'Crisis not unprecedented, it was avoidable'
Published: May 7, 2014 11:11 AM | Updated: May 7, 2014 7:09 PM
Latest developments:
India wants planes tracked in real time
6:41pm: Prompted by MH370's disappearance, India has taken extra precaution and ordered its airlines to monitor all aircrafts in real time.
Reuters reports that the director-general of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have issued a statement calling all passenger and cargo planes to ensure that they keep sending communications using onboard Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) or Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B), especially when passing through a remote area.
DGCA says that aircraft coordinates, speed and altitude must be reported every 15 minutes when flying over such areas and any ACARS or ADS-B faulty must be reported immediately to ground stations using a voice or data link.
MH370 family support group migrates online
5:30pm: Although families of Chinese national aboard MH370 will no longer meet regularly in Beijing's Lido Hotel after Malaysia Airlines closes its family assistance centres and terminates accommodation facilities.
Some families who have congregated there in past two months, now plan to shift online and keep their support group alive on Tencent’s WeChat messaging app.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the WeChat forum has over 500 members including journalists, police officers and even government officials.
Meanwhile, MAS has promised to maintain a support centre for families near Beijing’s international airport but several next-of-kin complaints that this is inconvenient.
'When will Najib truly be sorry?'
4:36pm: An Indian national, who claims his wife was on board the ill-fated Flight MH370, tells Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak that Malaysia has much to do to repair its global standing following its handling of the crises, marred by accusations of inefficiency, cover ups and lack of transparency.
"No doubt there is a price to pay. It must be paid. However, an apology and an appeal for forgiveness would enhance Malaysia’s standing amongst nations and peoples in a way that no amount of protestations or grandstanding will," writes KS Narendran in an open letter to the PM.
Narendan’s wife Chandrika Sharma was a passenger on board MH370, on her way from Chennai to Mongolia to attend a UN conference.
Narendran further deems the preliminary report on MH370 "skimpy," and does little for Malaysian government's credibility, instead only serving to add fuel to doubts, suspicions and speculations.
He also urges the Malaysian government to stop describing the MH370 disappearance as an "unprecedented" event as certain aspects of the case, such as the plane's turnaround, was a violation of protocol and could have been prevented.
Read the full letter here.
'Son still cries for dad everyday'
1pm: Without any closure, several families of those missing on MH370 are finding it harder instead of easier to deal with the loss.
Danica Weeks, whose husband Paul was on MH370, tells CNN from her home in Perth via Skype that the couple’s eldest son still cries for his absent father.
Paul left behind two children Jack, 1, and Lincoln, 3.
"How do you explain to a three-and-half-year old that his father's not coming back... He cries everyday for him. You know, Paul is a very hands-on father and he just can't get the concept that daddy isn't coming back. That just got harder and harder for me," Danice says, breaking into tears.
Orian can aid MH370 search, but 'does not come cheap'
12.30am: While expense is one obstacle, it looks like technology could be another stumbling block in the way of finding the plane or its flight recorder, which is believed to be lying at the bottom of the South Indian Ocean.
Experts tell NBC that a device has not been made that could do what MH370's searchers are asking for.
Capt. John Noble, the former general manager of the International Salvage Union that represents marine salvors, says he what is needed is a device better than US’ autonomous underwater vehicle Bluefin-21, with claws to pick up the blackbox and a in-built camera to give visuals of the deep ocean bottom.
However, such a device are only custom-made for government research projects.
Noble notes that the a US Navy deep-tow search system called the Orion, which could go down 6kilometres into the sea, might be an option. The Orion would operate in tandem with a remotely-operated vehicle called Curv 21, which he claims could salvage any wreckage.
But of course, he warns neither comes cheap.
'Make black boxes transmit further and last longer'
11.30am: To help find missing planes in future, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) suggests that underwater locating devices (ULD) fitted on flight recorders should transmit signals up to 90 days, not current standard of 30 days.
The ULD which can help locate the plane's black box in the event of a crash should also have wider locating range, EASA says.
In addition, the minimum recording duration of cockpit voice recorders installed on new large aeroplanes should be increased to 20 hours from two hours.
These new requirements, when adopted by the European Commission, will apply to the operation of aeroplanes and helicopters registered in an EASA member state.
M'sia to host flight data monitoring dialogue
10:50am: Malaysia may have no answers yet as to why MH370 went missing but it is sure it can help the world avoid a recurrence.
According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Communications and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek (right) has agreed to let Malaysia host an "Expert Dialogue on Real-time Monitoring of Flight Data."
The meeting will kick off expert discussions on a roadmap towards future tracking of a plane in real-time using latest technological advances in communication.
To be held on May 26-27 in Kuala Lumpur, invitees will include representatives from ICT solution providers, airlines, international organisations, satellite and avionics companies, terrestrial solution providers and governments.
"This work may not help us locate our aircraft (MH370) or its black boxes; but we hope that with these measures, no other country, people or family will ever have to go through what we are now enduring,” Ahmad Shabery is quoted saying on the ITU press statement.
Finger pointing begins
10:30am: Vietnam is refuting allegations that its traffic controllers were slow in noticing Flight MH370 had gone missing after allegedly entering its airspace, based on the preliminary report released by the Malaysian government last week.
According to the report, which Malaysia had submitted to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in April, the plane went off radar at 1.21am on March 8 after which it was supposed to have entered Vietnamese airspace.
However, Vietnam air traffic controllers only alerted their Malaysian counterparts that the plane was lost at 1.38 am.
Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman (above) had said last week that the 17 minutes that MH370 went off-radar broke convention as the protocol is 5 minutes.
However, Lai Xuan Thanh, head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, tells the Tuoi Tre newspaper that neither air traffic controllers in Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City were able to determine whether MH370 had entered Ho Chi Minh flight information region (FIR) or not at the time.
So he says both Malaysia and Vietnam air traffic controller should share the blame.
Tripartite meetings begin
10am: To recap, tripartite meetings between Malaysia, China and Australia start today in Canberra to draw up the plan for next search phase of MH370 which is still missing, leaving many questions unanswered.
The team plans to go deeper and wider into south Indian Ocean, as the clearest clue so far remains satellite data and several ping transmissions heard last month.
Malaysia and Australia are also in talks with commercial firms to aid in search efforts with more specialised equipment.
Background:
-
MAS closes family assistance centres, Chinese families move support group online.
-
Husband of Indian passenger pens open letter to Najib
-
Expert says equipment needed for search not yet designed
-
Aviation agency wants black box to transmit for 90 days, not 30.
- Vietnam denies slow response claim to MH370's disappearance
India wants planes tracked in real time
6:41pm: Prompted by MH370's disappearance, India has taken extra precaution and ordered its airlines to monitor all aircrafts in real time.
Reuters reports that the director-general of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have issued a statement calling all passenger and cargo planes to ensure that they keep sending communications using onboard Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) or Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B), especially when passing through a remote area.
DGCA says that aircraft coordinates, speed and altitude must be reported every 15 minutes when flying over such areas and any ACARS or ADS-B faulty must be reported immediately to ground stations using a voice or data link.
MH370 family support group migrates online
5:30pm: Although families of Chinese national aboard MH370 will no longer meet regularly in Beijing's Lido Hotel after Malaysia Airlines closes its family assistance centres and terminates accommodation facilities.
Some families who have congregated there in past two months, now plan to shift online and keep their support group alive on Tencent’s WeChat messaging app.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the WeChat forum has over 500 members including journalists, police officers and even government officials.
Meanwhile, MAS has promised to maintain a support centre for families near Beijing’s international airport but several next-of-kin complaints that this is inconvenient.
'When will Najib truly be sorry?'
4:36pm: An Indian national, who claims his wife was on board the ill-fated Flight MH370, tells Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak that Malaysia has much to do to repair its global standing following its handling of the crises, marred by accusations of inefficiency, cover ups and lack of transparency.
"No doubt there is a price to pay. It must be paid. However, an apology and an appeal for forgiveness would enhance Malaysia’s standing amongst nations and peoples in a way that no amount of protestations or grandstanding will," writes KS Narendran in an open letter to the PM.Narendan’s wife Chandrika Sharma was a passenger on board MH370, on her way from Chennai to Mongolia to attend a UN conference.
Narendran further deems the preliminary report on MH370 "skimpy," and does little for Malaysian government's credibility, instead only serving to add fuel to doubts, suspicions and speculations.
He also urges the Malaysian government to stop describing the MH370 disappearance as an "unprecedented" event as certain aspects of the case, such as the plane's turnaround, was a violation of protocol and could have been prevented.
Read the full letter here.
'Son still cries for dad everyday'
1pm: Without any closure, several families of those missing on MH370 are finding it harder instead of easier to deal with the loss.
Danica Weeks, whose husband Paul was on MH370, tells CNN from her home in Perth via Skype that the couple’s eldest son still cries for his absent father.
Paul left behind two children Jack, 1, and Lincoln, 3.
"How do you explain to a three-and-half-year old that his father's not coming back... He cries everyday for him. You know, Paul is a very hands-on father and he just can't get the concept that daddy isn't coming back. That just got harder and harder for me," Danice says, breaking into tears.
Orian can aid MH370 search, but 'does not come cheap'
12.30am: While expense is one obstacle, it looks like technology could be another stumbling block in the way of finding the plane or its flight recorder, which is believed to be lying at the bottom of the South Indian Ocean.
Experts tell NBC that a device has not been made that could do what MH370's searchers are asking for.
Capt. John Noble, the former general manager of the International Salvage Union that represents marine salvors, says he what is needed is a device better than US’ autonomous underwater vehicle Bluefin-21, with claws to pick up the blackbox and a in-built camera to give visuals of the deep ocean bottom.
However, such a device are only custom-made for government research projects.
Noble notes that the a US Navy deep-tow search system called the Orion, which could go down 6kilometres into the sea, might be an option. The Orion would operate in tandem with a remotely-operated vehicle called Curv 21, which he claims could salvage any wreckage.
But of course, he warns neither comes cheap.
'Make black boxes transmit further and last longer'
11.30am: To help find missing planes in future, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) suggests that underwater locating devices (ULD) fitted on flight recorders should transmit signals up to 90 days, not current standard of 30 days.The ULD which can help locate the plane's black box in the event of a crash should also have wider locating range, EASA says.
In addition, the minimum recording duration of cockpit voice recorders installed on new large aeroplanes should be increased to 20 hours from two hours.
These new requirements, when adopted by the European Commission, will apply to the operation of aeroplanes and helicopters registered in an EASA member state.
M'sia to host flight data monitoring dialogue
10:50am: Malaysia may have no answers yet as to why MH370 went missing but it is sure it can help the world avoid a recurrence.
According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Communications and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek (right) has agreed to let Malaysia host an "Expert Dialogue on Real-time Monitoring of Flight Data."The meeting will kick off expert discussions on a roadmap towards future tracking of a plane in real-time using latest technological advances in communication.
To be held on May 26-27 in Kuala Lumpur, invitees will include representatives from ICT solution providers, airlines, international organisations, satellite and avionics companies, terrestrial solution providers and governments.
"This work may not help us locate our aircraft (MH370) or its black boxes; but we hope that with these measures, no other country, people or family will ever have to go through what we are now enduring,” Ahmad Shabery is quoted saying on the ITU press statement.
Finger pointing begins
10:30am: Vietnam is refuting allegations that its traffic controllers were slow in noticing Flight MH370 had gone missing after allegedly entering its airspace, based on the preliminary report released by the Malaysian government last week.
According to the report, which Malaysia had submitted to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in April, the plane went off radar at 1.21am on March 8 after which it was supposed to have entered Vietnamese airspace.However, Vietnam air traffic controllers only alerted their Malaysian counterparts that the plane was lost at 1.38 am.
Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman (above) had said last week that the 17 minutes that MH370 went off-radar broke convention as the protocol is 5 minutes.
However, Lai Xuan Thanh, head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, tells the Tuoi Tre newspaper that neither air traffic controllers in Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City were able to determine whether MH370 had entered Ho Chi Minh flight information region (FIR) or not at the time.
So he says both Malaysia and Vietnam air traffic controller should share the blame.
Tripartite meetings begin
10am: To recap, tripartite meetings between Malaysia, China and Australia start today in Canberra to draw up the plan for next search phase of MH370 which is still missing, leaving many questions unanswered.The team plans to go deeper and wider into south Indian Ocean, as the clearest clue so far remains satellite data and several ping transmissions heard last month.
Malaysia and Australia are also in talks with commercial firms to aid in search efforts with more specialised equipment.
Background:
-
The Beijing-bound Boeing 777-200ER aircraft went missing not long after taking off from KL International Airport in the early hours of March 8, with 12 crew members and 227 passengers.
-
Authorities have determined that the plane intentionally turned back and altered its course shortly after cutting communications with tower controllers for unknown reasons and, based on satellite data, have estimated its last position to be in the south Indian Ocean.
-
Australia leads the search in the south Indian Ocean. As of March 30, the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) is tasked with overseeing the operations, led by retired air marshal and former defence chief Angus Houston.
-
On April 5, Australia Defence Vessel Ocean Shield picked up two ping transmissions similar to that emitted by black boxes and detected two more transmissions on April 8.
- However, by April 28, with no sign of the wreckage, authorities announced that the search will move on the next phase, which will focus on a larger and deeper area of the sea floor, and they will relook at all satellite and flight path data.
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