Bizarre Chinese forum posts may have predicted doomed AirAsia Flight QZ8501
By RYAN GORMAN
A rambling post two weeks ago to a Chinese forum predicting the downing of an AirAsia flight that was previously ignored has now come back into focus after Flight QZ8501 disappeared Sunday over the Java Sea.
The warning claimed a shadow organization referred to in Chinese as an "international black hand" was responsible for attacks on two Malaysian Airlines flights earlier this year and that an attack on AirAsia was imminent.
The post to Tianya, a Chinese version of Reddit, came two weeks ago and predicted dire consequences for anyone flying AirAsia.
"Black hand has hijacked and shot down MH370 and MH17," wrote the poster, according to a translation posted on Reddit. "Now the black hand are targeting AirAsia to ruin this airline cause it too belong to Malaysia."
Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared earlier this year, possibly over the Indian Ocean. It has yet to be found.
Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine only weeks later and crashed into a large field.
"Given how powerful the black hand are I suggest that all Chinese thinking about traveling to avoid AirAisa, so that you don't disappear like those on MH370," wrote the mysterious poster.
"You could be happily vacationing, working, or studying aboard, but if you go on Malaysian airline or AirAsia, you're dead, be careful everyone," the original poster (OP) insisted, urging people to warn family and friends against flying either airline.
People immediately dismissed the claims, calling OP a "conspiracy nut" and questioning the validity of his claims.
"All you civilians get away (from the airline)," OP argued. "You can still hide, all those that see the post can still save themselves.
"Once everything cools down, then it would be safe to travel to Malaysia," he continues, repeating warnings to hide from AirAsia and Malaysian Airlines flights.
"Life is precious and your safety is important," OP added.
AirAsia Flight QZ8501 went down Sunday morning in stormy weather over the Java Sea, about halfway through the flight from Indonesia to Singapore.
There were 162 people onboard when it disappeared. Officials believe it may be at the bottom of the sea near Belitung Island.
The OP's real identity is not known. Almost 700,000 people have read the posts, according to MailOnline.
Some of them believe he is a Chinese intelligence official. Others feel he may have gone back and edited the original post to reflect AirAsia.
Jon Condra, a cybersecurity expert focused on East Asia, told AOL that the post does not appear to be edited.
"There are a lot of posts (as early as 12/15) in response to the OP referencing AirAsia, [which] leads me to believe he didn't edit," said Condra.
"There was an 11 day gap -- last post on the 17th -- and then they flared up again on the 28th after the reports about the plane with people expressing disbelief and asking how he knew," he continued.
Condra believes that the conspiracy theorist may have simply gotten lucky, but did agree the timing is remarkable.
The OP's account has not made a new post to Tianya since December 17.
The search for Flight QZ8501 remains ongoing. Authorities do not believe a terrorist attack was the cause of the Airbus A320-200's disappearance.
Related links:
Missing AirAsia Flight 8501 is 3rd Malaysia-linked incident in 2014
Singapore-bound AirAsia plane with 162 aboard goes missing in stormy weather
Differences between MH370 and AirAsia incidents
