The last Microsoft Flight Simulator release (the development of which has since been taken up by Lockheed Martin) contained over 24,000 unique airfields, civillian and military, and there would be literally hundreds of thousands of additions to that created by enthusiasts and commercial companies.
I'm reading the initial release of incorrect information regarding the termination of the ACARS transmissions as an intentional mislead.
Also noteworthy is that apparently the Chinese have been late to the party in terms of checking their territory for errant Boeings. They're now conducting an inland search on the assumption that they didn't catch it slip through their primary radar systems.
Out-of-fuel aircraft crashing produce surprisingly little fire, and depending on the angle of impact, SAR teams may be looking for an impact and debris site on land as small as 50x50m. If it's in the ocean, if it isn't found in the next two weeks, it probably won't be found for decades.
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