More than a year on, the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 seems no closer to being explained.
As investigations continue, we take a look back at 10 other baffling aviation incidents.
10. 1947 BSAA Star Dust
There were unsettling reports of an aircraft encountering a UFO in the Andes in 1947.
Departing from Argentina en route for Chile, the BSAA Star Dust airliner crashed into a volcano in the mountain range and wasn't found for 50 years.
Argentine army soldiers ride mules on their way to reach the debris of a British Avro Lancastrian Mark III aircraft that crashed into the Tupungato volcano in 1947
It's final message in Morse Code was 'STENDEC', the meaning of which still remains unknown.
Some theories have linked the crash to alien activity, indeed a Spanish UFO magazine was named ‘Stendek' in a misspelled reference to this theory.
09. 1996 TWA Flight 800
Then comes the bewildering story of TWA Flight 800.
The aircraft was traveling from JFK Airport to Paris, when just 12 minutes into its journey, it exploded over the shores of Long Island, New York.
MH370 is not the first flight mystery to have gripped the world (file picture)
None of the 230 souls on board survived.
Sixteen months later, the FBI closed its active investigation, claiming there was no evidence that it was a criminal act.
Conspiracy theories the aircraft was hit by a terrorist missile strike or accidental launch from a U.S. Navy vessel and is now the subject of a government cover-up persist.
08. 1977 Malaysia Airlines, 653
Next on the list is the first large-scale tragedy reported from the now beleaguered Malaysian Airlines.
The plane was hijacked and crashed during a flight from Penang to Kuala Lumpur.
100 passengers were killed but investigators weren't able to identify the bodies or collect sufficient evidence from the scene.
The identity of the hijackers still remains a mystery.
07. 1945, Flight 19
In 1945 five U.S Navy Bombers took off from Florida never to be seen again.
The five aircraft were on a training mission, but lost radio contact over the Bermuda Triangle.
After hours of no contact a rescue plane was sent to find the Bombers. This aircraft also vanished.
This series of events contributed to the legend of the Bermuda Triangle.
06. 1978, Frederick Valentich
In an out-of-this-world experience, Frederick Valentich was a pilot who stated he was being abducted by a UFO.
He made the outlandish claim in his last recorded message.
Theories since his disappearance suggest he committed suicide, was experiencing disorientation... or was actually being abducted by aliens.
05. 1937 Amelia Earheart
Rewinding to 1937, the explorer and pilot Amelia Earheart vanished whilst trying to navigate the globe.
The United States government reportedly spent $4 million looking for Earhart.
Popular conspiracy theories include the possibility of her surviving on a remote island.
Earheart, an explorer and pilot who disappeared in mysterious circumstances
04. 1957 Pan Am, Flight 7
Fast-forward 20 years, this flight plunged into the sea without explanation.
Pan Am's seventh flight, a Boeing 377 named Romance of the Skies, departed from San Francisco to Honolulu... but never touched down.
The circumstances appear suspicious as the flight never left any distress signals or calls. The definitive cause of the accident has never been determined.
03. 2003 Boeing 727-232
Jetting-off in 2003, a Boeing 727-232 was reportedly stolen from a runway in Angola.
The aircraft took off to the southwest, headed out over the Atlantic Ocean.
Despite searches from the FBI and CIA, the circumstances remain peculiar. The plane and pilot remain missing.
02. 1962, Flight 739, Flying Tiger Line
In 1962, Flight 739, a Flying Tiger U.S. military flight disappeared between Guam and the Philippines.
The only clue was a report of what appeared to be an in-flight explosion from the crew of a tanker along the route. No trace of wreckage or debris was ever recovered.
Ships and airplanes searched more than 200,000 square miles over the course of eight days for the 90 personel on board.
Rumors have since been spread of sabotage and conspiracy.
This KAL 747 airliner, Korean Airlines Flight 007, was shot down in 1983 by a Soviet fighter plane, killing all 269 on board
01. 1983, Flight 007, KAL
In 1983, a largely forgotten Cold War attack on flight 007 by the USSR.
The jet strayed off course which lead it to be shot down by the USSR, killing all 269 innocent people on board.
Mysteriously no bodies were ever found, which has lead to speculation that the passengers survived and were held hostage.