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| Malaysia Releases Transcript From Missing Jet’s Cockpit | Malaysia Releases Transcript From Missing Jet’s Cockpit |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The Malaysian government on Tuesday released a transcript of the communications between the cockpit of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 and air traffic controllers before the plane disappeared on March 8. | KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The Malaysian government on Tuesday released a transcript of the communications between the cockpit of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 and air traffic controllers before the plane disappeared on March 8. |
| The transcript covers 54 minutes, from just before the Boeing 777-200 pushed back from the gate at Kuala Lumpur International Airport to its last contact with air traffic personnel before it veered off its intended flight path to Beijing and disappeared over the Indian Ocean. | The transcript covers 54 minutes, from just before the Boeing 777-200 pushed back from the gate at Kuala Lumpur International Airport to its last contact with air traffic personnel before it veered off its intended flight path to Beijing and disappeared over the Indian Ocean. |
| The dialogue appears routine, reinforcing the impression that the flight had been unfolding normally until just after the cockpit’s last contact with radar controllers in Malaysia at 1:19 a.m., when the plane was approaching the border between Malaysian and Vietnamese airspace. | The dialogue appears routine, reinforcing the impression that the flight had been unfolding normally until just after the cockpit’s last contact with radar controllers in Malaysia at 1:19 a.m., when the plane was approaching the border between Malaysian and Vietnamese airspace. |
| Malaysian officials have said that the behavior of the plane, including its route across the Malaysian peninsula and the disabling of its communications systems, suggested “deliberate action” by someone onboard. That assessment shifted the focus of the inquiry to the plane’s pilot, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, and his co-pilot, Fariq Abdul Hamid. | Malaysian officials have said that the behavior of the plane, including its route across the Malaysian peninsula and the disabling of its communications systems, suggested “deliberate action” by someone onboard. That assessment shifted the focus of the inquiry to the plane’s pilot, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, and his co-pilot, Fariq Abdul Hamid. |
| In a statement accompanying the transcript’s release, Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysia’s defense minister and acting transportation minister, said there was “no indication of anything abnormal in the transcript.” | In a statement accompanying the transcript’s release, Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysia’s defense minister and acting transportation minister, said there was “no indication of anything abnormal in the transcript.” |
| But the transcript, he said, did not change the opinion of investigators that up until the plane dropped off military radar, about an hour after the cockpit’s last contact with air traffic controllers, Flight 370’s “movements were consistent with deliberate action by someone on the plane.” | But the transcript, he said, did not change the opinion of investigators that up until the plane dropped off military radar, about an hour after the cockpit’s last contact with air traffic controllers, Flight 370’s “movements were consistent with deliberate action by someone on the plane.” |
| The transcript’s release on Tuesday came as the international search for the missing plane continued in a vast area of the Indian Ocean. Australia deployed an airborne traffic controller to help coordinate the many aircraft involved in the hunt. | The transcript’s release on Tuesday came as the international search for the missing plane continued in a vast area of the Indian Ocean. Australia deployed an airborne traffic controller to help coordinate the many aircraft involved in the hunt. |
| At least 11 aircraft and nine ships were scheduled to explore the search zone, about 1,100 miles off the coast of Perth in Western Australia. | At least 11 aircraft and nine ships were scheduled to explore the search zone, about 1,100 miles off the coast of Perth in Western Australia. |
| Despite an all-out effort by the international force, the searches over the past three weeks have produced little but frustration. Although planes and ships have spotted scores of floating items in the search area over the past few days, none of the objects has turned out to be from the missing plane. | Despite an all-out effort by the international force, the searches over the past three weeks have produced little but frustration. Although planes and ships have spotted scores of floating items in the search area over the past few days, none of the objects has turned out to be from the missing plane. |
| The government agreed to release the transcript after coming under mounting pressure from reporters and families of people aboard Flight 370, who have demanded more details about the investigation and its progress. In his statement, Mr. Hishammuddin said the document had been kept confidential “as part of the police investigation.” | |
| Early in the investigation, government officials provided what they said were the last words from the cockpit, which they said were spoken by the co-pilot, Mr. Fariq. “All right, good night.” Some analysts said the phrasing seemed unusually casual. | Early in the investigation, government officials provided what they said were the last words from the cockpit, which they said were spoken by the co-pilot, Mr. Fariq. “All right, good night.” Some analysts said the phrasing seemed unusually casual. |
| But late on Monday, Malaysia’s Transport Ministry revealed that the final voice transmission was actually more routine: “Good night Malaysian three seven zero.” | |
| Government officials offered no explanation for the differing accounts and now say they are unsure whether Mr. Fariq was the person speaking. “The police are working to confirm this belief, and forensic examination of the actual recording is ongoing,” Mr. Hishammuddin said in his statement. | |
| But the sudden change reignited criticism of the government’s handling of the investigation, which has been marked by opacity and contradictory statements, and might add to observers’ doubts about the management of the case. | But the sudden change reignited criticism of the government’s handling of the investigation, which has been marked by opacity and contradictory statements, and might add to observers’ doubts about the management of the case. |
| Government officials, however, have defended their performance and justified their tight control of information as a necessity to protect the integrity of the probe. | |
| “We are not hiding anything,” Mr. Hishammuddin said on Monday. | “We are not hiding anything,” Mr. Hishammuddin said on Monday. |