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Welcome to Vanished Sky, a deep dive into Malaysian Airlines Flight 370.

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My name is Marilyn and this is Episode 1, the pilot's last training day.

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And I'm Ed. Together we will do a deep dive into the first officer training.

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Ed, what exactly is inline training?

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The inline training aviation program is a structured training process for pilots transitioning to different aircraft types,

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or when upgrading their qualifications,

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co-pilot Farik Abdulhamid was transitioning from the Airbus 3300 to the Boeing 777-200.

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So, basically, if co-pilot Farik Abdulhamid was on his last day of training,

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and if Farik Abdulhamid had not passed any qualification test,

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then do we really know if the loss of radio communications,

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loss of transponder and navigation errors were not just errors made while still training?

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Marilyn, in the world of aviation, statistics reveal that 85% of all accidents are attributed to human error.

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With that in mind, let's ponder this.

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Isn't it more plausible that a student pilot still in the throes of training

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might be more prone to making mistakes than an experienced, well-decorated pilot who has never exhibited any signs of error before?

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Think about it. A rookie in the cockpit, under the pressure of commanding a commercial airliner, versus a seasoned veteran.

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Who is more likely to falter?

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The answer might seem obvious, but it's a question worth exploring as we dive deeper into the mysterious case of MH370.

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Let's delve into a scenario with our trainee pilot at the helm.

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Now, it's quite conceivable that a newbie might fumble with the radio settings,

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perhaps accidentally setting it to autotune, which could lead to a complete loss of communication.

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And consider this. The transponder's on-off switch is right next to the radio.

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It's easy to see how this could also be mistakenly toggled during a bit of cockpit.

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But here's the real headscratcher, Ed. How do we account for the aircraft's unexpected turn in the wrong direction?

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This maneuver doesn't just happen with a slip of a switch or a misclick.

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What might this tell us about the situation in the cockpit at that critical moment?

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Let's unpack this mystery.

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Let's talk about a riveting aspect of the MH370, mystery that has emerged from a Notable New York Times article by Matthew L. Wald and Michael S. Schmidt.

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Change in Plains Path was entered via computer, published Monday, March 17, 2014.

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The crux of the article discusses a pivotal change in the plane's path which was not executed manually but through a computer system.

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Senior American officials suggest this alteration was likely programmed by someone with intimate knowledge of the aircraft's systems,

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pointing to an insider's hand in the events that unfolded.

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The discussion goes deeper into the flight management system, highlighting that the unexpected westward turn was keyed in between the captain and the first officer,

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raising critical questions about the plane's final trajectory.

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It's intriguing that the focus has now shifted towards the plane's cockpit with the captain and first officer under scrutiny.

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The mystery deepens when considering the transponder and other communication devices were manually turned off,

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further intensifying the debate around the plane's disappearance.

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For those listeners just joining us, welcome to Flight Path Mysteries, the podcast where we dissect the intricacies of aviation incidents,

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leaving no stone unturned.

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Today, we're circling back to the enigmatic case of MH370, honing in on a crucial aspect of the incident, the training and oversight of the flight crew.

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Now folks, imagine the cockpit.

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We've got our captain fully engaged with the demanding task of piloting the aircraft, a full workload situation.

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In such a scenario, it's virtually impossible for the captain to simultaneously monitor the first officer, especially one who's still in training.

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Here's a curveball for you.

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This first officer should, by all standards, have had an observer.

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And why's that?

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Well, a dive into the factual report, specifically the bottom of page 14, uncovers a startling revelation.

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No records exist for first officer testing to support confidence Boeing 777.

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That's right.

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Rule 1.5.1 in the factual report of MAS370 lays it out pretty clearly.

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These professional pilots are supposed to undergo initial and periodic checks with their performance evaluated in flight simulators and further assessed during actual commercial flights.

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But if there's no records of the first officer completing these essential tests, what does that tell us?

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It raises the question,

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who was really responsible for overseeing the first officer during those critical moments of training?

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And if the captain is in charge of the plane, how can he be expected to observe and ensure the first officer's competence?

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This gap in the safety protocol might just be a piece of the puzzle we've been overlooking.

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Let's picture the high stakes environment in that cockpit for a moment.

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There's a mere nine minute window where everything changes for MH370.

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And why exactly nine minutes?

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Well, the details are in the reports.

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Rolls Royce's engine monitoring data pinpoints 1241 with the aircraft just over 300 feet up.

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And it's crucial to note the autopilot is reported as off.

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So here's the scene.

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The captain's hands are on the controls navigating the ascent.

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Meanwhile, the first officer is keeping an eye on the instruments, playing his part in the duo that makes up a cockpit crew.

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Then fast forward to 1252 and there's a critical shift.

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The next report from Rolls Royce indicates that autopilot has been engaged and the plane has climbed to 22,000 feet.

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We're zoning in on a pivotal 11 minute interval that could hold the key to the MH370 mystery.

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At exactly 1242, the crew of Malaysian Flight 370 receives an unexpected instruction to cancel their standard instrument departure, the SID.

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This isn't just a minor tweak.

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It necessitates a significant modification in their flight plan.

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Here's where our first officer comes into play.

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Tasked with this sudden change, he's now responsible for programming a new course, directing the aircraft to a later waypoint.

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To do this, the autopilot must be disengaged.

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It's all manual from here.

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He's got to delve into the flight management system, the heart of the aircraft's navigation, and key and new coordinates.

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But what exactly unfolded as those inputs were made?

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What was the sequence of actions?

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The buttons pressed, the commands entered.

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This is where the plot thickens.

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And every detail matters.

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We're left to unravel the significance of these adjustments and their potential impact on the fate of Flight 370.

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Stay with us as we navigate through the fog of this aviation enigma.

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Before we jet off any further into the skies of speculation, let's park on the tarmac of fact for a moment.

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We're edging into the territory of Episode 2 titled, Night Over Water Change of Course.

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This is where the night's darkness meets the deep waters of mystery.

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In these essential 10 minutes from 1242 to 1252, MH370's destiny veered off the expected path.

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We're going to lay out a minute by minute account of the communications

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and dissect the autopilot's engagement.

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Our key waypoint, EGARI.

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Why there?

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Why then?

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The question of human error versus a mechanical hiccup looms over this course correction.

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Was it a deliberate keystroke or an unanticipated glitch?

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These are the questions that beckon us.

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So, buckle up listeners as we prepare for takeoff into this crucial chapter of our investigation right here on clouded cockpits.

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Stay tuned.

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Ed, just wanted to get back to Episode 1, the pilot's last training day.

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Why do you think media never considered the first officer and the errors a student pilot might make?

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You've raised an excellent point, Marilyn.

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This kind of tunnel vision, this lack of intimate knowledge of the industry, it can cloud judgment.

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Speaking from 35 years in transportation, I can tell you, human error is not just a possibility, it's a common reality.

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A staggering 90% of mistakes are due to human slip-ups.

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Working so closely with the mechanics of transport, you get a gut feeling, a visceral awareness of when things are going awry.

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Take, for instance, that incident with the bridge in Baltimore.

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The crew knew they were inching too close.

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The danger was imminent and yet despite every effort to avert the disaster,

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it was as if the collision was drawn out in slow motion, they couldn't stop it.

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It's this human factor, the fallibility in high pressure situations that we're dissecting in the case of MH370.

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Let's navigate these choppy waters together and try to understand the human element behind the controls.

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Let's dim the cabin lights and adjust our focus to the night flight conditions that enveloped MH370.

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Introducing darkness into the equation adds a new layer of complexity, especially for our first officer,

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who is still honing his craft.

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The cockpit, a familiar landscape under the sun's gaze, transforms as night falls.

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The once bright and legible console now becomes a canvas of shadows and artificial illumination.

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For a trainee used to the clarity of daylight, this shift can be disorienting.

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The switches, knobs and dials, bathe it in a glow that alters perception and potentially performance.

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This nocturnal setting could be more than just a backdrop.

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It may have been a critical factor, heightening the probability of errors.

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As we unpack this shadowy chapter of the flight, we're reminded of the stark differences that night introduces

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and how it might have played into the cascading events that led to MH370's mysterious path.

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Let's continue to navigate these darkened skies and uncover what they reveal.

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Ed, I recently watched that Netflix documentary on MH370, and Jeff Wise's interview really struck me.

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He seemed so certain that the captain was solely responsible, suggesting the first officer was

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too wet behind the ears to have played a part. This leaves us with two contrasting theories.

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Which one seems more plausible to you?

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That's the million dollar question, isn't it?

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On one hand, we've got this almost cinematic tale of a calculated pilot orchestrating a vanishing

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act with the precision of a mastermind. It's the kind of plot that's gripping, sure,

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but it's also incredibly rare in reality.

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Right, and then on the flip side there's the argument of human error, which, statistically speaking,

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is far more common. It's less dramatic than a nefarious plot, but errors are part of being human,

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especially under stress or inexperience.

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Exactly, think about it. Making intentional errors to craft a perfect disappearance versus

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a series of mistakes that lead to a tragic outcome. Occam's razor would suggest the simplest

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explanation, often the one with the least assumptions, is more likely to be correct.

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So you're leaning towards a more accidental series of events?

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Given the first officer's inexperience, the nighttime flight conditions, and all the potential

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for missteps, it seems to me a scenario rife with the chance for error. We need to consider

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what mistakes could have been made in those critical 62 minutes after takeoff.

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It's a sobering thought. Instead of a deliberate act of vanishing into thin air, we might be looking

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at a chain reaction, a sequence of human errors that spiraled out of control. It's less sensational,

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sure, but perhaps more tragically human.

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I couldn't agree more. We have to look at the evidence with a rational lens and consider all

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possible angles. It's not as simple as choosing the most thrilling narrative. It's about piecing

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together the facts to find the truth.

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And that's what we'll continue to explore in this series. Stay with us as we dive deeper into the

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mystery of MH370 and search for answers in the realm of the rational and the human.

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Marilyn, let's stay on course with our current trajectory. There's plenty of time to circle

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back to the Netflix documentary and unpack the myriad of theories out there from the catastrophic

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like being shot down to smoke inhalation, even hijacking. We'll lay all those theories out on

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the tarmac in episode four aptly named a pilot, a hijacker, or a ghost. That's when we'll deep

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dive into every angle and explore the full spectrum of possibilities that have been presented.

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Ed, as we're analyzing the case of MH370, at the time the plane went missing,

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you were in your 25th year on the railroad coupled with your dyslexic way of thinking

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have provided you with a distinct vantage point. Tell us, how has this combination influenced

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your approach to the mystery?

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It's fascinating, Marilyn. Dyslexia, often misunderstood, actually equips you with a

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different set of lenses to view problems. My experience in the high stakes world of railroads

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where every decision counts has fine tuned my ability to pattern think to see the sequence in

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the chaos. And speaking of pattern thinking, dyslexics like you often excel in STEM fields

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despite the challenges with reading and writing. How do you think this applies to problem solving

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in complex situations like that of MH370? Absolutely. Dyslexia doesn't touch your IQ.

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It just reroutes how you process information. You mentioned STEM and it's no coincidence

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that organizations like NASA value neurodiversity hiring individuals with dyslexia who bring a

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different angle to problem solving. That's a powerful insight. So as a dyslexic thinker,

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when you first heard about MH370, what struck you as a pattern or clue that others might have overlooked?

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Well, dyslexics are known to excel in 3D thinking. When I looked at the flight path,

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I saw it in layers and dimensions, not just a linear route. My brain started to connect

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irregularities and possibilities, stripping away the improbable and zoning in on tangible evidence.

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That's incredible, Ed. It's like having a mental map that can navigate beyond the two-dimensional.

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Could this be the key to unlocking the answers we've been searching for?

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It just might be, Marilyn. Dyslexia has taught me that every problem has a solution. You just need

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to twist the cube and look at it from a new angle. And sometimes, that's where the answers have been

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hiding all along. What an amazing perspective, Ed. Thank you for sharing that. Listeners,

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join us as we continue to decode the enigma of MH370 with Ed's unique outlook guiding the way.

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Remember, in the realm of mystery, the most extraordinary solutions come from minds that

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refuse to follow a straight line. Absolutely, Marilyn. And there's a lot to look forward to.

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In Episode 3, Echoes in the Ocean, Decoding Satellite Pings, will dive into the intricacies of 3D

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thinking, particularly how it intersects with tools like Google Earth to analyze the flight path of

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MH370. This technology allows us to think and visualize in three dimensions, providing a dynamic

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model to hypothesize the plane's movements and final moments. I'll break down how this perspective

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can offer us new insights and perhaps bring us closer to understanding the mystery, so make

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sure to tune in for that deep dive in Episode 3. As we approach the end of our first episode,

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I want to thank you all for joining us on this extraordinary journey into the unknown with MH370.

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We've taken a deep dive thinking outside the box and exploring angles that haven't been considered

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before. It's been a riveting discussion, Ed. And to our listeners, your curiosity and engagement

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adds so much depth to our explorations. We hope you've found this session enlightening,

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and that it sparked even more questions and theories for you to ponder. Absolutely, Marilyn.

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And this is just the beginning. We invite you all to tune into our next episode,

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Night Over Waters, The Change of Course, where we'll unravel the crucial moments that led to

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the dramatic shift in MH370's flight path. We'll be delving deeper into the technical details,

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the decisions made on board, and how these critical moments might unlock further secrets of this mystery.

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We'll be delving deeper into the technical details, the decisions made on board,

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and how these critical moments might unlock further secrets of this mystery.

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So stay curious, keep questioning, and join us next time on Episode 2, Night Over Waters,

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The Change of Course. Until then, keep looking beyond the horizon. Goodbye, everyone.

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You have been listening to MH370, Vanishing Sky, Episode 1, The Pilot's Last Training Day.