A new independent analysis of previously secret communication data from MH370 has confirmed that the Boeing 777 was in a spiral dive in its final moments and it is unlikely that anyone was in control.
The analysis released yesterday by a team of aviation and mathematical experts called the Independent Group confirms the Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s long held view of the disappearance of MH370.
Conspiracy theorist have suggested that the Boeing 777 was under control and was “landed” on the ocean by one of the pilots.
READ: Australian scientists increasingly confident of location using drift analysis
The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, with 239 aboard, disappeared on March 8, 2014 on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
The search for the plane, which has been led by Australia, was suspended earlier this year by Malaysia despite a new area being identified as the location of the wreckage.
That new area of 25,000sq km, identified by reverse drift analysis of debris that has washed up, is just outside and to the north of the original search area.
In his review of the new data, Victor Iannello of the Independent Group says “considering that the newly available data generally support the conclusions of the official investigators, it remains a mystery as to why Malaysia withheld the data for so long, and why it chose to release the data at this time.”
What was critical about the data is that it contained all the information transmitted via an Inmarsat satellite link on plane’s previous flight – MH371- from Beijing to Kuala Lumpur.
This meant that researchers could identify any aspects that were common to both flights and thus eliminating any anomalies in MH370’s communications.
Mr Iannello said that “the previous flight, MH371, seems to have been normal in all respects.”
“Using the satellite data from MH371, we have a higher level of confidence that for MH370 the aircraft was in an increasingly steep descent at its final log-on” to the satellite just before it impacted the ocean.
“Considering that the newly available data generally support the conclusions of the official investigators, it remains a mystery as to why Malaysia withheld the data for so long, and why it chose to release the data at this time,” said Mr Iannello.
