The pilot of the missing Malaysia Airlines jet used his personal flight simulator to practice journeys to remote parts of the Indian Ocean, U.S. sources told NBC News. Deleted files recovered by investigators show Zaharie Shah, 53, also embarked on virtual trips on many other routes and there did not appear to be any patterns, NBC News correspondent Tom Costello reported on Tuesday's TODAY.
Sign up for breaking news alerts from NBC News
The news comes as a Malaysia Airlines boss reportedly said it might take "decades" to find the remains of Flight MH370 which disappeared March 8, an hour after leaving Kuala Lumpur en route to Beijing. The new search area is estimated to cover 20,000 square miles of the southern Indian Ocean.
In-Depth
- Why The Robo-Sub Hasn't Scoured Missing Jet 'Hot Spot'
- Mystery Milestone: Jet Has Been Missing for 100 Days
- Value of a Life: MH370 Kin Get Payouts