ALL AT SEA
From pilot suicide to cover-up — here are seven theories behind the disappearance of flight MH370
FIRST the pilot said goodbye, then the tracking signal shut down as the jet was steered off-course — towards oblivion.
More than four years on, the long-awaited report into the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight 370 has concluded there are still no answers to what happened.
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In fact, the 449-page document has only deepened the mystery, by ruling out the popular early theory of pilot suicide — and revealing that the plane’s sudden change in direction was a deliberate manoeuvre by somebody in the cockpit.
The lack of answers comes despite £110million being spent on the investigation, and the painstaking study of everything from the species of barnacles growing on the three meagre pieces of debris to have ever been found, to the backgrounds of every single one of the 239 people aboard.
The problem is that what caused the Boeing 777 to divert 37 minutes after it took off from Kuala Lumpur en route to Beijing on March 8, 2014, is still a puzzle with most of the pieces missing.
According to Monday’s report all we know is it flew in the new direction for around seven hours, at which point its fuel would have run out and it presumably crashed into the Indian Ocean.
Family members of those on board the missing MH370 flight, believe there's nothing new in the final report into the tragedy
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Here we look at the main theories about the mystery . . .
Pilot suicide
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UNTIL now, some felt the finger of blame pointed to Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, who was reported to have marriage problems and who had plotted a course far out into the Indian Ocean on a flight simulator at home.
His voice is thought to be the last heard from the jet, saying farewell to Kuala Lumpur’s air traffic control with the words: “Goodnight, Malaysian three seven zero.”
Could pilot of MH370 have pulled out of 'death dive' and how might that impact search?
Two minutes later, the tracking signal shut down. Could he have decided to kill himself and all on board?
But the inquiry quashed rumours of family issues and found his use of the cockpit game “normal”.
The captain was also found to be healthy and to handle stress well. There were no mental health issues in his background or that of his co- pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid.
DENIED: Handled stress well. No family/health issues
Loss of cabin pressure
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A POPULAR theory is that the plane suffered depressurisation and the oxygen masks did not work.
At MH370’s cruising altitude of 35,000ft, the average time of useful consciousness is between 30 and 60 seconds without oxygen.
This might explain why no distress calls were made from the cockpit or the passengers.
And perhaps the plane’s tracking system was accidentally switched off by the pilot in an addled state caused by lack of oxygen.
But there is a hint the co-pilot tried to make a call from his mobile phone after the tracking system was switched off and the plane had changed course. How could he have done this if he had lost consciousness?
DENIED: No lack of oxygen as pilot still conscious
Remote hijacking
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WITH none of those on board known to have any kind of radical tendency, could hijackers have seized control remotely?
Following the 9/11 terror attacks Boeing took out a patent on a remote control device that would allow the authorities on the ground to take back control of the plane from hijackers.
Could some criminal force have taken advantage of this new technology?
The report conclusively quashed this possibility, finding: “There is no evidence to support the belief that control of MH370 could have been or was taken over remotely, as the technology was not implemented on commercial aircraft.”
DENIED: Tech not installed
Experts forensically reconstruct the final moments of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in The Situation Room
Hijacking
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TESTS show the plane could not have been on autopilot when it changed direction – it was being steered. Also, the report found it was “unlikely” the tracking signal was shut down by a system malfunction.
With pilots judged blameless, this may infer hijackers seized control. The report did conclude: “We cannot exclude the possibility of a third party or unlawful interference”.
But passengers had no radical links and a claim of responsibility by the so-called “Chinese Martyrs’ Brigade” is considered a hoax.
DENIED: Terror claims by Chinese 'radicals' ruled a hoax
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Mechanical failure
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BOEING 777s have one of the best safety records in the skies and investigators found no evidence of defects.
The report found: “The aircraft was well-maintained.”
During a search along a beach in Madagascar a piece of burnt panelling was discovered by one amateur investigator, suggesting a fire on board.
But this find has never been confirmed to have come from the lost plane.
In fact, of more than 20 items of potential debris found only three have been confirmed as coming from MH370 and none showed evidence of a fire.
These pieces were an engine nose washed up on a South African beach, a wing part found off the Indian Ocean island of Reunion and another fragment off nearby Mauritius.
DENIED: None of the jet debris showed evidence of fire
MH370: Malaysia says flight disappearance was accident
Battery explosion
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CARGO aboard the flight included more than two tonnes of lithium iron batteries, below, and more than four tonnes of tropical mangosteen fruit.
There was a fear that the batteries may have exploded after coming into contact with juices from the fruit.
But the report ruled this out as the batteries and fruit were known to have been properly packed, preventing such an incident. It concluded: “The two items tested could not be the cause in the disappearance of MH370”.
There had also been reports that the battery shipment may have contained a bomb, as it did not go through security screening at the airport.
However, this was ruled out because “no traces of explosion were found” on the pieces of wreckage that washed up from the plane’s interior.
DENIED: No traces of explosion found on wreckage bits
Cover-up
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HOW could a plane packed with sophisticated technology suddenly disappear in a world where everything is tracked?
How could just one lone ping from the plane’s satellite system have been picked up by military radar, about seven hours after the flight diverted its course and the normal tracking system was shut off?
The answer, according to countless internet forums , is a conspiracy by the CIA, the Russians, the Chinese or the Malaysians. Or all four together.
Even Malaysia’s current Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad has suggested American secret agents must know of the plane’s whereabouts.
He said in 2014: “Someone is hiding something.”
NO COMMENT: Malaysian PM: 'Someone is hiding something...'
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