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| Malaysian authorities examine pilot’s flight simulator | Malaysian authorities examine pilot’s flight simulator |
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| KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The operation to locate a missing passenger jet, once just a regional search through shallow waters, has expanded into the most sprawling in aviation history, while including a criminal investigation examining the passengers and pilots. | KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The operation to locate a missing passenger jet, once just a regional search through shallow waters, has expanded into the most sprawling in aviation history, while including a criminal investigation examining the passengers and pilots. |
| Authorities here have two ways to determine the fate of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370: find the plane or hone in on a theory about who steered it astray and why. | Authorities here have two ways to determine the fate of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370: find the plane or hone in on a theory about who steered it astray and why. |
| Both of those options are fraught, air crash investigators say. The physical search now spans much of Asia and extends deep into the Indian Ocean, toward areas where debris could remain unnoticed for years. In the meantime, no signs have surfaced indicating a perpetrator or motive. | Both of those options are fraught, air crash investigators say. The physical search now spans much of Asia and extends deep into the Indian Ocean, toward areas where debris could remain unnoticed for years. In the meantime, no signs have surfaced indicating a perpetrator or motive. |
| Malaysian officials said Sunday that they were examining a flight simulator that they’d removed from the home of the captain of the missing jet. Investigators also interviewed his family, removed other items from his house and searched the nearby home of the co-pilot. | Malaysian officials said Sunday that they were examining a flight simulator that they’d removed from the home of the captain of the missing jet. Investigators also interviewed his family, removed other items from his house and searched the nearby home of the co-pilot. |
| Still, Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein cautioned against jumping to conclusions. The captain, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, and co-pilot, Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, had not requested to be on MH370 together. They also did not request extra fuel. | Still, Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein cautioned against jumping to conclusions. The captain, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, and co-pilot, Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, had not requested to be on MH370 together. They also did not request extra fuel. |
| Malaysia’s investigation was given a new degree of focus this weekend after experts determined that the plane had been deliberately flown off course, its various communications systems severed. After dropping off civilian radar, the plane tacked to the west, then remained in the air for as many as seven additional hours. Experts have suggested that the plane could have only been guided by a skilled aviator — either willingly or under duress. | Malaysia’s investigation was given a new degree of focus this weekend after experts determined that the plane had been deliberately flown off course, its various communications systems severed. After dropping off civilian radar, the plane tacked to the west, then remained in the air for as many as seven additional hours. Experts have suggested that the plane could have only been guided by a skilled aviator — either willingly or under duress. |
| Khalid Abu Bakar, inspector general of Malaysia’s police, said Sunday that investigators hadn’t yet found any passengers with aviation expertise, although some governments with passengers on board had yet to submit detailed profile information to Kuala Lumpur. He added that “a few foreign intelligence agencies” working with the Malaysians had “cleared all the passengers” — meaning, they’d determined no citizen of theirs could have operated the plane. | Khalid Abu Bakar, inspector general of Malaysia’s police, said Sunday that investigators hadn’t yet found any passengers with aviation expertise, although some governments with passengers on board had yet to submit detailed profile information to Kuala Lumpur. He added that “a few foreign intelligence agencies” working with the Malaysians had “cleared all the passengers” — meaning, they’d determined no citizen of theirs could have operated the plane. |
| In one important detail that was confirmed Sunday, Hishammuddin said that a satellite-based flight data system was shut down before a pilot — or whoever was in the cockpit — said innocuously to Malaysian air traffic control, “all right, good night,” before leaving the country’s airspace. | |
| A pilot would normally have no reason to disable the system known as ACARS — the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System — which sends messages back to the ground about the plane’s performance. | |
| The detail about when it was shut down suggests that the person at the controls of the plane continued to indicate all was okay, even after one the of jet’s communications systems had been tampered with. | |
| Focus on pilots | |
| Zaharie had flown for the airline for more than 30 years and showed no recent signs of trouble, said Peter Chong, a friend who says he saw the plane’s captain the week before the flight’s disappearance. | |
| This week, Zaharie had planned to attend a community event to chaperone needy children on a mall shopping trip, Chong said. | |
| Zaharie’s flight simulator is a three-panel console that he built and proudly showed off on social media networks. Friends have described him to local media as a tech geek who spent his free time fiddling with devices. On his YouTube page, he demonstrated a series of handy do-it-yourself home maintenance tips. He also was a social activist, a skilled cook, a husband and a father of three adult children. | Zaharie’s flight simulator is a three-panel console that he built and proudly showed off on social media networks. Friends have described him to local media as a tech geek who spent his free time fiddling with devices. On his YouTube page, he demonstrated a series of handy do-it-yourself home maintenance tips. He also was a social activist, a skilled cook, a husband and a father of three adult children. |
| “If you look at him, suicide — it just doesn’t add up,” said Chong, an aide to a Malaysian parliament member who has known Zaharie for two years. “As far as I know he had no financial problems. It just doesn’t add up. There are so many unanswered questions.” | “If you look at him, suicide — it just doesn’t add up,” said Chong, an aide to a Malaysian parliament member who has known Zaharie for two years. “As far as I know he had no financial problems. It just doesn’t add up. There are so many unanswered questions.” |
| On Saturday, a white unmarked police minivan visited Zaharie’s home in a gated community, then traveled on to Fariq’s, a two-story house that he shared with his parents. Police left Fariq’s house soon after carrying several brown bags, according to reporters who observed the scene. | On Saturday, a white unmarked police minivan visited Zaharie’s home in a gated community, then traveled on to Fariq’s, a two-story house that he shared with his parents. Police left Fariq’s house soon after carrying several brown bags, according to reporters who observed the scene. |
| Khalid said Sunday that investigators also were looking at airport staff on the ground that might have serviced the plane before it departed on its red-eye flight, bound for Beijing. Although investigators have not detailed what they are looking for, experts familiar with airplane accidents say they are likely to look for recent changes in personality, financial problems, signs of depression or any unusual contacts. | Khalid said Sunday that investigators also were looking at airport staff on the ground that might have serviced the plane before it departed on its red-eye flight, bound for Beijing. Although investigators have not detailed what they are looking for, experts familiar with airplane accidents say they are likely to look for recent changes in personality, financial problems, signs of depression or any unusual contacts. |
| “The first thing I’d be looking for is to see whether the captain flew a flight profile like the one we’ve been talking about for the last eight days,” said Greg Feith, a former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator involved in the 1996 ValuJet Flight 592 crash and the 1997 SilkAir Flight 185 disaster — a suspected case of pilot suicide. “Did he normally simulate flights to places he wouldn’t normally go?” | “The first thing I’d be looking for is to see whether the captain flew a flight profile like the one we’ve been talking about for the last eight days,” said Greg Feith, a former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator involved in the 1996 ValuJet Flight 592 crash and the 1997 SilkAir Flight 185 disaster — a suspected case of pilot suicide. “Did he normally simulate flights to places he wouldn’t normally go?” |
| In the case of SilkAir, the pilot placed the Boeing 737 into a high-speed dive, according to the NTSB. The plane broke the sound barrier on the way down, then disintegrated into an Indonesian river. Before the incident the pilot, Tsu Way Ming, had reportedly suffered heavy stock losses and arranged an insurance policy to protect his family in the event of his death. | In the case of SilkAir, the pilot placed the Boeing 737 into a high-speed dive, according to the NTSB. The plane broke the sound barrier on the way down, then disintegrated into an Indonesian river. Before the incident the pilot, Tsu Way Ming, had reportedly suffered heavy stock losses and arranged an insurance policy to protect his family in the event of his death. |
| Flight recorders | |
| Even if search teams do find the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, they may never be able to figure out what happened in the cockpit as the jet veered off course. A cockpit voice recorder, which would have recorded any activity or commotion, captures only two hours of sound, constantly overwriting the oldest material. Because the plane flew on for many more hours, the key events have already been wiped away. If searchers do find the “black box,” they’ll instead have to rely on a flight-data recorder, which provides technical information about the plane’s behavior. | Even if search teams do find the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, they may never be able to figure out what happened in the cockpit as the jet veered off course. A cockpit voice recorder, which would have recorded any activity or commotion, captures only two hours of sound, constantly overwriting the oldest material. Because the plane flew on for many more hours, the key events have already been wiped away. If searchers do find the “black box,” they’ll instead have to rely on a flight-data recorder, which provides technical information about the plane’s behavior. |
| Based on an analysis of satellite contact the plane made in its final hours, investigators believe it could have ended up anywhere along a massive arc extending north into Asia and south into the Indian Ocean. | Based on an analysis of satellite contact the plane made in its final hours, investigators believe it could have ended up anywhere along a massive arc extending north into Asia and south into the Indian Ocean. |
| The northern and southern corridors are being treated with “equal importance,” Hishammuddin said. | The northern and southern corridors are being treated with “equal importance,” Hishammuddin said. |
| The northern corridor crosses 11 countries from Thailand to Kazakhstan. The southern is far more remote and stretches through areas that are uncovered by radar. To help with the northern area, Malaysia’s government has requested help from nearly a dozen Asian countries — including Burma, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan — and Australia. The Malaysian Foreign Ministry on Sunday held a briefing for 22 countries and asked them to share satellite and radar data that may give clues into the plane’s whereabouts. | |
| Malaysia has already burned the resources of more than a dozen countries by focusing the first week of the search on nearby waters — areas that now appear far from MH370’s endpoint. | Malaysia has already burned the resources of more than a dozen countries by focusing the first week of the search on nearby waters — areas that now appear far from MH370’s endpoint. |
| With the latest information from satellite data, the search has expanded to include 25 countries, up from 14. | With the latest information from satellite data, the search has expanded to include 25 countries, up from 14. |
| “This is a significant re-calibration of the search,” Hishammuddin said. | “This is a significant re-calibration of the search,” Hishammuddin said. |
| Halsey reported from Washington, and Gowen reported from New Delhi. Liu Liu in Beijing; Tim Craig in Islamabad, Pakistan; Rama Lakshmi in New Delhi; and Joel Achenbach, Adam Goldman and Sari Horwitz in Washington contributed to this report. | Halsey reported from Washington, and Gowen reported from New Delhi. Liu Liu in Beijing; Tim Craig in Islamabad, Pakistan; Rama Lakshmi in New Delhi; and Joel Achenbach, Adam Goldman and Sari Horwitz in Washington contributed to this report. |