Hijacking MH370
Hijacking MH370
"Without the benefit of the examination of the aircraft wreckage and recorded flight data information, the investigation was unable to identify any plausible aircraft or systems failure mode that would lead to the observed systems deactivation, diversion from the filed flight plan route and the subsequent flight path taken by the aircraft. However, the same lack of evidence precluded the investigation from definitely eliminating that possibility. The possibility of intervention by a third party cannot be excluded either."
Source: Safety Investigation Report MH370/01/2018 SECTION 3.2 – Conclusion (Emphasis added)
This Section assumes the possibility that Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was hijacked and explores how it could have been done.
Hijacking an aircraft is a terrorist act and a crime. In Malaysia that could lead to a death penalty; in other jurisdictions up to life in prison.
Hijacking any commercial passenger jet since the events of September 11, 2001 would not be easy. Prior to 9/11 the cockpit was often easily accessed and airline policy was generally to comply with a hijacker's demands. But all that has since changed.
So, if a Malaysia Airlines' Boeing 777 were the target of a hijacking attempt in 2014 what would be involved? There is no revealed plan, there are no informants, there were no named suspects, there is nothing substantial on which to build a case. So everything in this Section is like reverse-engineering: assume a hijack was attempted and, knowing that MH370 headed north-west over the Andaman Sea instead of going to China, devise a possible method.
This Section is divided into sub-pages each with a Topic representing a Stage in the planning and execution process. Each Topic is summarised below; the navigation buttons on the right link to relevant sub-pages.
| Development Stage | Link to each Topic |
Preamble: A brief history of aircraft hijacking, improvements in aviation security, and a short overview of terrorism. Although 'who' is not known, this preamble suggests the kind of operative(s) involved. |
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Purpose: A hijacking must have a purpose. Defining the purpose of the exercise is pre-requisite to targeting a type of aircraft. |
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Preparation: Basically an information-gathering stage. Everything that needs to be known about a target aircraft, flight paths, timetables, and security controls. |
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Planning: Synthesis of ideas and data to create a plan, identify a target flight, allocate responsibilities and finalise a sequenced action plan. |
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Practice: Rehearse the communications and planned actions. Increase familiarity with aircraft components and controls. Identify flaws and improve processes. |
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Performance: Identify an actual flight and perform as planned to facilitate a successful hijack. |
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Problems: Evidence suggests that if MH370 had been hijacked the attempt was only partially successful. Hijackers would not have intended for the flight to end in the south Indian Ocean. |
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Postscript: A collection of facts which, taken together, could indicate that a hijack was intended and did occur. |