Welcome back to Vanished Skies, the podcast where we comb through the clouds of mystery
surrounding Malaysian flight 370, seeking clarity in one of modern aviation's most perplexing
puzzles.
I'm your host Ed Skerritt, joined by the ever-insightful Marilyn Skerritt.
In our last episodes, we set the stage with the history of the ill-fated flight and delved
deep into the initial 10 minutes that may hold the key to understanding the sudden veer
from its intended path.
We explored the intricate dance of communication between air traffic control and the cockpit,
the pivotal directives, and the poignant silence that followed.
Tonight, we pick up the thread in the stillness of the early morning of March 8, 2014.
Captain and first officer, seasoned and trainee, embarked on what was to be a routine flight
from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, a flight with a duration calculated at just over five and
a half hours, carrying hopes, dreams, and unanswered questions.
As we previously discussed, the captain had logged in for duty at 2250 local time, leading
the pre-flight proceedings with the precision expected of an experienced examiner.
Twenty-five minutes later, the first officer followed suit, stepping into the cockpit amidst
his transition from the Airbus A330 to the Boeing 777, a leap across engineering philosophies,
each with their own language of levers and dials.
With the flight released at 2315 by the MS Operations Dispatch Center, a fuel order for
a journey spanning over seven hours was placed, anticipating the variables of the skies, an
assurance against the unpredictable, then a clearance request issued, a pushback, engines
roaring to life, the dance of lights on the runway, guiding MH370 to its ascent.
The first twist in our tale unfurls at U-4253 when Lumpur Departure redirects the aircraft,
cancelling the standard instrument departure, and sending it instead towards Waypoint E.
Garry, but as the plot thickens, so do the questions.
Why was there no record of an updated ETA after the clearance to Eigari?
How does the absence of subsequent ACARS transmissions fit into this labyrinth of loose ends?
Stay with us as we continue our journey into the unknown, piecing together the events that
led to a vanishing act that has echoed through the annals of aviation history.
This is Vanished Skies, and tonight's episode promises to delve deeper into the echoes in
the ocean, the signals that could lead us to answers, and the riddle that remains.
What really happened to Malaysian Flight 370?
Now let's dive in.
Welcome back, listeners.
Today we dive deep into the technological heart of our investigation, the satellite communications
or SATCOM system, and the mysterious pings that have become a cornerstone of the MH370
enigma.
Imagine a dartboard, as you said, but one that's floating in space and capable of reaching
thousands of miles across the Earth.
This isn't a game of precision, but one of reach and response.
The satellite pings we've been hearing about operate on a similar principle.
Their electronic handshakes, signals sent out by the ground station that travel to the
aircraft and expect a response back.
However, they don't give us a precise location, rather a range, a circular arc of possible
locations where the plane could be.
Much like the radius extending out from the center of a dartboard, these pings are crucial.
They're like digital echoes, reverberating across the vastness of the skies and oceans.
Every handshake narrows down the search field, telling us that the aircraft was at least
within reach of the satellite's long electronic arm at that moment.
Now, let's simplify this.
When you send a text message, it goes from your phone to a cell tower, right?
In the case of an airplane, it's similar, but the cell tower is a satellite in orbit.
The ACAR system on the plane, like a mobile phone, sends a message.
The ping, which travels up to the satellite and then down to the ground station.
It's an automated, I am here from the plane, but here's the catch.
While your text message says, I am at the cafe on Fifth Street, the ping only says,
I am somewhere on this huge circle that could be thousands of miles wide.
As we progress through today's show, we'll reconstruct the flight path and try to make
sense of where MH370 could have traveled based on these satellite pings.
It's a complex puzzle, but together, we'll piece it together.
Stay with us as we connect the dots in the sky.
Reflecting on our first episode, we delved into the intriguing world of dyslexia and
its three-dimensional cognitive approach.
Google Earth, in a similar vein, empowered us with a three-dimensional canvas.
It enabled us to experiment with various scenarios, positioning aircraft at different
altitudes, aligning them with precise timelines, and exploring potential flight paths.
This tool granted us the flexibility to adjust variables in real time and
observe the outcomes, enhancing our exploration into the MH370 enigma.
That's right, Ed.
And speaking of 3D, our biggest ally in visualizing MH370's path was Google Earth.
This tool, often overlooked, became our window into every conceivable detail of the flight,
minute by minute.
Indeed, Google Earth isn't just about street views and virtual tourism.
We've tapped into its vast capabilities to map out MH370's journey, aligning satellite
pings with geographical locations.
It's like stepping into a time machine, capturing the essence of each crucial moment.
Absolutely fascinating.
It segments the flight into phases, pre-takeoff, takeoff, cruise, diversion, and beyond.
What it reveals isn't just a flight path, but a narrative, one that might challenge
the prevailing theories out there.
Now let's dive in.
We have our initial stage, from takeoff to the moment MH370 diverted towards the Indian
Ocean.
This is where the plot thickens, where every theory is put to the test against hard data.
It's here we ask.
Was it a carefully crafted deception, a deliberate act by someone who knew exactly what they
were doing, or was it a cascade of human errors, a string of miscalculations leading to an
unforeseen tragedy?
And that's where Google Earth truly shines.
It doesn't speculate, it presents a factual account, tracking the aircraft from the departure
gate to its last known coordinates, pinpoint accuracy that leaves little room for wild
conjecture.
By using this, we can postulate potential paths. Could the flight's final trajectory be simpler
than we thought? Does it really take a mastermind to end up where MH370 did? Or could a trainee's
slip up amidst routine operations be the key to this mystery?
What's compelling is that with Google Earth, we've simulated satellite positions to cross-verify
the distances and angles. We've essentially recreated the investigative tools used by experts
right from our own homes.
That brings an authenticity to our discussion.
We aren't just talking theories, we're applying practical investigative techniques to present
our findings to you, our listeners. And we invite the experts to challenge our conclusions
with their own tools.
So as we embark on today's episode, remember we're not just passively recounting events.
We're actively engaging with the data, asking hard questions, seeking answers in the depths
of the ocean and the heights of the sky.
Stay with us as we chart these troubled waters and skies, mapping out the journey of MH370
with a mix of analytical precision and human understanding. Because in the end, it's about
finding the truth in the data and the stories behind the numbers.
Maryland, before we do our deep dive into episode 3, we at Vanishing Skies Mystery behind MH370
Unsolved want to thank everyone that helped getting us on the following streaming podcast
platforms.
Vanished Skies, the MH370 Mystery, Unsolved, is now available for your listening on these
awesome platforms, Spotify, Podcast Index, Amazon Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Deezer,
and YouTube.
Welcome back, everyone. Today, Maryland and I are going to unravel the mystery behind
MH370 and how Google Earth played a pivotal role in understanding its satellite information.
That's right, Ed. Remember when we discussed dyslexia in our first episode and how it relates
to 3D thinking? Well, Google Earth allowed us to visualize and experiment with MH370's
data in a three-dimensional space, which was crucial for our investigation.
Absolutely. Google Earth isn't just a mapping tool. It's a powerful resource for analyzing
complex data. We started by pinpointing the exact position of the Malaysian airplane at
Gate C1 and then moved to the satellite's location in the ocean, considering its altitude,
latitude, and longitude.
Exactly, Ed. With these coordinates, we were able to track the plane's movements and calculate
the distance between the satellite and the ground station in Perth, Australia. This distance
measurement is crucial for understanding the satellite pings.
Right. The satellite communicates with the plane by sending signals known as pings, and
by analyzing the time it takes for these signals to travel, we can determine the plane's location
on each of the seven rings.
And that's not all. By understanding the distance and time between each ping, we can
create a detailed timeline of the plane's journey, helping us piece together the events
leading up to its disappearance.
Our theory is broken into three phases. Similar to the plane's five phases. Pre-taxi, taxi,
takeoff, climb, cruise. Since the plane diverted, we will not speculate on the rest of the flight
phase.
Exactly, but we made it very simple. Our three phases. Most information. Minimum information.
To lease available information. So basically, Gate to Aigari. We used the two Rolls-Royce
Engine Monitoring reports along with ATC radar and radio communications between crew and
air traffic controllers. Five, ASCAR reports, including in-Marsat information.
Then from Waypoint, Aigari to the Indian Ocean, we lost communication, ACARS reporting, and
transponder functionality. These are all tasks that fall under the responsibility of the
pilot monitoring. It's worth noting that both the radio and transponder switches are located
next to each other.
So basically, we have Butterworth Military Air Base radar and in-Marsat information.
I mentioned a minimum amount of information, but unfortunately, the situation worsens.
Around 2.30 a.m. Malaysian time, just when we thought it couldn't get worse, we lose
track of MH370 from Butterworth Military radar, disappearing from air traffic control monitors.
We are left with the final in-soul contact with MH370, which is the infamous in-Marsat
satellite data. While technology has advanced rapidly in our modern era, its progress in
aviation hasn't quite matched that pace. Satellites provide us with directional and
distance information, but they are limited in that they only give us one direction and
distance. To solve this mystery, we need to utilize tools like Google Earth, which helped
us visualize and navigate the vastness of Earth.
Now that we've explored the three phases of our investigation, I want to introduce a
segment I find particularly intriguing. It's called You Be the Judge, where we'll delve
into an NBC article that I believe was pivotal in its reporting, but perhaps jumped too quickly
into speculation. After listening to this podcast, I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
Now it's time for You Be the Judge. NBC News article, written March 18, 2014.
Missing Jett's initial turn was entered using computer. The use of the flight management
system suggests the change of course was carried out by somebody in the cockpit who was knowledgeable
about airplane systems. The first turn of Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was made using
the Jett's computer system rather than its manual controls, authorities confirmed to
NBC News, reinforcing the theory that the plane was deliberately diverted. The course of
the Beijing-bound flight was changed by entering navigational instructions into the flight
management system, FMS, the cockpit computer that directs the plane along a flight plan
chosen by pilots. It is not clear when the instruction to turn west was entered into
the FMS, but its use suggests the change of course was carried out by somebody in the
cockpit who was knowledgeable about airplane systems. The FMS is controlled by a display
panel between the two pilots. Information from the FMS is among the data transmitted
by the aircraft communications addressing and reporting system, AS cars, which sends
information back to the airline's maintenance base. According to a report in the New York
Times, investigators believe that a navigational waypoint was added to the planned route. Pilots
do that in the ordinary course of flying if air traffic controllers tell them to take
a different route to avoid weather or traffic. But in this case, the waypoint was far off
the path to Beijing, the newspaper reported. At least six theories are under investigation
after the Boeing 777 vanished on March 8th, but all remain unsubstantiated. The plane
landed somewhere for reasons unknown and isn't able to communicate with the outside world.
Experts say that's technically possible, but almost unimaginable. A sudden catastrophic
event like mechanical failure or decompression as when a plane carrying golfer Payne Stewart
crashed in 1999. Hijacking or terrorism, no credible group is known to have claimed responsibility
for the plane's disappearance. Crew sabotage, including pilot suicide, for example. Pilot
error, this is considered unlikely as both pilots were very experienced. Outside human
intervention, such as bad weather or a meteor strike. Pilot error, this is considered unlikely
as both pilots were very experienced. Outside human intervention, such as bad weather or
a meteor strike. What do the listeners think? Were both pilots that experienced enough to
not make any errors? It's a fact. Pilot error contributes to 85% of all commercial flights.
Now consider student pilot, last day of training, overnight flight, and has not passed any of
the required tests to see if he was competent enough to fly without an observer. Let's
hold that thought for a later episode, just remember in You Be the Judge. According to
a report in the New York Times, investigators believe that a navigational waypoint was added
to the planned route. Is our theory consistent with a waypoint added? Yes, and we will address
that when we discuss flight path and autopilot later on in our series. It's coming to the
end of episode 3. Vanished skies mystery, MH370 unsolved. As we conclude episode 3, we'll
pick up right where we left off, diving deeper into the intricacies of in-marsat satellite
information and delving into the three phases of solving the MH370 mystery. Stay tuned for
more in our next episode.