Malaysian plane: Impossible to control plane from outside, says expert

Kuala Lumpur, March 19: Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UNiKL)

Institute of Aviation Technology (MIAT) Associate Professor Ir. Abu Hanifah Abdullah explained that it was impossible to control an aircraft from outside during its

.

He said that if an aircraft were to fly off course it had to be controlled by someone inside the aircraft, said a NST report.

"Generally for commercial aircrafts the pilot is in control, if there is any diversion from the original route it would be on the advice of air-traffic control.

The professor was referring to the mysterious disappearance of a Malaysian flight 11 days ago.

"This happens when there is a bad weather or when the plane is flying near a no fly zone. The pilot would then be advised to take a different route to avoid complications," he said.

Abu Hanifah, who is also a former Airworthiness Engineer, explained that commercial aircrafts go through thorough checks by engineers and technical crew before it is cleared to fly.

Plane in Southern Indian Ocean?

Investigators looking into the disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines plane with 239 people aboard believe that most likely the plane flew into the southern Indian Ocean,said a Reuters report.

"The working assumption is that it went south, and furthermore that it went to the southern end of that corridor," said the source, referring to a search area stretching from west of Indonesia to the Indian Ocean west of Australia.

Bangladesh strengthens search

Bangladesh Wednesday said it has strengthened its efforts to search for the Malaysia Airlines plane that went missing March 8.

Following Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's instruction, Bangladesh Navy March 14 launched the search for the missing plane by deploying two frigates -- BNS Umar Farooq and BNS Bangabandhu -- and two aircraft.

"Yesterday we deployed BNS Somudro Joy instead of BNS Farooq as part of our efforts to strengthen our search operation," Xinhua quoted Bangladesh Navy spokesman Syed Moksudul Hakim as telling journalists at a press briefing Wednesday.

BNS Somudro Joy which is the largest and heaviest guided missile frigate of the Bangladesh Navy was commissioned Dec 23 last year.

Bangladesh Navy acquired the ship from the US under the Excess Defence Articles programme.

Oneindia News
(With IANS inputs)