Was air controller asleep when 777 vanished?

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia’s transport minister on Thursday vowed to take stern action against an air traffic control supervisor if it is confirmed that he was asleep on the job when Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared a year ago.

An interim investigation report last Sunday contained transcripts of conversations between air traffic controllers and the airline that revealed confusion after the Boeing 777 dropped off radar with 239 people aboard while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

The last voice contact was a “good night” message from the cockpit to the controllers at 1:19 a.m. on March 8. The shutdown of the transponder one minute later removed the plane’s identification from commercial radar.

In one conversation four hours later, a Kuala Lumpur air traffic controller told a Malaysia Airlines official that he would need to wake up his supervisor when pressed on the exact time of the last contact with the plane. The controller came on duty after 3 a.m.

Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said his department viewed the matter seriously and was conducting an internal investigation, including whether the supervisor was on or off duty at the time in question.

“The work is on rotation. … If he is on a working shift, this is serious. We will definitely take action if there is any misconduct,” he told reporters.

Liow said the ministry didn’t investigate the matter earlier as they were waiting for Sunday’s report by the independent safety investigation team.

The ministry’s probe will be “very fast,” he added, without saying when it would be completed.

After the last contact, the plane deviated from its flight path, turning sharply west and then south, according to analyses of transmissions to a satellite. Despite an exhaustive search in the southern Indian Ocean where the plane was believed to have run out of fuel and crashed, no trace of wreckage has been found.

In late January, Malaysia’s government formally declared the plane’s disappearance an accident and said all those on board were presumed dead.

The report also showed that the battery of the underwater locator beacon for the plane’s data recorder had expired more than a year before the jet vanished, because of a computer data error and went unnoticed by maintenance crews.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said the hunt for the plane would continue even if searchers scouring a 60,000-square-kilometer (23,166-square-mile) swath of the seabed off Australia’s west coast do not find it by May.

Liow said government ministers from Australia, Malaysia and China — where most of the passengers are from — would meet in Kuala Lumpur next month to discuss the next step.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

District 2 candidates differ in public safety approach

Incumbent Paula Rhyne is facing challenger Ryan Crowther. The third candidate, Jonathan Shapiro, is no longer seeking the seat.

From left to right, Edmonds City Council Position 3 candidates Joseph Ademofe, Alex Newman and Erika Barnett.
Amid budget crisis, Edmonds City Council candidates talk revenue, affordability

Three newcomers are facing off for Position 3 on the council, currently held by council President Neil Tibbott.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Everett
Everett approves new fines for non-emergency lifts

The fire department will only issue fines for non-emergency lift assists at licensed care facilities, not for individuals at home calling 911.

Guns for sale at Caso’s Gun-A-Rama in Jersey City, New Jersey, which has been open since 1967. (Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/New Jersey Monitor)
After suing, WA gets carveout from Trump administration plan to return gun conversion devices

The Trump administration has agreed to not distribute devices that turn semi-automatic… Continue reading

The Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility about 16 miles east of Ellensburg in central Washington is part of Puget Sound Energy’s clean energy portfolio. (Courtesy of Puget Sound Energy)
Megabill’s elimination of tax credits for clean energy projects could cost WA $8.7 billion

Washington households could see electricity costs increase $115 per year by 2029; 21,800 workers could lose their jobs by 2030, analysts say.

Everett mayor candidates focus on affordability, city budget in costly race

As incumbent Cassie Franklin seeks a third term in office, three candidates are looking to unseat her.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.