Malaysian MH370 - Data fra kapteinens private Flight simulator - Curt Lewis/ATSB

ATSB details MH370 captain's simulation of Indian Ocean route

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has published details about data gleaned from the personal flight simulator of MH370 captain Zaharie Shah.

"Six weeks before the accident flight the [pilot-in-command] had used his simulator to fly a route, initially similar to part of the route flown by MH370 up the Straits of Malacca, with a left-hand turn and track into the southern Indian Ocean. There were enough similarities to the flight path of MH370 for the ATSB to carefully consider the possible implications for the underwater search area."

In the weeks after the 8 March 2014 disappearance of the Boeing 777-200ER with 239 on-board, unsourced media reports emerged stated that Shah had used his home flight simulator to simulate a course resembling that taken by MH370.

In was only in August 2016, over two years after the jet's disappearance, that news of Shah's simulator activity was confirmed by Malaysia's transport minister Low Tiong Lai. This was in response to widespread media reports that the US Federal Bureau of Invesitagation had recovered allegedly deleted home simulator data from one of Shah's hard drives.

At that time, Liow downplayed the data, saying that the simulator had contained "thousands of simulations to many destinations."

The ATSB, for its part, says it received the simulator data on 19 April 2014, five weeks after the aircraft's disappearance.

"The simulator data was a partial reconstruction of a flight simulator session from 2 February 2014," says ATSB.

"It comprised four complete and two partial data captures of various aircraft and simulator parameters at discrete points during the simulation. The aircraft simulated was a 777-200LR."

The initial data point shows the simulated aircraft at Kuala Lumpur International airport. No useful location data was available from the second data point.

The next two data points show that the aircraft had flown north up the Straits of Malacca. By the fourth data point the simulated aircraft had reached 40,000ft, was in a 20° left bank, 4° nose down, and had a southwest heading of 255°.

Data points five and six were in the far reaches of the Indian Ocean, 820nm southwest of Australia's, Cape Leeuwin, with the simulated aircraft having exhausted its fuel.

Data point five has the simulated 777 at 37,651ft, at an 11° right bank, and almost due south heading of 178°.

The sixth, and final, data point was incomplete. "It was 2.5nm from the previous data point and the aircraft right bank had reduced to 3°.The aircraft was pitched nose down 5° and was on a heading of 193°. At this time there was also a user input of an altitude of 4,000ft."

"By the last data point the aircraft had flown approximately 4,200nm," says ATSB. "This was further than was possible with the fuel loaded on board the aircraft for flight MH370. Similarly, the simulated aircraft track was not consistent with the aircraft tracks modelled using the MH370 satellite communications metadata."

The simulator revelations are part of the ATSB's 440-page final report into the disaster, which claimed the lives of all on-board.

The ATSB adds that until the wreckage is located, it is impossible to ascertain the cause of the MH370 disaster.

Chapter closes on the ATSB-led search for MH370

The ATSB has released its report on the Australian-led search in the southern Indian Ocean for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The report, The Operational Search for MH370 records the search for MH370 and Australia’s work on the underwater search, including the ways in which the search area was identified, and how the search was conducted.
The Chief Commissioner of the ATSB, Greg Hood, said that the report demonstrated the extraordinary endeavours of people from around the world.
“This was an unprecedented endeavour and there has been an extraordinary response from the global community,” said Mr Hood. “There were contributions of expertise and resources from private business and organisations, agencies from different Governments, and from private individuals.”
While the resting place of the aircraft has not yet been located, the search was conducted consistent with the highest of standards of safety and professionalism, to the credit of everyone involved.
“The search inspired dedication from so many,” said Mr Hood. “I am proud to have worked with people of such commitment.”
The ATSB’s report was accompanied by the release of the CSIRO’s final MH370 research report. The search for MH370 and ocean surface drift – Part IV confirms the effectiveness of the March-April 2014 surface search in key areas.
“Our deepest sympathies remain with those who lost loved ones on MH370,” said Mr Hood. “It remains a great tragedy, and we wish that we could have brought complete closure to the bereaved. I hope, however, that they can take some solace in the fact that we did all we could do to find answers. Governments from around the world contributed to the search, with extraordinary expertise committed to the task.''
The Operational Search for MH370

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