Boeing 777 pilot convinced that someone tried to save MH370 in crisis, says report
An experienced Boeing 777 pilot has shot down theories that the pilots or passengers aboard flight MH370 had committed foul play that led to its disappearance three weeks ago.
Les Abend, a contributor to Flying Magazine and an airman with 30 years of experience, wrote in a CNN commentary that he believed someone on the ill-fated flight had intended to save the aircraft and the 239 passengers in crisis.
"Was human intervention involved? Absolutely. But my gut theory as a 30-year airline veteran is that human intervention was involved to save an airplane and its passengers in crisis, not to commit foul play," he said.
In his commentary, Abend discussed three scenarios that were being speculated in the days after the aircraft vanished from civilian radar on March 8, including a theory that a passenger on board had taken over the plane in a terrorism bid.
"Making the assumption that an individual, or group of individuals, gained access to the cockpit through a keypad-coded, Kevlar door... how was it done?
"Perhaps entry was gained shortly after the now-famous ‘All right, good night’ message from the co-pilot 40 minutes into the flight," Abend said.
Terrorists "in a well-orchestrated action" would have rushed into the cockpit at the very moment the door was opened, he said.
"Such an action would require at least two people positioned in the first class cabin to observe the open door. One terrorist would have to disable the pilot and another terrorist would have to rush into the cockpit.
“The terrorists, who would now be in control of the cockpit, would direct the remaining pilot to steer the airplane on a new course. Or the terrorists themselves had enough piloting skills to fly the airplane,” Abend said.
"In addition, inside knowledge beyond that of even experienced 777 pilots would have been necessary to locate the ACARS unit from within the depths of the electronics and engineering compartment in order to disable it, such that the system no longer was capable of sending automatic data.
"Notwithstanding the logistics of pulling up a portion of the first class galley carpet to gain access to the electronics and engineering hatch while using some type of threat to prevent passengers from impeding their progress," he added.
"Why pick that moment? Where are they going exactly? Surely, aiming for the middle of the Indian Ocean doesn't accomplish their task to make some type of statement. And oh, by the way, information disseminated publicly seems to indicate that none of the passengers had suspicious backgrounds."
Abend said another theory where one or both pilots were involved was a carefully crafted plot constructed between the two. However, no evidence of such a plot was found.
"Besides, this would have required some type of connection between the captain and the co-pilot beyond their airline employment. No extracurricular connection between the two pilots has been publicly established.
"Eliminating the two-pilot conspiracy, then only one would have commandeered the airplane. But how would that pilot have disabled the other? A struggle? Would the commandeering pilot have prevented the other pilot from re-entering the cockpit after a lavatory break? Then what?" he said.
He also poured cold water on the theory that the pilot had driven the plane into the Indian Ocean to commit suicide.
"Death by airplane seems farfetched in this case. Why wait till the middle of the ocean to make a statement? Why not attempt suicide immediately after takeoff... or just prior to landing in Bejing?" Abend said. – March 29, 2014.
