Malaysia airlines flight mh370: what went wrong ?

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370*What went wrong ?

Aerotunisie.com Vice-Manager

By

* Vanished in the indian ocean in March the 3rd 2014

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About us

AeroDAY’14 Mai the 03rd 2014 Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 What went wrong ?

• First aviation portal in Tunisia

started in 2012.

• Very attractive website and

updated aviation news.

• Over 200K page views and

42K monthly visits.

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PlanMotivation

1. Good airline, Good airliner

2. Things you need to know

3. What happened ?

4. Possible Scenarios

5. Most possible Scenario

6. J. Reason’s Swiss Cheese Model

Conclusion


4AeroDAY’14 Mai the 03rd 2014 Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 What went wrong ?

Motivation

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Motivation


• The MH370 flight makes the headlines of worldwide press.

• People start to ask questions about the sudden vanishing

of the aircraft : rumour, inaccurate news…

• Democratize some basics about aircraft functions and air

transport safety.



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• The Malaysia Airlines is one of

the best compagnies in south east of Asia.

• Fleet of 108 aircrafts, 14 of which are Boeing 777-200ER.

• 61 destinations are served.

• Only two fatal crashs occured in 67 years of service : 134

are killed.

Good airline

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• The biggest wide-body

twin-engine jet airliner

in the world.

• 1 147 units have been delivered, 1 473 units on order.

• Fully computerized, huge engines, world records of longest

non-stop distance flown…

• Very strong safety record : until 2014, Not a single disaster

Good airliner



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• Each aircraft has several radio sets : the Boeing B777 has 5.

• Use VHF or HF

frequencies.

• Can be used in Data

mode or Voice mode.

Radio Communication System

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• Use VHF, HF frequencies and satellite channels.

• Can be used for both voice and data transmission.

• Provide many services : ATIS messages, ATC instructions,

operations messages, ACARS.

• Operated with a MFD central panel.

SATCOM System

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• Every Aircraft has a radar signature (even birds!! )

• Radars can “see” objects in the sky and assign for each a

point in the radar scope without any identification.

• Radar operator can monitor only the position and the

speed of aircrafts in regular time lapse.

• Used today for emergencies and training.

Primary surveillance radar

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Primary surveillance radar

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• With the help of a Transponder, an aircraft transmits vital

navigation informations.

• Allows to monitor an increasing number of planes at once.

• Compare Aircraft navigation with planned flight plan.

• Each aircraft is identified with a 4 digit Code (exp : 7700 )

Secondary surveillance radar

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Secondary surveillance radar


3. What happened ?

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TAKE-OFF00:41MYT

CRUISINGLast ACARS

Last ATC01:19MYT

Lost Transponder.01:21MYT

Lost Radar02:15MYT

Last Handshake

ping08:11MYT

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3. What happened ?


Why is it so mysterious ?

• Only 2 minutes between the last Voice contact and the

start of contact systems shutdown !

• No sign of an emergency or alert indication before the

crew radio silence.

• No attempt to land in nearest airport or flying back to K.L.

• ACARS pings were still responding after 6 hours.

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3. What happened ?


Search.. and we search again…

• 3, 000, 000 square miles

is the surface of

search operations !!

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3. What happened ?


What we are looking for ?

• Crash site (wreckage)

• 2 Black Boxes (CVR & DFDR ).

• Engines

• Wires

• Fuselage remains

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3. What happened ?


Availables informations

• Primary/Secondary Radar informations.

• ATC conversations.

• Aircraft maintenance history and other B777 in the fleet.

• Pilots/Crew/Passengers backgrounds.

• Possible flight path (ACARS…)



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Why Hijacking can be the cause ?

• Two passengers have boarded with 2 stolen passports.

• Systems shutdown, silent navigation.

• No radio communication.

• Aircraft still flying for extra 6 hours.

• It’s not the first time: B737 Flight 653 in 1977.

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Exemples of Hijacking accidents

• 9/11 events : 4 aircrafts have been hijacked

and turned toward four targets.

• Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961.

• Federal Express

Flight 705.

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Why Hijacking can’t be the cause ?

• Possible Hijackers don’t belong to any terrorist group.

• They should be trained to ask pilots to shutdown systems

or/and they did it by themselves. ( circuit breakers )

• What were their intentions ?

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Other scenarios..

• Cyber Hijack ( electronic signal jam ).

• Explosive decompression (Bomb, Fuselage Fatigue…).

• Missile strike.

• Suicide



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Electric system failure..

• Electric system failure caused by wire sparks ( or fire ) can

explain the shutdown of transponder and the malfunction

of ACARS, radios..

• Navigation systems and MFD screens could be disabled

too.

• Dark night without a moon has conducted to fly the plan in

blind configuration and cause “Vertigo” to pilots.

TAKO-OFF00:41

Climbing00:50

Wire Sparks00:55

Cruising01:01

Possible Fire01:05

Last ACARS01:07

Last ATC « Good night MH370 »01:19

Lost transponder and ADS-B01:21

Other pilots try to establish contact01:30

Lost ACARS01:37

ALL MFD Screens go black01:40

Lost of altitude02:00

Lost Primary Radar signature02:14

Satellites continue to receive pingsuntil 08:11

Crash in the south of indian ocean+08:20


6. J. Reason’s Swiss

Cheese Model


“A series of Human Factor problems forms an error chain.If any one of the links in this chain had been broken theincident may have been prevented. It might be done bybuilding in measures/defences, which may not permit anerror at one or more of the stages”

- James T Reason -

Aircraft

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6. J. Reason’s Swiss Cheese Model


CRASH

Airport ATC Pilots

Maintenance


Conclusion

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Conclusion


• Investigators could never solve the tragedy until they found

solid clues such CVR, DFDR or wreckage.

• Fire on board is a strong possible cause of electronic

systems’ loss.

• Flying Blind ( no light, dark night ) causes navigation

problems.

Manager : Nidhal CHOGRANI

[email protected]

[email protected]

Tél : (+216) 20 738 378

Vice-Manager : Khaled TOUEL

[email protected]

Tél : (+216) 97 87 90 06

Thank you !

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Malaysia airlines flight mh370: what went wrong ?