Simpson was shaken by the news of flight 370.

Joe Marino is holding out hopes for a happy ending in Mount Vernon.

Joe Marino is holding out hopes for a happy ending in Mount Vernon.

Speculation locally, nationally and internationally has been running rampant since the Beijing-bound Boeing 777-200ER vanished after taking off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 8.

The plane was traveling normally when communications were cut, and the plane seemingly was lost. No distress signals were dispatched, and there was no evidence of bad weather. Despite more than a dozen nations joining the search, the wreckage still hasn’t been found.

Conspiracy theories have ranged from this being an intricate terrorist attack to a simple cockpit fire or engine malfunction. The uncertainty has left Mount Vernon resident Mike Simpson weary of getting on a plane.

“In 2014, an airplane shouldn’t just up and vanish. It’s some scary (stuff), man,” he said on Wednesday. “Something real bad must have happened up there, and it’s even scarier no one seems to have any idea. This is real life, not an episode of 'Lost.' ”

According to the flight manifest, there were 227 passengers – three Americans – and 12 crewmembers on board. The flight was captained by Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, with Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, serving as his first officer. In total, the pair combined for more than 20,000 flying hours, making them a veteran team.

“It doesn’t look good, but I’m trying to keep an open mind. Hopefully something bizarre just happened any everyone is fine,” Joe Marino, 21, said. “There’s too much we don’t know to just give up hope.”

While the world continues to gather evidence and piece information about flight 370, Mamaroneck resident Ron Bourn said that he would be avoiding the airways until a resolution is reached.

“Until we know what happened, we can’t rule out that this is some, new, form of terrorism, or something worse,” he said while shopping at Target in Mount Vernon. “I always air on the side of caution when it comes to something like this, so I’m not sure how soon I’ll be flying.”

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