MH370: Was the final report modified?

Geoffrey Thomas

By Geoffrey Thomas Sat Sep 1, 2018

Expert independent investigators looking into the disappearance of MH370 say that the data logs in the final report are not complete and/or were modified. According to highly respected website www.RadiantPhysics.com author Victor Iannello,  fellow Independent Group members Don Thompson and Richard Godfrey "have found some anomalies in the message logs that were included in Factual Information (FI) released by Malaysia on March 8, 2014, and the Safety Investigation Report (SIR) released by Malaysia on July 30, 2018.” The logs from these two reports document the communication between MAS Operations Dispatch Center (ODC) and service providers that route messages over SATCOM and VHF paths, as part of the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS). “The anomalies suggest the traffic logs appearing in the reports are not complete, and what appears in the reports has been modified,” says Mr Iannello. Read: Singapore Airlines New York non-stop route revealed. In summary, those changes or omissions are:
  1. According to text in both the Factual Information (FI) released by Malaysia on March 8, 2015, and the Safety Investigation Report (SIR) released by Malaysia on July 30, 2018, an urgent message from MAS ODC was submitted at 18:03 and then re-transmitted multiple times.
  2. However, the last message sent to the aircraft cockpit printer from MAS ODC has the wrong time. Either the explanatory text in the final report is wrong, or the traffic logs do not contain all the message traffic.
  3. The facts surrounding the Aircraft Communications and Reporting System (ACARS) traffic log “are more suspicious, with, starting on Page 2 of the report, the filter parameters used to generate the remaining pages of the report were changed so that VHF messages if any occurred, were excluded.”
  4. The change in filter parameters and the repeated messages are clear evidence that the traffic log in the SIR is actually two reports that were pieced together and presented as a single report.
  5. And in the ACARS traffic log in the SIR the last line of the text message that was sent by MAS ODC at 18:03:23 appears to have been edited.
For a detailed explanation of the missing and modified data click here; Mr. Iannello says “it is disappointing that more than four years after MH370’s disappearance, we are still asking Malaysia to release withheld data. The military radar data is another example of a data set that has never been released in full despite its significance in providing information about how the aircraft was flown after the diversion from the flight plan.” “It is important that Malaysia provide a complete, unmodified log of all ACARS communications on SATCOM, VHF, and HF paths for the period between 12:48 and 20:00 on March 7, 2014. This is particularly significant in light of questions surrounding the delayed response of Malaysian authorities after MH370 went missing,” said Mr Iannello.  

Have questions or want to share your thoughts?

Comments

No comments yet, be the first to write one.

Latest news and reviews

View more
Africa's safest airlines
Airline News

Africa's safest airlines

Jun 26, 2026

Josh Wood
Air Europa Business Class review
Airline Ratings review

Air Europa Business Class review

Jun 26, 2026

Josh Wood
The rise of STARLUX Airlines
Airline News

The rise of STARLUX Airlines

Jun 26, 2026

Airline Ratings
Southwest, JetBlue, and WestJet: who gives the best experience, safety and value?
Airline News

Southwest, JetBlue, and WestJet: who gives the best experience, safety and value?

Jun 26, 2026

Josh Wood

Featured articles

View more
Malaysia Airlines recognised as a Seven Star PLUS safety rated airline
Airline News

Malaysia Airlines recognised as a Seven Star PLUS safety rated airline

Jun 24, 2026

Airline Ratings
EVA Airways Business Class: Still impressive, but not cutting edge
Airline Ratings review

EVA Airways Business Class: Still impressive, but not cutting edge

Jun 25, 2026

Airline Ratings
STARLUX vs Delta Airlines from Taipai to North America and beyond
Airline News

STARLUX vs Delta Airlines from Taipai to North America and beyond

Jun 19, 2026

Sharon Petersen
The rise of STARLUX Airlines
Airline News

The rise of STARLUX Airlines

Jun 26, 2026

Airline Ratings