Chocks: MH370 - A Puzzling Plane Fails To Land

MH370 - A Puzzling Plane Fails To Land

Note = This essay provides a brief and non-linear overview of significant events, relying on existing data. It is not a definitive analysis and might lack exhaustive details. For a thorough understanding, readers are encouraged to refer to more comprehensive sources on the topic.

Synopsis

Introduction
Dynamics of Plane
The Journey
Good Night, Malaysian 370
Missing Radar
The MH370 Vanished
Final Trace
The Search Begins
What is Black Box?
The MH370 Black Box
Passengers Report
The MH370 Families
Conspiracy Theories
Glimpse
Conclusion
Reference

Points to Remember

The essay's timeline is based on Malaysia time (MYT). MYT is 2:30 hours ahead of Indian Standard Time (IST) and 13 hours ahead of Eastern Time (EST).

Introduction

The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 on 8th March 2014 remains one of the most perplexing mysteries in aviation history. A Boeing 777, equipped with advanced technology, the MH370 with 239 passengers vanished without a trace, leaving behind a myriad of questions and conspiracy theories. This essay delves into the dynamics of the plane, the timeline of events, the search efforts, and the lingering mysteries surrounding the incident.

Dynamics of Plane

Before delving into the MH370 disappearance, it was essential to grasp the dynamics that governed a plane's flight. Thrust, Drag, Lift, and Weight were the four forces that determined a plane's movement. If Lift and Thrust exceeded Weight and Drag, the plane ascended to fly; otherwise, it descended to crash. Lift keeps the plane airborne, Thrust propels it forward, Drag slows it down, and Weight is the force due to gravity.

# Thrust - The forward force generated by a jet engine-powered plane.

# Drag - The resistance force acting opposite to the direction of motion.

# Lift - The force that keeps the plane in the air.

# Weight - The force caused by Earth's gravitational attraction.

The Journey

On March 8, 2014, at 12:42 a.m., Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 departed from Kuala Lumpur (KL) for Beijing at an altitude of 35,000 feet. The pilot, Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah (53), was in command, while the co-pilot, Fariq Abdul Hamid (27), operated the plane. Fariq Abdul Hamid's fiancée was Nadira Ramli, and Zaharie Ahmad Shah was married to Faizah Khanum Mustafa Khan, with whom he had three grown children.

There were 10 Malaysian flight attendants responsible for 222 adults and 5 children on board Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. The passengers, totalling 227 individuals, hailed from 14 different countries. Among them were 153 Chinese, 38 Malaysians, 7 Indonesians, 6 Australians, 5 Indians, 4 French, 3 Americans, and 2 each from Canada, Iran, New Zealand, Ukraine. Additionally, there was 1 passenger each from the Netherlands, Russia, and Taiwan. The 5 Indian passengers on board were identified as Chetana Kolekar (55), Vinod Kolekar (55), Swanand Kolekar (23), Chandrika Sharma (51), and Kranti Shirsath (44).

The scheduled duration of the journey was 5 hours and 34 minutes, requiring an estimated 37,200 kg of jet fuel. The plane was equipped with 49,100 kg of jet fuel, providing a total plane time of 7 hours and 31 minutes, including reserves. This surplus fuel capacity allowed the plane to potentially divert to different air terminals, such as Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport and Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport. The diversion to Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport would require an additional 4,800 kg of fuel, while a diversion to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport would necessitate 10,700 kg of fuel to reach Beijing.

Good Night, Malaysian 370

At 35,000 feet, Zaharie Ahmad Shah radioed that they had levelled, even though reporting the specific altitude is not required in radar-monitored airspace, where the usual criterion is to report departure rather than reaching a particular altitude. At 1:07 a.m., the final automated data transmission of MH370 revealed a consistent flight path all the way to Beijing. The aircraft passed over the Malaysian coast and entered the South China Sea, heading towards Vietnam. Zaharie Ahmad Shah reiterated the airliner's altitude, confirming it was at 35,000 feet.

At 1:19 a.m., the Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Controller (ATC) radioed, 'Malaysian 370, please contact Ho Chi Minh on 120.9 MHz. Good night,' transferring control to the Ho Chi Minh ATC. Zaharie Ahmad Shah replied, 'Good night, Malaysian 370,' but he did not confirm or restate the assigned frequency, as standard procedure dictates.

Note - Ho Chi Minh (HCM) is one of Vietnam’s main cities, named after North Vietnam’s first leader.

Missing Radar

Raw impulses from airborne objects power the primary radar, while the secondary radar relies on information from each plane's transponder signal, including the aircraft's identity and altitude. After communication with the Ho Chi Minh (HCM) Air Traffic Control (ATC), the MH370's transponder stopped transmitting, and the aircraft disappeared from the Kuala Lumpur (KL) ATC's display. The pilots did not establish contact with HCM ATC, and at 1:21 a.m., 39 minutes after take-off, MH370 vanished from the secondary radar without sending any distress signals or messages. KL ATC, preoccupied with other air traffic, assumed that MH370 was within HCM's jurisdiction. In the meantime, HCM ATC observed MH370 entering their territory before it disappeared from radar.

The MH370 Vanished

HCM ATC appears to have misinterpreted a legal agreement, which required HCM to promptly notify KL if the plane handed over was more than five minutes late checking in. The halt in MH370's transponder signal led to a delayed recognition of the plane's disappearance, resulting in initial confusion and a slow response.

Finally, at 1:38 a.m., HCM ATC notified KL ATC of the MH370 signal loss. HCM ATC made a broadcast call on emergency frequencies at 6:51 a.m., requesting that MH370 contact them. Despite several attempts, they were unsuccessful in reaching the plane. Following that, there was a period of chaos and incompetence.

The KL Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) was expected to be notified within an hour of the plane's disappearance, as per protocol. However, the emergency response did not commence until 6:32 a.m., indicating a potential delay in adherence to established procedures. At that point, it implies that the plane was supposed to have landed in Beijing, yet it hadn't. The reasons for the delayed response remain unclear, raising questions about the promptness of the authorities in handling the emergency situation.

Final Trace

Malaysian defence radar detected indications of a plane, possibly MH370, at around 2:15 a.m. in the Andaman Sea, approximately 320 kilometres northwest of Penang Island, according to reports. At 2:40 a.m., Air Traffic Control (ATC) notified Malaysia Airlines that MH370 had disappeared from radar. By 7:24 a.m., Malaysia Airlines had posted on Facebook about the plane's disappearance.

After losing radar contact, data from MH370 was captured by an INMARSAT British satellite over the Indian Ocean through seven automatic 'handshakes' between the aircraft and a base station in Perth. The first 'handshake' occurred at 02:28 a.m., while the last 'half-handshake' took place at 08:19 a.m., marking the final transmission from MH370. This series of events spanned 7 hours and 38 minutes, initiating at 12:42 a.m. and concluding at 08:19 a.m.

Note - Handshakes are defined as typical radio signals sent to the satellite or base station regularly by all communications systems.

The Search Begins

According to secondary radar records obtained from Air Traffic Control (ATC) systems, partially corroborated by data from the Malaysian Air Force, MH370 followed a south-west trajectory across the Malay Peninsula, descending around Penang Island. It then continued on a north-west course over the Malacca Strait and into the Andaman Sea, eventually disappearing from radar range.

However, the Indonesian Air Force reported no detection of any planes in the Malacca Strait through its radar system in Sumatra, which is closest to Penang on the Malaysian Peninsula. The deviation in the plane's path took more than an hour, suggesting that this was not a typical hijacking, accident, or pilot suicide event. Instead, it implies that the actions of MH370 were deliberate.

The initial search, involving ships and planes from various countries, commenced on March 8, 2014, in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, between Malaysia and Vietnam. MH370, however, disappeared over a considerable distance from its intended destination. According to reports, the plane had deviated significantly from its original path, flying longer and farther in an entirely different direction. This unexpected course led investigators into uncharted directions.

Subsequently, the MH370 and INMARSAT British satellite communication network analysis emerged as the primary source of information regarding the aircraft's location. After the MH370 disappeared from Military Radar and Air Traffic Control (ATC), deviating from its scheduled flight path, officials scrutinised INMARSAT satellite data. Based on their analysis, they concluded that the plane had likely flown over the Indian Ocean.

Following this determination, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) officially shifted search efforts to the South Indian Ocean, west of Australia, on March 18, 2014. Consequently, the initial search in the South China Sea was halted.

Numerous debris-like items suspected to be from MH370 have been recovered in various countries, yet no confirmed results or significant progress in the search have been achieved. The aircraft was never located, and authorities have been unable to provide a definitive explanation for its disappearance. Research suggests that the plane may have sunk to the bottom of the South Indian Ocean without any corresponding clearance reports.

The Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC), responsible for the search effort, concluded its activities on January 17, 2017, following a three-year search covering 120,000 km² of the ocean that failed to locate the plane. Subsequently, a private firm, Ocean Infinity, took the lead in a renewed search effort in January 2018, which was ultimately terminated on May 29, 2018, without yielding any results. Currently, there is no officially organized search for MH370, but many individuals are raising funds and investing their own resources in the hopes of locating the missing aircraft.

What is Black Box?

A Black Box is a device designed to record sounds from a cockpit and withstand a plane crash. It typically comprises two distinct boxes: the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR). Despite its actual colour being orange, it is commonly referred to as a 'Black Box.' These devices are usually installed in the plane's tail section. The Crash Survivable Memory Unit (CSMU) stores data from both the CVR and FDR on stacked memory boards.

The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) maintains a two-hour auto-deleting loop of cockpit audio, capturing crew conversations and detecting warning messages in the event of an incident. On the other hand, the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) stores 25 hours of plane data, encompassing parameters, instrument readings, and plane control actions, providing operational information. However, the FDR may not reveal crucial details as it cannot explain the exact sequence of events leading to an incident. At best, it can offer minor insights, such as the specific moment of the plane's depressurisation, the duration of depressurisation, and details like when the satellite box was powered down and then restarted.

The MH370 Black Box

The Black Box of an aircraft, capable of functioning at depths of up to 6,000 meters, is authorised to transmit signals for 30 days following a crash, with experts suggesting it might endure for an additional two weeks. Notably, the Black Box from MH370 has eluded discovery for the past nine years.

The Underwater Locating Beacon (ULB) device attached to the Flight Data Recorders (FDR) battery had an expiration date set for December 2012, with no evidence of replacement, significantly diminishing the prospects of locating MH370. Conversely, the Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVR) battery had been replaced and was scheduled to expire in June 2014. While batteries might continue functioning beyond their official expiration, they could lose effectiveness, a factor highlighted in the report as an 'oversight.'

Despite initial Black Box signals being detected at the intended location during the initial search, they were later identified as phantom pings due to the unknown source of the signal's location.

Passengers Report

The police directed their investigation toward the MH370 crew, passengers, and ground crew, conducting comprehensive background checks on everyone on board. Following a thorough investigation, all 227 passengers on MH370 were cleared of any involvement in the hijacking.

However, three passengers among the 227, namely Iranian individuals Pouria Nour Mohammad Mehrdad (19) and Delavar Seyed Mohammad Reza (29), along with Malaysian Mohd Khairul Amri Selamat (29), sparked confusion among the public. Despite authorities stating that there was no suspicious behaviour involving these three individuals, their presence caused uncertainty among the public.

According to reports, Pouria Nour Mohammad Mehrdad and Delavar Seyed Mohammad Reza were friends who travelled using forged Austrian and Italian passports, seeking asylum with the aspiration of beginning a new life in Europe and reuniting with their families. The only passenger with technical flying experience was Mohd Khairul Amri Selamat, who was employed by a private charter plane company. It is highly unlikely that these three individuals carried out a terrorist assault.

Note - Refugees in need of protection, fleeing to another country without supporting documentation, should not face penalties, as stipulated in Article 31(1) of the Geneva Refugees Convention. This article safeguards the right of individuals seeking asylum.

The MH370 Families

Families from four continents have been profoundly affected by the absence of official findings on MH370. Members of the MH370 passenger families have expressed concerns, stating, 'Officials who failed to handle the emergency appropriately, neglecting to follow protocols in the crucial initial hour of the disappearance and the subsequent challenges in gathering wreckage, are likely to hold the key to finding solutions.

They express frustration, noting that while governments promise assistance in finding answers, there is a possibility that authorities possess more information than they are willing to share. This situation leaves them feeling trapped due to the authorities' perceived failure to act in the correct manner.

Conspiracy Theories

Over 100 books and blogs have delved into the disappearance of MH370, with the majority exploring various conspiracy theories. However, none of these publications provide concrete proof to substantiate their claims, resulting in what appears to be pseudo-activities.

Several conspiracy theories have emerged, questioning whether a modern plane could vanish suddenly, attributing it to a combination of technological and human failures. Among the frequently discussed conspiracy theories surrounding the MH370 disappearance are breakdowns of the electrical system, malfunctions of the control system, theft for a terrorist attack, being sucked into a black hole, explosion of cargo, pilot suicide, insurance fraud, sinking in the sea, alien invasion, bird strikes, meteorites, lightning, bombing, shooting, skyjacking, smoke, and fire.

Other theories surrounding the MH370 disappearance include the possibility that the pilots purposely disabled the plane's communication system before diverting its path for reasons known only to them. Some suggest that the Taliban hijacked MH370 for a cargo shipment, while others speculate that the plane landed at the US Military Base Diego Garcia for research purposes. Additional theories propose an unintended reduction in the pressure of a sealed system leading to uncontrolled decompression or even the idea that MH370 was swapped with MH17 for unknown reasons.

Note - On July 17, 2014, Russian-backed separatists used a Russian-made missile launcher to shoot down the MH17 over Ukraine.

Glimpse

On March 8, 2014, the MH370, a Boeing 777 with 239 passengers operated by Malaysia Airlines and equipped with advanced technology, lost contact with its transponder and disappeared at 1:21 a.m. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced on March 24, 2014, that the MH370 had likely crashed in a remote part of the Indian Ocean with no survivors, though the search continued. After 327 days, on January 29, 2015, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, Director General of the Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation, officially declared the MH370 disappearance an accident, assuming all on board were dead.

Conclusion

The disappearance of MH370, marked by the absence of bodies, wreckage, or the crucial black box, has left the aviation community grappling with uncertainty since March 8, 2014. The mystery isn't inherently inscrutable, but the challenge is deciding whether to base search efforts on existing records or unproven theories.

This enigmatic incident defies conventional understanding, lacking conclusive evidence and fostering conspiracy theories. As search efforts decline, MH370's fate remains elusive, casting a profound shadow over aviation history. Whether deliberately concealed or genuinely elusive, MH370's enduring mystery ensures that it will continue to captivate our imaginations for years to come.