The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 on March 8, 2014, remains one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history. However, an aviation engineer believes that the reason the plane has not yet been found may be because the search is being conducted in the wrong place.
The Boeing 777, belonging to Malaysia Airlines, disappeared during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. There were 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board.
The last contact with air traffic control occurred about 38 minutes after takeoff. According to military radar data, the plane was tracked for about an hour after the last communication and it turned out to have deviated from the planned route.
After leaving radar coverage, about 370 kilometers from Penang Island, the plane was not seen or heard from again.
The theory of an aviation engineer
According to Ismail Hammad, chief engineer at EgyptAir, the reason why MH370 has not been found may be related to the fact that the investigations were based on faulty data.
He says his theory is not just a guess, but is based on principles of aviation engineering.
According to him, some important factors are:
the relatively good condition of the plane fragments found later,
ocean currents in the Indian Ocean, off the west coast of Australia,
as well as the deviation of the aircraft's magnetic compass.
He argues that these factors suggest that the plane may have made a controlled landing in calm water rather than a violent collision.
Doubts about satellite data
According to Hammad, the investigations have relied heavily on signals from an Inmarsat satellite, which may have led to confusion for more than a decade.
Meanwhile, the latest search efforts by marine robotics company Ocean Infinity resumed in December, after previously being suspended due to seasonal weather conditions.
Fragments found in Africa
During the years of searching, several fragments of the plane were found on the east coast of Africa. According to Hammad, these pieces do not show signs of severe damage that would be expected from a powerful collision with the ocean surface.
He says there are no signs of severe bending, burning or dark discoloration that usually occur after a fuel tank explosion. This, he says, could indicate that the plane landed relatively gently on the water.
Another area of research
The engineer also objects to the decision to continue searching off the coast of Perth, arguing that insufficient consideration was given to the difference between the plane's magnetic north compass and the Earth's true north.
He suggests that the search should also include the complex area of the Philippine archipelago, which consists of more than 7,600 islands.
A mystery that continues
The disappearance of MH370 remains the deadliest incident in history involving a missing aircraft. Despite years of research and numerous theories, the fate of the plane and those on board remains unknown.
According to Hammad, only a thorough review of technical data and search areas could save time and money – and perhaps, finally, reveal the location of the plane that has shocked the aviation world for more than a decade. /GazetaExpress/
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