Chronology/ATC Events following the Disappearance of MH370
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Chronology: ATC Events following the Disappearance of MH370
This article presents extracts from the Safety Investigation Report MH370/01/2018 which have been selected because the content is a chronology of events related to Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Each event in this chronology has been linked to a Timeline Event in the main Timeline articles on this site. This provides a cross-link or check on the well known events.
Table 2.2C - Chronology of ATC Events following the Disappearance of MH370
| No. | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1720:31 UTC (0120:31 MYT) |
Radar recording showed MH370 passed over waypoint IGARI. |
| 2. | 1720:36 UTC (0120:36 MYT) |
Mode S radar symbol of MH370 dropped off from radar display. |
| 3. | 1721:13 UTC (0121:13 MYT) |
3.2 nm after passing IGARI, SSR radar position symbol of MH370 dropped off from radar display. Two radar sources, from Viet Nam and Thailand respectively, captured the disappearance of the radar position symbol of MH370 vis-à-vis Bangkok radar target drop at 1721:13 UTC [0121:13 MYT] and Viet Nam’s at 1720:59 UTC [0120:59 MYT]. |
| 4. | 1739:03 UTC (0139:03 MYT) |
HCM ACC queried KL ACC on whereabouts of MH370 and informed KL ACC that verbal contact with MH370 was not established and the radar target was last seen at waypoint BITOD. Note: MH370 did not arrive over waypoint BITOD (Refer to Item 3 above). |
| 5. | 1741:22 UTC (0141:22 MYT) |
HCM ACC enquired for information on MH370. KL ACC informed HCM ACC that after waypoint IGARI, MH370 did not return to Lumpur radar frequency. |
| 6. | 1741:23 UTC (0141:23 MYT) |
KL ACC Radar Controller made a ‘blind transmission’30 to MH370. |
| 7. | 1746:47 UTC (0146:47 MYT) |
HCM ACC queried on MH370 again, stating that radar contact was established at IGARI but there was no verbal contact. HCM ACC advised that the observed radar blip disappeared at waypoint BITOD. HCM ACC also stated that efforts had been made to establish communications by calling MH370 several times for more than twenty minutes. |
| 8. | 1750:28 UTC [0150:28 MYT] (0150:27 MYT) |
KL ACC queried HCM ACC if there was any contact with MH370. HCM ACC’s reply was: “Negative”. |
| 9. | 1757:49 UTC (0157:49 MYT) |
HCM ACC informed that there was officially no contact with MH370 until this time. Attempts on many frequencies and aircraft in the vicinity received no response from MH370. |
| 10. | 1803:48 UTC (0203:48 MYT) |
KL ACC queried HCM ACC on status of MH370. HCM ACC confirmed there was no radar contact at this time and no verbal communications was established. KL ACC relayed the information received from Malaysia Airlines Operations that aircraft was in Cambodian airspace. |
| 11. | 1807:47 UTC (0207:47 MYT) |
HCM ACC queried for confirmation that MH370 was in Phnom Penh FIR as Phnom Penh did not have any information on MH370. KL ACC indicated it would check further with the supervisor. |
| 12. | 1812:15 UTC (0212:15 MYT) |
KL ACC informed HCM ACC that there was no update on status of MH370. |
| 13. | 1815 UTC (0215 MYT) |
Extract from Watch Supervisor Log Book (in written form only, no voice recording): KL ATSC WS queried Malaysia Airlines Operations who informed that MH370 was able to exchange signals with the Flight Explorer. |
| 14. | 1818:50 UTC (0218:50 MYT) |
KL ACC queried if flight planned routing of MH370 was supposed to enter the Cambodian airspace. HCM ACC confirmed that planned route was only through the Vietnamese airspace. HCM ACC had checked and Cambodian had advised that it had no information on or contact with MH370. HCM ACC confirmed earlier information that radar contact was lost after BITOD and radio contact was never established. |
| 15. | 1833:59 UTC (0233:59 MYT) |
KL ACC Radar Controller enquired with MAS Operations Despatch Centre (ODC) on communications status on MH370. Personnel was not sure if the message went through successfully. ODC informed that aircraft was still sending movement message indicating it was somewhere in Viet Nam, and that its last position was at coordinates N14.90000 E109 15500 at 071833 UTC [080233 MYT]. |
| 16. | 1834:56 UTC (0234:56 MYT) |
HCM ACC queried on the status of MH370 and was advised that the Watch Supervisor was talking to the Company at this time. |
| 17. | 1854:28 UTC (0254:28 MYT) |
Requested MH386, which was then in the HCM FIR, to try to establish contact with MH370 on emergency frequencies. |
| 18. | 1930 UTC (0330 MYT) |
Extract from KL ACC Watch Supervisor ATS logbook: MAS Operations Centre informed KL ACC that the flight tracker was based on flight projection and not reliable for aircraft positioning. |
| 19. | 1930:03 UTC (0330:03 MYT) |
KL ACC queried if HCM ACC had checked with next FIR HAINAN. |
| 20. | 1948:52 UTC (0348:52 MYT) |
KL ACC queried if HCM ACC had checked with the SANYA FIR. HCM ACC informed KL ACC that there was no response until then. |
| 21. | 1956:13 UTC (0356:13 MYT) |
KL ACC queried MAS Operations Centre for any latest information or contact with MH370. |
| 22. | 2025:22 UTC (0425:22 MYT) |
HCM ACC Supervisor queried KL ACC on the last position that MH370 was in contact with KL ACC. |
| 23. | 2109:13 UTC (0509:13 MYT) |
Singapore, on behalf of Hong Kong ACC enquired for information on MH370. |
| 24. | 2118:32 UTC (0518:32 MYT) |
HCM ACC queried for information on MH370, KL ACC queried if any information had been received from Hong Kong or Beijing. |
| 25. | 2120:16 UTC (0520:16 MYT) |
Capt. xxxx [name redacted] of MAS requested for information on MH370. He opined that based on known information,”MH370 never left Malaysian airspace.” |
| 26. | 2130 UTC (0530 MYT) |
Duty ATSC Watch Supervisor activated the Kuala Lumpur Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC). |
| 27. | 2214:13 UTC (0614:13 MYT) |
KL ACC queried HCM ACC if SAR was activated. |
| 28. | 2232 UTC (0632 MYT) |
KL ARCC issued a DETRESFA message. |
Table 2.2C - Chronology of ATC Events following the Disappearance of MH370
Source:
Safety Investigation Report MH370/01/2018
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30 Blind transmission - A transmission from one station to another station in circumstances where two-way communications cannot be established but where it is believed that the called station is able to receive the transmission.