The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 a decade ago with 239 persons on board remains one of the world’s greatest aviation mysteries. The Boeing 777-200 went missing on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in the early morning hours of March 8, 2014. Satellite data analysis showed the plane likely crashed somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean off the coast of western Australia. However, two major searches failed to uncover any significant findings. The last transmission from the aircraft was about 40 minutes after take off when First Officer Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, signed off to a Malaysian controller with the words “Good night, Malaysia three seven zero,” but failed to check in with controllers in Ho Chi MinhCity as the plane then crossed into Vietnamese airspace. Shorty thereafter, its transponder was turned off, which meant it could not be easily tracked. Military radar showed the airplane next veered from its intended flight path to fly back over northern Malaysia and Penang Island and then out into the Andaman Sea towards the Indonesian Island of Sumatra. It next turned south and all contact was lost.
Theories about what happened on board range from hijacking to a loss of oxygen to power failure. But, there was no distress call, no ransom demand, nor bad weather or evidence of technical failures. A final investigative report issued by Malaysian civil aviation authorities provides no conclusive communications, navigation or surveillance-based evidence as to what caused the disappearance, but didn’t rule out “unlawful interference.” Malaysia’s government has said that someone intentionally severed communications with the ground and diverted the plane. MH370 carried 227 passengers, including five young children, as well as 12 crew members. Most of those aboard were from China, but there were also passengers from other countries, including France, Indonesia, Russia and the United States.
Malaysia, Australia and China initially launched an underwater search in a 46,332 square-mile area in the southern Indian Ocean, based on data of automatic connections between an Inmarsat Satellite and the aircraft. The search, which cost about $143 million, was called off after two years in January of 2017 with no traces of the plane found. The following year Malaysia accepted a "no-cure, no-fee" offer from US exploration firm Ocean Infinity for a three-month search, meaning the company would only get paid if it found the plane.That search covered a 43,243 square-mile grid north of the original target area and also proved fruitless, ending in May of 2018. However, over 30 pieces of suspected aircraft debris have been collected along the coast of Africa and on islands in the Indian Ocean, but only three wing fragments were confirmed to be from MH370.
When the flight disappeared, several governments launched a massive search operation using satellite imagery, search aircraft and naval vessels. Geoscience Australia supported the search efforts by undertaking the largest marine survey, mapping the seafloor in greater detail than ever before to provide scientific insights. But, all to no avail and the inability to locate MH370's crash site has fueled numerous conspiracy theories, ranging from mechanical error or a remote-controlled crash, to more bizarre explanations like alien abduction and a Russian plot. In recent years, some aviation experts have said the most likely explanation was that the plane was deliberately taken off course by an experienced pilot. But, this raises the question of why the crew would made a seemingly controlled turn off course towards the Indian Ocean and, critically, why two pieces of key communication and tracking equipment on the plane went silent.
While investigators have said there was nothing suspicious in the background, financial affairs, training or mental health of either the captain or the co-pilot, much focus has been directed towards Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53. The “rogue pilot” theory gained credence when data recovered from a home-built flight simulator owned by Zaharie showed that someone had plotted a course to the southern Indian Ocean. Another theory, one that other aviation experts suggest is possible or even probable, is that of the “confused” rather than “rogue” pilot. That is, Zaharie encountered an issue such as a fire or depressurization and turned back towards Malaysia, but was overcome by fumes or lack of oxygen, known as hypoxia. In the muddle, Zaharie or First Officer Hamid might have accidentally turned off the comms equipment. The plane would have then continued on what is known as a “ghost flight,” during which time the occupants are deceased, but the aircraft continues on autopilot until running out of fuel and hurtling toward the surface.
While we may never know what really happened to the doomed aircraft, the aviation industry has already learned much from the tragedy. A key lesson was the need for robust, uninterrupted communication between aircraft and ground control. Enhancements in satellite communication infrastructure now ensure that aircraft remain in constant contact with ground stations, facilitating real-time communication and monitoring. New safety rules have also been implemented. Both the European Union and the United Kingdom have since mandated that an additional low-frequency underwater locator beacon, which helps search-and-rescue locate survivors at sea, be attached to an aircraft’s airframe and must transmit full-strength for at least 90 days, as opposed to the previous 30 day requirement. There are also efforts to get cockpit voice recorders to retain 25 hours of data, rather than just two.
What else can be done to prevent another painful and costly saga like that of MH370 from occurring again? Mary Kirby, founder and editor of the aviation news company Runway Girl Network claims one way of preventing another incident in which the aircraft's transponder and communication equipment are disabled, is by making sure they can't be disconnected in the first place. "We need to not have the ability to simply switch off a transponder, and not know where an aircraft is at," Kirby said. "If you allow the switch off of the transponder there needs to be an automatic backup."That automatic back-up would force the transponder to "click back on" in the event that the system is shut down manually, or in instances such as a fire on board. The second lesson: "We need to move towards a global, air-traffic control service. Space-based. When I say that, that's satellite-supported that covers the entire globe, including the North and South Poles with a network of satellites with the capability to "see where every aircraft is in the world.”
Each proposed solution will cost money over which manufacturers, airlines and government agencies will undoubtedly quibble. But, when it comes to potentially survivable crashes in remote areas, the ability to locate a downed aircraft could mean saving lives and that should be of primary importance.
Until next time…safe travels.
Very sad event. The suggestion to NOT allow a transponder to be manually switched off seems to me to be a No-Brainer!!