Factual Information 2015:1.1 History of the Flight/1.1.3
This page contains an extract from MH370/01/15 Factual Information which accompanied the (first) Interim Statement released by The Malaysian ICAO Annex 13 Safety Investigation Team for MH370 on 8th March 2015.
1.1.3 Diversion from Filed Flight Plan Route - 1721:13 to 1822:12 UTC (0121:13 to 0222:12 MYT)
(Figure 1.1B shows the diversion from the filed flight plan route in pictorial form (not to scale))
a) Malaysia Military Radar
The Military data provided more extensive details of what was termed as “Air Turn Back”.
At 1721:13 UTC (0121:13 MYT) the Military radar showed the radar return of MH370 turning right but almost immediately making a constant left turn to a South Westerly direction.
At 1730:35 UTC (0130:35 MYT) to 1735 UTC (0135 MYT) the radar return was on heading 231 magnetic (M), ground speed of 496 knots (kt.) and registered height of 35,700 ft.
At 1736 UTC (0136 MYT) to 1736:40 UTC (0136:40 MYT) heading was 237M, ground speed fluctuation between 494 and 525 kt. and height fluctuation between 31,100 and 33,000 ft.
At 1739:59 UTC (0139:59 MYT) heading was 244M, ground speed 529 kt. and height at 32,800 ft.
At 1752:35 UTC (0152:35 MYT) radar return was observed to be slightly south of Penang Island.
It was noted by the Investigation Team that the position and heading of the radar return from both Civilian and Military Radar, suggested that it was from the same target.
After the last radar return disappeared from KL ATCC Primary Radar at 1752:35 UTC (0152:35 MYT), the Military Radar continued to track this radar return as it headed towards Pulau Perak, a small island over the Straits of Malacca. The time registered over Pulau Perak was 1802:59 UTC (0202:59).
The tracking by the Military continued as the radar return was observed to be heading towards waypoint MEKAR, a waypoint on Airways N571 when it disappeared abruptly at 1822:12 UTC (0222:12 MYT),10 nautical miles (Nm) after waypoint MEKAR.
b) DCA Civilian Radar Data from Kota Bharu
The aircraft diversion from the filed flight plan route was recorded on the DCA radar playback.
(Figure 1.1B shows the diversion from Filed Flight Route in pictorial form (not to scale) and Figure 1.1D shows the Filed Flight Plan message)
From 1730:37 UTC (0130:37 MYT) to 1744:52 UTC (0144:52 MYT) a primary aircraft target was captured by the Terminal Primary Approach Radar located to the south of Kota Bharu Airport runway.
- The appearance of an aircraft target on the KL ATCC radar display, coded as P3362, was recorded at 1730:37 UTC (0130:37 MYT) but disappeared from the radar display at 1737:22 UTC (0137:22 MYT).
- At 1738:56 UTC (0138:56 MYT) an aircraft target, coded as P3401, appeared on the KL ATCC radar display and disappeared at 1744:52 UTC (0144:52 MYT).
- At 1747:02 UTC (0147:02 MYT) an aircraft target, coded as P3415, appeared on the KL ATCC radar display but disappeared at 1748:39 UTC (0148:39 MYT).
- At 1751:45 UTC (0151:45 MYT) an aircraft target, coded as P3426,appeared on the KL ATCC radar display but disappeared at 1752:35 UTC (0152:35 MYT).
The primary aircraft targets above have been confirmed by DCA and its maintenance contractor, Advanced Air Traffic Systems (M) Sdn. Bhd. (AAT), that it was Kota Bharu Primary Radar Station which captured them.
(Figure 1.1E shows primary radar targets (plots) from Kota Bharu Primary Radar Station, plotted by AAT using Eva & Plotter 01.01-27 (after diversion))
(Figure 1.1F - primary radar targets (track), plotted by AAT using Eva & Plotter 01.01-27 (from take-off)).
All the primary aircraft targets that were recorded by the DCA radar are consistent with those of the military data that were made available to the Investigation Team.
References: Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) Malaysia ENR 1.6 dated 05 JUN 2008, AIP AMDT 2/2008 on the Provision of Radar Services and Procedures, which states in paragraph 1.1.4 that “In the Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu FIRs, radar services are provided using the following civil/military ATC Radars:…g) A 60 NM Terminal Primary Approach Radar co-mounted with 200 NM monopause SSR2 located to the south of Kota Bharu-Sultan Petra.”
(Figure 1.1C shows the Radar Coverage Chart of Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu FIRs)
Source: Malaysian AIP ENR 1.6-11 dated 25 AUG 2011 AIP AMDT 3/2011.
c) Ho Chi Minh Radar and Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B)
The tracking of MH370 was captured by HCM ATCC SSR and ADS-B (located at Conson Island/range 270 Nm) at 1711.59 UTC (0111:59 MYT) as it was heading for waypoint IGARI.
At 1720:33 UTC (0120:33 MYT) MH370 SSR and ADS-B radar position symbols disappeared from the radar display.
d) Medan Indonesia Radar
The Medan ATC Radar has a range of 240 Nm, but for unknown reasons, did not pick up any radar return bearing SSR transponder code A2157 of MH370. The Military however admitted that they picked up MH370 earlier as it was heading towards waypoint IGARI.
No other information was made available.
e) Thailand Radar
The radar position symbol with SSR transponder code A2157 was detected on Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Limited (AEROTHAI) radar display at 1711 UTC (0111 MYT) as the aircraft was tracking for waypoint IGARI. Thailand DCA is a government agency whereas AEROTHAI is a state enterprise under the Ministry of Transport and Communications. AEROTHAI is the air navigation service provider responsible for the provision of Air Traffic Services within Bangkok Flight Information Region (FIR).
As the flight plan of MH370 did not fall under Thailand’s FIR Bangkok ATCC did not pay much attention to this flight.
On playback of the radar recording it was noted that the radar position symbol of A2157 disappeared at 1721:13 UTC (0121:13 MYT).
Source: Malaysian ICAO Annex 13 Safety Investigation Team for MH370, 8 March 2015, Factual Information MH370/01/15
The Factual Information was updated in 2018 by the Safety Investigation Report MH370/01/2018 which added new content but did not include all of the previous data.