Timeline/Pre-Flight
From 12:44 MYT Friday, 7 March 2014 to 40:37 MYT Saturday, 8 March 2014
(0444 UTC to 1640:37 UTC Friday, 7 March 2014)
Friday, 7 March 2014
The Flight Plan for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was Filed (transmitted over the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network (AFTN) at 0444 UTC [1244 MYT], on Friday, 7 March 2014 - about 12 hours earlier than the scheduled departure (off-the-block) time from KLIA at 1635 UTC [0035 MYT Saturday, 8 March 2014].
The Satellite Data Unit (SDU) on Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 registered 9M-MRO initiated the first of several Log-On requests to the Inmarsat satellite communications system.
The transmission was relayed via Inmarsat's Pacific Ocean Region I-3 satellite to the Ground Earth Station (GES) near Perth in Western Australia.
The First officer, Fariq Ab.Hamid, signed in (25 minutes later than Captain Shah).
Captain Shah, as the Pilot in Command, assigned the First Officer to be the Pilot Flying.
The Malaysia Airlines Operations Despatch Centre (ODC) released the flight at around 23:15 MYT.
Malaysia Airlines Operations Centre contacted MH370 by sending an ACARS message (over VHF) suggesting that VHF3 be switched (from data) to voice if the SATCOM system was operational (serviceable). Future communications to and from the aircraft by ACARS would then be (automatically) sent via the SATCOM system.
ACARS used the SATCOM system to indicate that the VHF datalink had been 'lost'.
This indicates that the VHF radio (VHF3) had been switched from data to voice in accordance with the instruction from Malaysia Airlines Operations Centre at 23:54:31 MYT.
ACARS re-established the datalink between the aircraft 9M-MRO and the service provider (SITA), via the satellite communications system. (The SATCOM had been logged in as Data Only, until 23:57:49 MYT when it changed to Voice and Data).
The SDU was still using the Inmarsat POR-1 satellite and both the Flight ID and the Aircraft Number remained correct.
The SATCOM initiates a Log-On handover as Class 3 (voice and data capable) to the IOR I-3 satellite, using the HGA subsystem, with a valid Flight ID. This suggests that the IOR is now considered to be the best available satellite. This is probably because either the line of sight to the IOR satellite is now clearer than that to the POR satellite, or the antenna gain in the direction of the IOR satellite has become higher than the antenna gain in the direction of the POR satellite.
Saturday, 8 March 2014
Malaysia Airlines used ACARS to send a list of the perishable cargo loaded on-board 9M-MRO as a SPECIAL LOAD NOTOC or Notice To Crew. The message was routed via the service provider for ACARS (SITA) then over the satellite communications service provided by Inmarsat. The message was sent direct to the (cockpit) aircraft printer and to be printed out by the (flight) crew. The automated response MAS-S (successful) at 0006:32 MYT indicates that the message was transmitted successfully. Information about this event is summarised in the table below.
The NOTOC stated the special loads of total 4,566 kg of mangosteen fruit were carried on board. Details of the mangosteens were: 1,128 kg at station 41L, 1,152 kg at station 41R, 1,148 kg at station 43L and 1,138 kg at 44L respectively. The message concluded with the declaration “There is no evidence that any damaged or leaking packages containing dangerous goods have been loaded on the aircraft at this station”.
The Final Load Sheet for the aircraft 9M-MRO was sent by Malaysia Airlines using ACARS over the satellite communications system. The loadsheet was sent to the aircraft printer, to be printed out by the crew. An acknowledgement from the flight crew was requested. (Acknowledgement was sent at 00:09:28 MYT).
The First Officer, Fariq Hamid, used VHF radio to contact Lumpur Airways Clearance Delivery at Kuala Lumpur Area Control Centre (KL ACC). The FO requested flight level three five zero to Beijing.
Lumpur Delivery responded at 1626:41 MYT "Malaysian Three Zeven Zero is cleared to Beijing via Pibos Alpha Departure six thousand feet squawk two one five seven".
'Two One Five Seven' is the allocated transponder code for flight MH370.
A status report for the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) was generated by the Aircraft Condition Monitoring System (ACMS) which is interfaced with ACARS. The APU Report was then sent by ACARS over the satellite communications datalink.
The report stated the total APU cycles and hours were 15,699 cycles and 22,093 hours. APU hours for the previous flight was 4 hours.
At 0032:18 MYT the First Officer used VHF radio to contact Lumpur Ground and request approval to taxi.
Lumpur Ground responded at 0032:33 MYT "...clear taxi to holding point Alfa One One Runway Three Two Right via Standard Route hold short of Bravo".
The FO ended the call at 1636:30 MYT by confirming the frequency to use for Lumpur Tower .
Based on the filed Flight Plan, the off-the-block time for MH370 was expected to be 1635 UTC (0035 MYT) however this event occurred earlier at 00:27:57 MYT.