“I believe the plane was lost/gone as soon as the transponder quit.”
I agree. Remember Swissair 111?
WSJ quoting anonymous U.S. investigator stating engine maintenance reports were received by Rolls from the aircraft for four hours after loss of ATC contact. That is a looooong time. Why is Malaysian Air not commenting on the ACARS reports (which presumably include more than just engine maintenance data)? Are they concerned one or both pilots might be implicated in a hijacking?