MH370 Transcript Changed. The Signoff Is Much More Accurate.

MH370: authorities release new account of pilot's final words

Malaysia's civil aviation authority say pilot's final words heard by air traffic control were 'goodnight Malaysian three seven zero'

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• Agencies in Kuala Lumpur
• theguardian.com, Monday 31 March 2014 16.32 EDT
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The Boeing 777 was just leaving Malaysia-controlled air space when the final words were heard. Photograph: Greg Wood/Pool/EPA

Malaysian authorities have released a new account of the final words spoken by one of the pilots of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The last words heard by air traffic control in Kuala Lumpur were "goodnight Malaysian three seven zero" – not "all right, goodnight," as previously reported, Malaysia's civil aviation authority said on Monday.

The correction of the official account of the last words was made as Malaysian authorities face heavy criticism for their handling of the disappearance, particularly from families of the Chinese passengers on board Flight MH370, who have accused Malaysia of mismanaging the search and holding back information.

"We would like to confirm that the last conversation in the transcript between the air traffic controller and the cockpit is at 01:19 (Malaysian Time) and is "goodnight Malaysian three seven zero," the Department of Civil Aviation said in a statement.

Malaysia's ambassador to China told Chinese families in Beijing as early as 12 March, four days after the flight went missing, that the last words had been "all right, goodnight."

"Goodnight Malaysian three seven zero" would be a more formal, standard sign-off from the cockpit of the Boeing 777, which was just leaving Malaysia-controlled air space on its route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Minutes later, its communications were cut off and it turned back across Malaysia and headed towards the Indian Ocean. More than three weeks later, a huge international search effort is going on in the southern Indian Ocean off western Australia, but has so far failed to turn up any wreckage.

The statement from the civil aviation authority came after the acting transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein was questioned at a news conference on Monday over the last words from the cockpit and fended off demands to release the official transcript.

The statement said authorities were still conducting "forensic investigation" to determine whether the last words from the cockpit were by the pilot or the co-pilot. Previously, Malaysia Airlines has said that the words were believed to have come from the co-pilot.

The civil aviation department said the investigating team had been instructed to release the full transcript at the next briefing with the next of kin.

Malaysia says the plane, which disappeared less than an hour into its flight, was likely to have been diverted deliberately far off course. Investigators have determined no apparent motive or other red flags among the 227 passengers or the 12 crew. About two-thirds of the passengers were Chinese nationals.