Narrative:MAS flight MH653 departed Penang (PEN) at 19:21 on a domestic flight to Kuala Lumpur (KUL). While descending through an altitude of 4000 feet towards KUL, the crew reported that the plane was hijacked. The hijacker demanded to be flown to Singapore. The aircraft climbed to FL210 and proceeded to Singapore. En route to Singapore, the hijacker reportedly shot both pilots and then himself. The cockpit voice recordings indicate noises suggestive of the cockpit door being broken in, along with a reasonable amount of screaming and cursing. No noises are heard from within the cockpit to indicate any of the three occupants were conscious. The autopilot was then disconnected, possibly due to a pitch input by someone entering the cockpit and trying to control the aircraft. An investigator speculated that someone pulled back on the column, causing a pitch up, followed by an oscillation. This rapidly developed into a high amplitude phugoid oscillation that resulted in a rapid dive. The 737 crashed into a swamp and disintegrated.
Loss of control
» Aviation Disasters / D. Gero (144, 145)
» Flight International 10.12.1977 (1708)
» Malaysia Airlines Flight 653. (2006, June 17). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:23, June 18, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_653&oldid=59115813.
» The final call / S. Barlay (382-282)
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not
display the exact flight path.
Distance from Penang International Airport to Kuala Lumpur Subang International Airport as the crow flies is 324 km (202 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Networkĺs opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.