Son of Malaysia Airlines captain breaks silence about father

Says his father is not a hijacker. "I understand him," he says

Ahmad Seth, the 26-year-old son of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah, broke his family's silence about the speculation concerning his father.

Seth told New Straits Times that his father is not a "political fanatic." He said, "I've read everything online, but I've ignored all the speculation. I know my father better."

“We may not be as close as he travels so much, but I understand him,” he told New Straits Times.

Like many others, Seth is still hoping that there will be survivors from the ill-fated flight. Earlier this week, the Malaysian government concluded that the 239 people aboard the flight had died.

“Now, we are just waiting for the right confirmation,” Seth said. “I will believe it when I see the proof in front of my eyes.”

Seth did not address how his mother and siblings were doing but did say that he is "the strongest in his family in dealing with the crisis," according to New Straits Times.

The search for the plane, which went missing 19 days ago, continues. Experts believe it crashed in the southern Indian Ocean. New images from Thai and Japanese satellites show debris that may have been part of the plane, according to Reuters.

The United States Navy recently delivered equipment used to scan for flight recorders on the ocean floor and send the data back to search headquarters.

Follow Mike Krumboltz on Twitter (@mikekrumboltz).

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