Timeline/Response/ATC
Timeline of events involving air traffic controllers in response to the in-flight diversion of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370
From 01:27:00 MYT to 06:50:22 MYT Saturday, 8 March 2014
(1722 UTC to 2250:22 UTC Friday, 7 March 2014)
Background
Figure 1.1C - Diversion from Filed Flight Plan Route - Civilian Radar
(in pictorial form and not to scale)
Source:
Safety Investigation Report MH370/01/2018
1.1.3 (2)
Malaysian Air Traffic Control Primary Radar Observations
This section of the Timeline details the sequence of events as air traffic controllers struggled to comprehend that MH370 did not continue towards Beijing through Vietnamese airspace.
However, while the air traffic controllers were wondering where the aircraft was and making phone calls and asking questions the evidence of a turnback was in front of them on their radar screens. The 'blip' that represented the 'missing' aircraft was captured by civilian primary radar.
Like the military observations there were periods of actual data, periods of 'coasting' - where the radar interpolates a track between actual radar returns - and periods of interrupted data. This is shown in the adjacent diagram.
A 'blip' is a spot of light on a radar screen indicating the position of a detected aircraft.
Overall, the civilian primary radar observations of an aircraft believed to be MH370 after flight diversion extended from 01:30:37 MYT to 01:44:52 MYT. The periods covered by the civilian radar observations provide the background to other events during the developing emergency.
The aircraft in each radar track is identified by a number assigned by the radar system. For primary radar each code number has the prefix letter P (P = Primary). Even though the number is different for each observation, it is believed to be the same aircraft.
There were four significant observations by primary civilian radar, coded P3362, P3401, P3415 and P3426, which show that MH370 tracked west across Malaysia until it was south of Penang. However, the Kuala Lumpur air traffic controllers did not notice or respond to the appearance of a strayed or unidentified aircraft within their area of responsibility.
Last Communications With MH370
At 01:19:30 MYT MH370 acknowledged with “Good night Malaysian Three Seven Zero”.
This was the last recorded radio transmission from MH370.
The words “Good Night Malaysian Three Seven Zero” were spoken by the Pilot-in-Command, Captain Zaharie Shah. However, he did not readback the assigned frequency, which was inconsistent with radio-telephony procedures.
MH370 Failed To Contact HCM ACC
MH370 was expected to pass waypoint IGARI at 0122 MYT. As this waypoint is also the Transfer of Control Point between KL ACC and HCM ACC, the Vietnamese air traffic controllers should have contacted the controllers in Malaysia within five minutes (at 0127 MYT) when two-way communication with MH370 was not established.
Note: HCM only notified KL ACC at 0139 MYT which was a duration of twelve minutes.
Air Turn Back
ATC Radar Observation P3362: 0130:37 MYT to 0137:22 MYT
ATC Radar Observation P3401: 0138:56 to 0144:52 MYT
HCM ACC queried about MH370 again, stating that radar contact was established over IGARI but there was no verbal contact. HCM ACC advised that the observed radar blip disappeared at waypoint BITOD. HCM ACC stated that efforts to establish communication were made by calling MH370 many times for more than twenty (20) minutes.
ATC Radar Observation P3415: 0147:02 to 0148:39 MYT
ATC Radar Observation P3426: 0151:45 to 0152:35 MYT
KL ATSC Watch Supervisor queried Malaysia Airlines Operations who informed that MH370 was able to exchange signals with the Flight Explorer.
KL ACC queried if the flight plan routing of MH370 was supposed to enter Cambodian airspace. HCM ACC confirmed that the planned route was only through the Vietnamese airspace. HCM ACC had checked and Cambodia had advised that it had no information or contact with MH370. HCM ACC confirmed earlier information that radar contact was lost after BITOD and radio contact was never established.
At 0220:15 MYT KL ACC queried if HCM ACC was taking Radio Failure action, but the query didn’t seem to be understood by the personnel. HCM ACC suggested KL ACC to call Malaysia Airlines Operations and was advised that it had already been done.
KL ACC Radar Controller enquired with MAS Operations Despatch Centre (ODC) on communications status on MH370. Personnel was not sure if the message went through successfully. ODC informed that aircraft was still sending movement message indicating it was somewhere in Viet Nam, and that its last position was at coordinates N14.90000 E109 15500 at 071833 UTC [080233 MYT].
HCM ACC queried on the status of MH370 and was advised that the Watch Supervisor was talking to the Company at this time.
Requested MH386, which was then in the HCM FIR, to try to establish contact with MH370 on emergency frequencies.
At 0300 MYT there was a changeover in the Controllers at KL ATCC.
At 0000 MYT (midnight and prior to the departure of MH370) the number of Controllers in the KL ATSC was scaled down by half to enable the Controllers to take a scheduled 3-hour break from duty. At 0300 MYT the first group of Controllers returned from their break and the second group started their break which would last until 0600 MYT.
KL ACC called Malaysia Airlines ODC and queried MAS for news on MH370.
The Technical Captain said: “Whatever we have here suggest that the aircraft had never leave Lumpur airspace because he has failed to call Ho Chi Minh” and suggested to KL ATSC to trace back the record, voice recording and time of the positive handover to Ho Chi Minh.
KL ACC replied: “I wake up my supervisor and ask him to check again ....".
534_47 MYT
The Duty Watch Supervisor at the Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Services Centre (KL ATSC) performed radar data and voice recording play-back.
Singapore ACC Watch Manager contacted KL ACC and asked to speak with the Supervisor. However, the Supervisor at KL ACC was apparently busy replaying the tape recording of the handover at IGARI.
Singapore ACC wanted to confirm details of the DETRESFA message it had received from WMFC and to clarify whether there was positive radio and radar contact (after IGARI).