Najib: MH370 was deliberately turned back
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak also confirms that MH370’s addressing and reporting, as well as its transponder ‘was switched off’ before making the turn back towards the Straits of Malacca
(FMT) – Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said there was a high degree of certanity that the aircraft main communications was switched off and the plane’s turning back was ‘consistent with deliberate action.’
He confirmed that the unidentified aircraft which made a turn towards at the east coast of Malaysia before turning towards the Andaman seas was indeed flight MH370.
He said that the last satellite contact from plane was at 8.11 am ,more than six hours after primary radar was lost.
Speaking at a packed press conference today, Najib also said : “Based on the satellite communication system, the aircraft’s addressing and reporting system was disabled before it reached the east coast of Peninsula ( Malaysia). Plus, the aircraft’s transponder was switched off near the Malaysia-Vietnam border.
“And based on the satellite’s data, we can confirm that the plane was indeed MH370,”
“Based on new satellite information, we can say with a high degree of certainty that the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) was disabled just before the aircraft reached the East coast of peninsular Malaysia.
“Shortly afterwards, near the border between Malaysian and Vietnamese air traffic control, the aircraft’s transponder was switched off.
“From this point onwards, the Royal Malaysian Air Force primary radar showed that an aircraft which was believed – but not confirmed – to be MH370 did indeed turn back.
“It then flew in a westerly direction back over peninsular Malaysia before turning northwest. Up until the point at which it left military primary radar coverage, these movements are consistent with deliberate action by someone on the plane.
