Last Flights Of Malaysian Airlines Mh370 And Mh17, The: A Firsthand-look

by Azharuddin Abdul Rahman

Overview

Having always been in love with all things related to aviation since childhood, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman's dream came true when he was given a chance to enter the field of aircraft engineering. Serving as Director-General for eleven years with the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), he had had many valuable experiences.However, the two biggest tragedies that occurred in 2014, that of MH370 and MH17, had the greatest impact on his life, and affected not just the victims and their families, but the entire Malaysian aviation industry.Azharuddin was directly involved in leading the search missions of the tragic disappearance of MH370 on 8 March 2014, and in a series of investigations concerning the downing of MH17 in eastern Ukraine on 17 July of the same year.As Director-General, Azharuddin faced a heavy burden in the aftermath of the twin disasters, of which MH370 remains unsolved to the present day. No one was prepared for the MH370 tragedy despite all the training they had received. As for MH17, Azharuddin laments that the tragedy may have been prevented had full information on the level of conflict in Ukraine been made available during that time. In both cases, all passengers and crew on board were killed.Both tragic events marked a new history in the aviation industry, both in Malaysia and in the international arena, causing new reforms to burst into action to ensure similar incidents will not happen again.In writing this book, Azharuddin draws from personal experience, conducting his research with and around aviation industry professionals, and drawing insights from others involved in both incidents to present a full and raw take on the twin disasters of the Malaysian aviation industry in 2014.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789811257209
Publisher:	World Scientific Publishing Company, Incorporated
Publication date:	12/06/2022
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	716,872
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)

Table of Contents

Preface xi

About the Author xiii

Background: From Kampung Boy to Director General of DCA xv

The World of Aviation: A Love at First Sight xv

An Alumnus of Santa's School xvii

Moving to Kuala Lumpur xvii

MAS Interview at MARA Building, Kuala Lumpur xx

An Offer from MAS-MARA xxi

Training in New Zealand xxii

Working in MAS xxiv

Moved to DCA: A New Beginning xxvi

Part I MH370 1

Chapter 1 The Tragedy, The Disappearance, The Search 3

MH370 - The Beginning of the Tragedy 3

The First Day: What Actually Happened 6

How Did MH370 Disappear? 9

MH370 Made a Turn Back? 10

Establishment of MH370 HLTTF 13

Search and Rescue 14

The Good News and the Bad News 15

MH370 Ended in the Indian Ocean 17

Did It Really End in the Indian Ocean? 21

Chapter 2 The Search Effort 25

Locating MH3 70 25

The Search Begins 27

From South China Sea to Straits of Malacca/Bay of Bengal 28

North Corridor and South Corridor 29

The Search in the Southern Indian Ocean 33

The Challenges of Finding MH370 41

The Search Continues 44

Why Ocean Infinity? 46

Ocean Infinity's Search Areas 48

Preparing for a Possible Discovery 51

The Impact of the 14th General Elections 56

Chapter 3 Reality vs Conspiracy 59

Response to Conspiracy Theories 59

Pilot Linked to Disappearance 61

MH370 Hijacked via Remote Control 61

Technical Problems on MH370? 63

MH370 in Diego Garcia? 64

The Scientist and the Mysterious Cargo 64

MH370 in Mindanao, Philippines? 65

Chapter 4 Investigating the MH370 Debris 67

A Stirring Discovery 67

Dealing with the French Judiciary 69

Investigation of the Flaperon in France 70

Investigating the Flap in Tanzania 75

The MH3 70 Debris 76

Analysis of the Debris 77

Chapter 5 The Media and the Shaman 79

Experiencing Media Scrutiny 79

The Foreign Reporter Who Followed Me 81

Stalked by a Woman 82

Facing the Media from China 83

Offers to Find MH370: Shaman and Psychic 84

Chapter 6 Next of Kins: Acceptance of the Tragedy 87

Declaring the Crash of MH370 87

Reaction from the Next of Kins 89

Reaction of the Next of Kins from China 91

Part II MH17 93

Chapter 7 Tragedy Strikes Again 95

Another Tragedy 95

Retrieving the Black Boxes 98

The Difficulties of Entering the Site 101

Chapter 8 A Rather Impossible Mission 107

Repatriation Process of the Remains 107

Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) Process 108

Identifying the Remains 109

Bodies of Unidentified Victims 110

Managing the Bodies of Malaysian Victims 110

The Efficiency of the Malaysian Team 111

Chapter 9 An Unforgettable Experience 115

Handling the Bodies of the Victims of MH17 115

Reactions from Next of Kins of MH17 116

Chapter 10 The Black Boxes and Why MH17? 119

Analysis of the B lack Boxes 119

MH17 Possibly Shot Down? 122

Why Shoot MH17? 122

Chapter 11 Forensic Investigation 125

MH17 Detailed Investigation 125

Responding to Accusations 127

Chapter 12 Media Reactions and Response 129

In Media Attention Again 129

Effect on MAS and Malaysia's Reputation 130

Chapter 13 Social Media and Conspiracy Theories 133

Social Media Theories 133

Dismissing Conspiracies 134

Chapter 14 The Final Investigation Reports on MH370 and MH17 137

A Summary of MH17 Investigation Report 137

A Summary of MH370 Investigation Report 138

Closing 141

Maturing Through Experience 141

Finding Strength Through Support from Family and Friends 144

Efforts to Transform DCA 146

Honoured with ICAO's Highest Recognition 148

The List of Passengers 155

MH370 Passenger List 155

MH370 List of Pilots and Cabin Crew 162

MH17 Passenger List 163

MH17 List of Pilots and Cabin Crew 172

Index 173