MH370 jet’s controls likely to have been manipulated, says report

INVESTIGATORS released a report on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 yesterday, saying the Boeing 777’s controls were likely to have been deliberately manipulated to take it off course, but they were not able to determine who was responsible.

The 495-page report draws no conclusion about what happened aboard the plane that vanished with 239 people on board en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8 2014.

“The answer can only be conclusive if the wreckage is found,” Kok Soo Chon, head of the MH370 safety investigation team, told reporters.

On May 29, Malaysia called off a three-month search by the US firm Ocean Infinity, which spanned 43,243 sq miles in the southern Indian Ocean with no significant findings.

It was the second major search after Australia, China and Malaysia ended a fruitless A$200 million (£150 million) search across an area of 46,332 sq miles last year.

Investigators have been trying to establish why the jet veered thousands of miles off course from its scheduled route before plunging into the Indian Ocean.

The last communication from the plane was from the Captain, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, who signed off with “Good night, Malaysian three seven zero” as the plane left Malaysian airspace and later turned off course.

A 440-page report published by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau last year showed that Zaharie had flown a route on his home flight simulator six weeks earlier that was “initially similar” to the one actually taken by MH370.

The Malaysian police previously concluded there were no unusual activity on the home simulator.

Kok said investigators examined the history of the pilot and the first officer, and they were satisfied with their background, training and mental health.

“We cannot exclude that there was an unlawful interference by a third party,” Kok said.

He added that all the passengers of the 15 countries had their backgrounds checked by their respective countries.

The report said there was no sign the jet was evading radar detection or that it was taken over by remote control.

No irregularities were found in the on-board cargo, which included lithium batteries and about 2,500 kg of mangosteen fruit.