KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 – Following is the full statement issued by the Malaysian ICAO Annex 13 Safety Investigation Team for missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370:
1. This 2nd Interim Statement has been prepared under Chapter 6, paragraph 6 of ICAO2 Annex 13 to provide information on the progress of the investigation on the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370, a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, registered as 9M-MRO pending the completion of the Final Report as required under ICAO Annex 13. A Final Report will be completed in the event wreckage of the aircraft is located or the search for the wreckage is terminated, whichever is the earlier.
2. The Beijing-bound international scheduled passenger flight, with a total of 239 persons (227 passengers and 12 crew) on board, departed KL International Airport (KLIA) at 1642 UTC on 07 March 2014 [0042 MYT on 08 March 2014]. Less than 40 minutes after takeoff, radar contact with the aircraft was lost after passing waypoint IGARI.
3. As a Contracting State of ICAO and in accordance with Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation, and under Regulation 126(1) of the Malaysian Civil Aviation Regulations 1996 (MCAR), on 25 April 2014, Malaysia established an independent international Air Accident Investigation Team, known as ‘The Malaysian ICAO Annex 13 Safety Investigation Team for MH370’ (the “Team”) to investigate the disappearance of flight MH370. The Team, headed by the Investigator-in-Charge, comprises 19 Malaysians and 7 Accredited Representatives of 7 safety investigation authorities from 7 countries.
4. On 8 March 2015, the 1st Interim Statement and the Factual Information on the Safety Investigation for MH370 were released to the public on the first anniversary of the disappearance of MH370.
5. To date, the MH370 wreckage has still not been found despite the continuing search in the South Indian Ocean. However, a flaperon was recovered in the French island of Reunion on 29 July 2015 and was determined to have been a part of the MH370 aircraft.
6. At this time, the Team is continuing to work towards finalising its analysis, findings/conclusions and safety recommendations on eight relevant areas associated with the disappearance of flight MH370 based on available information. New information that may become available before the completion of the Final Report may alter these analysis, findings/ conclusions and safety recommendations.
7. The eight areas being reviewed by the Team are as follows:
a) Diversion from Filed Flight Plan Route;
b) Air Traffic Services Operations;
c) Flight Crew Profile;
d) Airworthiness & Maintenance and Aircraft Systems;
e) Satellite Communications;
f) Wreckage and Impact Information (following the recovery and verification of a flaperon from the aircraft);
g) Organisation and Management Information of the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), Malaysia and MAS; and
h) Aircraft Cargo Consignment.
