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| Malaysian authorities cede search control | Malaysian authorities cede search control |
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| KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysian authorities said Tuesday that they were ceding a bit of control to other countries in the massive and sometimes chaotic hunt for an airliner that vanished 11 days ago. | KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysian authorities said Tuesday that they were ceding a bit of control to other countries in the massive and sometimes chaotic hunt for an airliner that vanished 11 days ago. |
| In what has become the largest search on record for a missing aircraft, Malaysia has drawn criticism for its delayed and contradictory release of information, as well as for bucking some offers for help. | In what has become the largest search on record for a missing aircraft, Malaysia has drawn criticism for its delayed and contradictory release of information, as well as for bucking some offers for help. |
| But Malaysian officials acknowledged Tuesday for the first time since the plane’s disappearance that other countries needed to take leading roles in scouring a search grid roughly the size of Australia. Malaysia said it has chopped that grid into 14 sections, and negotiated for Indonesia, Australia, China and Kazakhstan to coordinate the efforts in some of those areas. | |
| That move comes as investigators search for anybody aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with the know-how or motive to take control of the jet and divert it on a path that remains a mystery. | |
| Citing U.S. officials, the New York Times had reported Monday that the westward turn away from Beijing was carried out through the plane’s computer system, suggesting that whoever steered the plane was knowledgeable about its technical aspects. | |
| The Chinese ambassador to Malaysia, Huang Huikang, told reporters here Tuesday that Beijing had cleared its 153 citizens of being able to seize the plane, determining that they had no terrorist ties or indications of instability. It was unclear whether Chinese authorities had scrutinized any of the passengers for aviation expertise. | |
| Though the rigor of China’s investigation remains unclear, its statement casts greater scrutiny on others on board, including the Malaysian captain and co-pilot, whose homes have been searched in Kuala Lumpur. | Though the rigor of China’s investigation remains unclear, its statement casts greater scrutiny on others on board, including the Malaysian captain and co-pilot, whose homes have been searched in Kuala Lumpur. |
| In the latest in a string of criticism levied by Chinese officials, Huang called Malaysian authorities “inexperienced and lacking the capacity” to carry out the investigation properly, according to Chinese state media. | In the latest in a string of criticism levied by Chinese officials, Huang called Malaysian authorities “inexperienced and lacking the capacity” to carry out the investigation properly, according to Chinese state media. |
| Still, by reducing its role slightly, Malaysia has opened a new stage in the search process, where duties are coordinated between groups of countries, not necessarily with requests from Kuala Lumpur. | Still, by reducing its role slightly, Malaysia has opened a new stage in the search process, where duties are coordinated between groups of countries, not necessarily with requests from Kuala Lumpur. |
| Several countries involved in the search — including India and Japan — have been waiting for several days to receive marching orders from Malaysia. Other countries in Asia say there’s no way the missing jet could have crossed their airspace — even though Malaysia says satellite analysis indicates it is possible. | Several countries involved in the search — including India and Japan — have been waiting for several days to receive marching orders from Malaysia. Other countries in Asia say there’s no way the missing jet could have crossed their airspace — even though Malaysia says satellite analysis indicates it is possible. |
| After concluding from radar data that the plane never entered Pakistani airspace, Pakistani officials said Tuesday that there was no need to organize search parties. | After concluding from radar data that the plane never entered Pakistani airspace, Pakistani officials said Tuesday that there was no need to organize search parties. |
| According to Dawn news, a local news channel, Pakistani Information Minister Pervez Rashid told a group of journalists that a “Boeing 777 is a big plane” that could have only landed at airports in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. | According to Dawn news, a local news channel, Pakistani Information Minister Pervez Rashid told a group of journalists that a “Boeing 777 is a big plane” that could have only landed at airports in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. |
| “The missing Malaysian plane didn’t land in Pakistani territory,” he said. “It’s not like a balloon that you can take out of the air and put it in a pocket.” | “The missing Malaysian plane didn’t land in Pakistani territory,” he said. “It’s not like a balloon that you can take out of the air and put it in a pocket.” |
| Based on signals transmitted by the plane and gathered by a satellite above the Indian Ocean, investigators believe the jet ended up somewhere along a giant arc that spans the middle of Asia and into the deepest reaches of the Indian Ocean. Many experts believe the plane’s track was likelier toward the ocean, considering the area is virtually uncovered by radar and the lack of radar signatures in other areas. | |
| Because of its remoteness, the search in that area is painstaking. Beginning Tuesday, Australia sent a P-3 surveillance aircraft from an air force runway near Perth toward a designated search area. Just to get there took 3 hours, 40 minutes. The plane couldn’t spend much time in the search area because it had to leave fuel for the return trip. | Because of its remoteness, the search in that area is painstaking. Beginning Tuesday, Australia sent a P-3 surveillance aircraft from an air force runway near Perth toward a designated search area. Just to get there took 3 hours, 40 minutes. The plane couldn’t spend much time in the search area because it had to leave fuel for the return trip. |
| Australia said Tuesday that it will take several weeks to search its area thoroughly, even with help coming Wednesday from New Zealand and the United States. That search area — the southernmost potential crash spot for the aircraft — is 230,000 square miles, about the size of Wyoming. | Australia said Tuesday that it will take several weeks to search its area thoroughly, even with help coming Wednesday from New Zealand and the United States. That search area — the southernmost potential crash spot for the aircraft — is 230,000 square miles, about the size of Wyoming. |
| “What we’re doing is producing our best estimate of the most likely place to search,” said John Young, general manager of the emergency response division at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. “But I would hasten to add it’s far from very precise.” | “What we’re doing is producing our best estimate of the most likely place to search,” said John Young, general manager of the emergency response division at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. “But I would hasten to add it’s far from very precise.” |
| “A needle in a haystack remains a good analogy,” Young added. | “A needle in a haystack remains a good analogy,” Young added. |
| Malaysian officials said Tuesday that before takeoff, Flight 370’s computer had been programmed — as is typical in commercial aviation — to fly to Beijing, the intended destination. But Malaysia Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said it was “speculative” to suggest that the plane’s diversion from that path had also been programmed. | Malaysian officials said Tuesday that before takeoff, Flight 370’s computer had been programmed — as is typical in commercial aviation — to fly to Beijing, the intended destination. But Malaysia Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said it was “speculative” to suggest that the plane’s diversion from that path had also been programmed. |
| “Once you are in the aircraft, anything is possible,” he said. | “Once you are in the aircraft, anything is possible,” he said. |
| With the focus switching to Australian waters, the U.S. Navy said that its ship that had been looking for wreckage in the Andaman Sea would pull out of the search. | With the focus switching to Australian waters, the U.S. Navy said that its ship that had been looking for wreckage in the Andaman Sea would pull out of the search. |
| If the plane went down in the ocean, U.S. aviation expert Ron Carr said that whether it is found may depend on how it struck the water. He said that if it came in as though it were landing, it would float for a while and then sink, creating a large underwater target for sonar detectors. If it came down hard and broke into pieces, plenty of debris would be floating. | If the plane went down in the ocean, U.S. aviation expert Ron Carr said that whether it is found may depend on how it struck the water. He said that if it came in as though it were landing, it would float for a while and then sink, creating a large underwater target for sonar detectors. If it came down hard and broke into pieces, plenty of debris would be floating. |
| “The third option is the aircraft went under water at a steep angle,” said Carr, who was an Air Force and airline pilot for 39 years before becoming a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona. “It would accordion down into a smaller size that would make discovery more difficult. A ship or an aircraft would have to be in the right place at the right time, looking in the right spot to see any floating debris, if there was any floating debris left to see.” | “The third option is the aircraft went under water at a steep angle,” said Carr, who was an Air Force and airline pilot for 39 years before becoming a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona. “It would accordion down into a smaller size that would make discovery more difficult. A ship or an aircraft would have to be in the right place at the right time, looking in the right spot to see any floating debris, if there was any floating debris left to see.” |
| Unlike in the most recent airliner to crash in the ocean, Air France Flight 447 in 2009, Carr said, there is no clue as to where to search. | Unlike in the most recent airliner to crash in the ocean, Air France Flight 447 in 2009, Carr said, there is no clue as to where to search. |
| “As time goes by, I would say it would become more and more difficult to find the [Boeing] 777, and at some point the cost of the search will reach a point that it will be abandoned and the possibility of it never being found obviously goes way up,” he said. | “As time goes by, I would say it would become more and more difficult to find the [Boeing] 777, and at some point the cost of the search will reach a point that it will be abandoned and the possibility of it never being found obviously goes way up,” he said. |
| Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, the Malaysia Airlines chief executive, said the automatic communications system made what proved to be a final transmission at 1:07 a.m. March 8, relaying routine information about the plane’s performance. The next transmission, from the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS), was due 30 minutes later but never arrived, he said. | Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, the Malaysia Airlines chief executive, said the automatic communications system made what proved to be a final transmission at 1:07 a.m. March 8, relaying routine information about the plane’s performance. The next transmission, from the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS), was due 30 minutes later but never arrived, he said. |
| “The last ACARS transmission was 1:07. It was supposed to transmit 30 minutes from that, but that transmission did not come through,” he said. “When was it switched off? Any time between then and 30 minutes later.” | “The last ACARS transmission was 1:07. It was supposed to transmit 30 minutes from that, but that transmission did not come through,” he said. “When was it switched off? Any time between then and 30 minutes later.” |
| At 1:19 a.m., the co-pilot of Flight MH370, Fariq Abdul Hamid, said, “All right, good night,” to air-traffic controllers in Kuala Lumpur, two minutes before the plane disappeared from civilian radar, authorities said. | At 1:19 a.m., the co-pilot of Flight MH370, Fariq Abdul Hamid, said, “All right, good night,” to air-traffic controllers in Kuala Lumpur, two minutes before the plane disappeared from civilian radar, authorities said. |
| The recording of that final radio contact is being analyzed to see if it could indicate whether everything was normal in the cockpit at the time. On Sunday, defense minister Hishammuddin Hussein had told reporters that the ACARS system was shut down before the “good night” communication, suggesting that the person at the controls was either hiding information or being forced to cover up the irregular situation. | The recording of that final radio contact is being analyzed to see if it could indicate whether everything was normal in the cockpit at the time. On Sunday, defense minister Hishammuddin Hussein had told reporters that the ACARS system was shut down before the “good night” communication, suggesting that the person at the controls was either hiding information or being forced to cover up the irregular situation. |
| Indications that something malign was occurring before the final radio call had led many people to suspect that the co-pilot or the plane’s captain, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, might have been behind the plane’s disappearance. Zaharie had flown for the airline for 30 years and had not shown any sign of personal trouble recently, friends said. | Indications that something malign was occurring before the final radio call had led many people to suspect that the co-pilot or the plane’s captain, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, might have been behind the plane’s disappearance. Zaharie had flown for the airline for 30 years and had not shown any sign of personal trouble recently, friends said. |
| Hishammuddin said Zaharie and Fariq’s homes were visited March 9 and then searched over the past weekend. Police are examining a flight simulator from Zaharie’s home, he said. But he has warned against jumping to conclusions, saying that the pilot and co-pilot had not asked to fly together that day. | Hishammuddin said Zaharie and Fariq’s homes were visited March 9 and then searched over the past weekend. Police are examining a flight simulator from Zaharie’s home, he said. But he has warned against jumping to conclusions, saying that the pilot and co-pilot had not asked to fly together that day. |
| Evidence has steadily mounted that the plane’s diversion — by passengers or crew members — was meticulously planned. | Evidence has steadily mounted that the plane’s diversion — by passengers or crew members — was meticulously planned. |
| The plane’s transponder, a device that identifies and locates the airliner for civilian air-traffic control, was turned off just as it was leaving Malaysian airspace and entering that of Vietnam. At that point, the plane appeared to turn back toward the Malay Peninsula, flying on for as long as seven hours without being spotted. | The plane’s transponder, a device that identifies and locates the airliner for civilian air-traffic control, was turned off just as it was leaving Malaysian airspace and entering that of Vietnam. At that point, the plane appeared to turn back toward the Malay Peninsula, flying on for as long as seven hours without being spotted. |
| Steven B. Wallace, a former head of investigations at the Federal Aviation Administration, said he is confident that the mystery will be solved. But “I’m slightly less confident than I was on the day this investigation began,” he said. “This is the modern jet transport era, and this is a state-of-the-art aircraft. Jet airliners have never disappeared. We’ve never seen anything like this.” | Steven B. Wallace, a former head of investigations at the Federal Aviation Administration, said he is confident that the mystery will be solved. But “I’m slightly less confident than I was on the day this investigation began,” he said. “This is the modern jet transport era, and this is a state-of-the-art aircraft. Jet airliners have never disappeared. We’ve never seen anything like this.” |
| Tim Craig in Islamabad, Annie Gowen in New Delhi and Ernesto Londoño and Ashley Halsey in Washington contributed to this report. | Tim Craig in Islamabad, Annie Gowen in New Delhi and Ernesto Londoño and Ashley Halsey in Washington contributed to this report. |