---

TEXAS--Two confirmed reports of individuals with Texas ties surfaced late Saturday as management for Austin-based Freescale Semiconductor and family members of a Dallas area resident came forward to confirm rumors surrounding Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370’s passenger manifests.

A spokesperson for Freescale Semiconductor confirmed to the Associated Press that 20 employees—12 Malaysian and eight Chinese were indeed on the flight.

"At present, we are solely focused on our employees and their families," Gregg Lowe, president and CEO of Freescale said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this tragic event."

In addition, family members of Keller resident Philip Wood—an IBM employee—confirmed him to be among the missing passengers in the downed aircraft. Sources close to the family say that a formal statement will be made available Monday.

According to the Associated Press, “Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 airplane, was last seen on radar at 1:30 a.m. (1730 GMT Friday) above the waters where the South China Sea meets the Gulf of Thailand.” 239 souls were aboard the flight.

The Vietnamese air force began circulating reports of spotting oil slicks off the southern coast of the country mid-day Saturday. Neither the military nor the Vietnamese government is willing to confirm the sightings as the scene of the crash.

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Texas/2014/03/9/Texas-Ties-Confi...