Malaysia Airlines Flight Research Articles

Beyond the flames: understanding the impact of loss without body recovery or identification in fire-related mass disaster contexts

Abstract The World Trade Center attack (2001), the Black Saturday (2009), the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (2014), the wildfires of June and October in Portugal (2017), the California wildfires (2018)—these are a few examples of mass disaster events, specifically related to fire and high temperatures, which resulted in multiple casualties and several people unidentified and/or missing. Besides the physical destruction, the lost lives are one of the main consequences of these contexts. Dealing with the loss of a family member may not be an easy process, however, it is easier to accept when there is a body to bury. Conversely, not knowing the whereabouts of a person who might have been involved in a disaster makes mourning and returning to daily life harder. The family of the missing/unidentified lives in doubt and in a state termed as ‘ambiguous loss’. Forensic anthropologists face several challenges and obstacles when detecting and analysing burnt skeletal remains, which are increased in mass disaster contexts. However, the suffering experienced by the families of the victims of these contexts is far superior. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to employ all efforts to achieve the identity of these victims to allow the families to mourn, as well as to reassure society that no death is insignificant. Thus, the importance of identifying the victims of scenarios involving fire/heat is addressed in this paper through a brief description of some mass disaster events, emphasizing the challenges faced in identifying burnt remains and the psychological consequences families endure resulting from it.

Research on deep-sea terrain refinement methods based on satellite remote sensing data

Bathymetric data is crucial for navigation safety and various applications. However, only a small portion of the seafloor has been systematically mapped through direct measurement. The remaining bathymetry is estimated from satellite altimeter data, providing only an approximate representation of the seafloor's shape. To address this issue, the convolutional neural network (CNN) is introduced for the analysis of seabed topography. To the best of our knowledge, this marks the first attempt to incorporate the CNN into the definitive map of the world ocean floor. By employing skip connections based on residual learning, we construct a deeper CNN layer that effectively reduces training complexity. The deeper convolutional neural network layer is used to create a more complex nonlinear mapping model, which is then employed to downscale low-resolution seabed topographic data in order to obtain high-precision seabed topographic information. This process enhances the representation of seabed topographic data to reflect the actual terrain more accurately. The results are compared with those obtained using the bicubic difference method. Conducting tests near the Gulf of Thailand, where Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 was lost, the results demonstrate that the method proposed in this paper achieves higher accuracy in processing the downscaling of seabed topographic data.

Underwater acoustic analysis reveals unique pressure signals associated with aircraft crashes in the sea: revisiting MH370

Data analysis from the hydroacoustic stations of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization has unveiled distinctive pressure signals linked to aircraft crashes of varying sizes in the ocean. Notably, these signals were detected at distances ranging from two to five thousand kilometres, highlighting the efficacy of underwater acoustic technology in event identification and classification in marine environments. In this study, we investigate the plausibility of an aircraft, such as Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 (MH370), crashing into the sea leaving a discernible pressure signal at distant hydrophones. Consequently, we focus on recordings obtained from the hydroacoustic monitoring stations located at Cape Leeuwin and Diego Garcia, within a few minutes of the last satellite ping on the 7th arc, associated with the assumed crash time and location. Among the available data, only one relevant signal has emerged as a potential candidate, albeit recorded at a single station out of the two stations available. To ensure a comprehensive analysis, we also examine the time frame and location of the airplane along its initial route. Though no corresponding signal was observed. Nevertheless, the findings in this study narrow down the range of possibilities and present a novel scientific approach to investigate such incidents. These findings contribute to our understanding of acoustic signals associated with aircraft crashes at sea. They emphasise the potential for hydrophones to detect events even when the signal travels long distances through land. Ultimately, this research offers recommendations for conducting on-site experiments involving controlled explosions with energy levels similar to the impact of MH370 along the 7th arc. The aim is to encourage pertinent authorities to implement actions that could reveal insights into the destiny of MH370 specifically. Additionally, this initiative seeks to establish a comprehensive framework for addressing comparable incidents in the broader ocean context.

International legal mechanisms for the protection of human rights and freedoms in times of war: the practice of the ECHR

The issue of human and civil rights and freedoms is an integral part of the problems of the real human situation in society and the State. Never before have the issues of human and civil rights and freedoms been raised as acutely as they are today in connection with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The international community is on the side of Ukraine, the inviolability of its territorial integrity, and most importantly, in defense of human rights as the highest social value in the country.
 Also, after the armed aggression of Russia and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, ensuring international security has become a major issue of the day. As an independent, legal and social state, Ukraine is particularly interested in protecting human rights and freedoms. Currently, there are many international bodies that monitor the observance of human rights and freedoms and protect these rights, including courts and tribunals. They are divided into universal, i.e. those that operate at the UN level, and regional (European, American, African, Asian and others). For a detailed study of this issue, the author has researched and analyzed international standards of human and civil rights and freedoms, in particular, the case law of the ECHR in favor of Ukraine in the human rights protection system from 2014 to the present.
 As of February 21, 2023, the following interstate cases were pending before the ECtHR: the «Crimean case» related to the annexation of Crimea by Russia; the case of human rights violations in the occupied territories of Donbas, which includes the complaint about the downing of Malaysian flight MH-17 filed by Ukraine and the Netherlands; the case of violations of the rights of Ukrainian political prisoners; the case of the seizure of Ukrainian sailors and vessels in the Kerch Strait in 2018. the case of crimes committed by the Russian military during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
 However, it is worth noting that on September 16, 2022, Russia finally withdrew from the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. This was the result of Russia's expulsion from the Council of Europe. The European Court of Human Rights has finally lost jurisdiction over Russia, and the consideration of thousands of complaints against it has been called into question, including those filed by Ukraine.

ECtHR Case-law Concerning Russian Aggression on Ukraine and the Events Taking Place after 2014

Abstract Ukraine has faced ongoing armed conflict within the eastern parts of its territory since 2014. The state witnessed the annexation of Crimea, de facto occupation of Donetsk and Lugansk regions, the shooting down of Flight MH-17, and numerous human rights violations in the eastern parts of the country. Since the Russian aggression in 2022, Ukraine has faced armed conflict throughout the country. At the same time, Russia and Ukraine had been states parties to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Russia ceased to be a party to the ECHR on 16 September 2022, due to its expulsion from the Council of Europe (CoE) six months earlier. All the applications against the Russian Federation filed to the European Court on Human Rights (ECtHR) before this date should – and will – be examined by the Court. This research mainly aims to analyse the Court’s existing case-law concerning the events in Ukraine after 2014, and the ECtHR jurisprudence concerning armed conflicts. The purpose of such analysis is to examine the possibilities and challenges the Court will face in its forthcoming judgments in inter-state applications filed by Ukraine against Russia. It should be stressed that the execution of these future judgments may also be an issue.

DETERMINING THE LOCATION OF MALAYSIA AIRLINES FLIGHT MH370

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which was flying from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing, China, lost communication with air traffic control shortly after take-off on March 8, 2014, and vanished. While the rest of the world awaited news of the missing plane and the 239 people on board, officials and experts began to look into the limited information available concerning the airliner’s real activities. The disappearance of a Malaysia Airline flight, carrying 239 passengers and crew, is one of the world’s biggest aviation mysteries. Despite all the efforts and evidence obtained so far, the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 could not be determined exactly. In this study, which we have done, the crash zone of the aircraft has been determined approximately by using the data in the previously prepared reports. In addition, the average ocean current speeds, directions and the parts of the debris of the aircraft were investigated on the satellite images, and the estimation of the area where the plane crashed was tried to be strengthened.

A Stable Isotope Sclerochronology‐Based Forensic Method for Reconstructing Debris Drift Paths With Application to the MH370 Crash

AbstractA flaperon belonging to Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 washed ashore on Réunion Island covered with the barnacle Lepas anatifera in July 2015, more than a year after the plane's disappearance. Here, we report the first high‐precision δ18Ocalcite versus temperature relationship for L. anatifera reared under laboratory conditions to unlock clues to the flaperon's drift path and origin. Using this experimental relationship and known growth rates for L. anatifera, we also demonstrate a new method for (a) converting δ18O data for one of the MH370 barnacles into a dated time series of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) experienced during the last part of the flaperon's drift and (b) identifying best fits between the observed flaperon SST time series and 50,000 SST histories generated from a particle‐tracking simulation. Our new method identifies a flaperon drift path far south of a previous isotope‐based reconstruction. We conclude with specific recommendations for using our method to continue the search for MH370 and other applications.

The “MH17” judgment and its legal implications for the International Court of Justice's ruling in Ukraine v. Russia: a critical appraisal

AbstractOn November 17, 2022, the Dutch District Court of The Hague found three persons liable in connection with the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which occurred in the breakaway oblast of Donetsk in July 2014. Drawing on this judgment, the present essay examines whether the Russian Federation can be regarded as a State actively involved in this incident with a view to investigating to what extent it exercised “overall control” over the Donetsk People's Republic's separatists. Afterwards, the analysis is framed in the context of the wider legal dispute between Ukraine and the Russian Federation before the International Court of Justice, where the former maintained, inter alia, that the latter failed to honour its obligation under the 1999 International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism—specifically, by providing the separatists with the “fund” (i.e., a BUK TELAR) that forced the aircraft to crash. Ultimately, the legal implications of the findings are assessed to foresee the outcome of the International Court of Justice's decision on the merits.

Delivering International Criminal Justice through Domestic Law? The Case of Flight MH17

Abstract In July 2014, 298 civilians aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 were killed when their aircraft was shot down over an active war zone in eastern Ukraine. Since that time, a Joint Investigative Taskforce has worked to unearth the facts of the incident. A trial is underway in the Netherlands against four suspects accused of shooting down the passenger plane and murdering all on board, although its progress has been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This article evaluates the means chosen by the Joint Investigative Taskforce and Dutch prosecutors to attribute criminal responsibility through the lens of international criminal justice. We consider the unique circumstances of the case including the collection of evidence in a conflict zone, the choice of legal forum and charges, the trial in absentia of the accused, the recognition of victims’ families’ rights to justice and the potential implication of the Russian Federation in the prosecution. In July 2014, 298 civilians aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 were killed when their aircraft was shot down over an active war zone in eastern Ukraine. Since that time, a Joint Investigative Taskforce has worked to unearth the facts of the incident. A trial is underway in the Netherlands against four suspects accused of shooting down the passenger plane and murdering all on board, although its progress has been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This article evaluates the means chosen by the Joint Investigative Taskforce and Dutch prosecutors to attribute criminal responsibility through the lens of international criminal justice. We consider the unique circumstances of the case including the collection of evidence in a conflict zone, the choice of legal forum and charges, the trial in absentia of the accused, the recognition of victims’ families’ rights to justice and the potential implication of the Russian Federation in the prosecution.

Analysis of Several Important Theoretical and Practical Issues in International Aviation Law–Discussion Based on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Accident

Analysis of Several Important Theoretical and Practical Issues in International Aviation Law–Discussion Based on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Accident

The mediating role of state anger in the associations between intentions to participate in the criminal trial and psychopathology in traumatically bereaved people

Victims of crimes have been granted increasing procedural rights to participate in the juridical process since the mid 1990s. However, knowledge about the (anti)-therapeutic effect of participation is limited. We examined the associations between symptom levels of persistent complex bereavement disorder (PCBD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression and the intention to participate in a criminal trial. Furthermore, we investigated the mediating role of state anger in these associations. People who lost loved ones after a plane disaster with flight MH17 (N = 203) completed questionnaires within three weeks before the start of the criminal trial. Mediation analyses indicated that people, who did not intend to actively participate in the trial by delivering a written or oral victim statement, were less likely to experience anger, which is, in turn, associated with attenuated psychopathology levels. State anger explains 68% of the effect of the intention to exercise the right to speak on PCBD levels. An important limitation is the cross-sectional study design, which precludes conclusions about temporal associations. More research is needed to improve preparation and support of bereaved people when they intend to exercise their victim rights during a criminal trial.

Singing in Dark Times: Report from Berlin

Singing in Dark Times: Report from Berlin

The Dynamics of Public Attention to Online Disaster Information

This study explored the dynamics of public attention to online news on disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370). Results revealed that increase of public attention to news has a leading effect on media attention. Moreover, public attention is influenced by daily news pressure, square of timelines, news topic, nationality of media organizations. In addition, public’ interest in news content is different in various phases of the disappearance. In the early aftermath, public purse news on stakeholder responses, and then public attention focus shift to disaster survey. Finally, news on stakeholder responses and disaster relief attracts more public attention.

Role of Forensic Anthropology in Disaster Victim Identification (DVI)

DNA profiling is one of the most dependable and well-organized methods for recognizing bodies or losing body parts in disaster victim identification (DVI). This necessitates the collection of a post-mortem DNA sample and an antemortem DNA sample from the alleged victim or a biological related people. Collecting an acceptable ante mortem sample is usually effortless, but because of the varying degree of preservation of the human remains after any disaster and very high risk of cross-contamination of DNA, obtaining an adequate standard post mortem sample under cold DVI conditions is difficult. Various post mortem DNA samples from a deceased person in DVI can be obtained from muscle, bone including femur and ribs, teeth, and bone marrow with the slightest possibility of contamination.
 DVI (disaster victim identification) has been used to identify deceased people in various famous disasters like the 9/11 attack of the terrorist group al-Qaeda against the United States, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down on 17 July 2014 while flying over eastern Ukraine. All 283 passengers and 15 crew members were killed; the 26/11 attack on Mumbai in 2008 led by terrorist organizations caused 166 deaths, excluding nine terrorists.
 According to Interpol protocol, four steps for identification are given importance:
 1 – Site examination, which lasts for days to weeks.
 2 – Post-mortem data include fingerprints, odontology, DNA profiling and physical indication.
 3 – Ante-mortem data collected from victim houses.
 4 – Reconciliation where specialists identify the victim from the data collected.

Jurisdiction and Combatant\u2019s Privilege in the MH17 Trial: Treading the Line Between Domestic and International Criminal Justice

This article focuses on the MH17 Trial that is currently underway in the Netherlands, dealing with the shooting down of a civilian aircraft over Eastern Ukraine and the resulting deaths of all 298 persons on board. Two legal questions arising from the prosecutorial strategy to charge the four accused with ‘ordinary’ crimes under the Dutch Criminal Code—instead of with war crimes—are studied here. First, the jurisdictional basis on which the District Court of The Hague is trying MH17, and its effect on the applicable laws, is examined. It is argued that, contrary to what the Prosecution has submitted, jurisdiction over the killing of the 93 non-Dutch nationals on board of flight MH17 can only be established on the basis of the less known title of delegated (representative) jurisdiction: a conclusion that also brings certain legal requirements. Second, this paper analyzes the way the MH17 Prosecutor defined the notion of ‘combatant’s privilege’ under international humanitarian law and his arguments for rejecting a combatant status for the separatist armed forces that shot down flight MH17 over Eastern Ukraine. All this analysis is then used to explain why it was indeed more sensible for the Prosecution to charge the four accused with murder and intentionally causing an aircraft to crash under Dutch criminal law, than with war crimes under international law.

A comparative analysis of cold war and post-cold war media framing of aviation disasters

This study builds on previous research that examined U.S. media coverage of two airline disasters – KAL007 and IR655 – during the Cold War in the 1980s. It explores new Cold War frames in The New York Times and The Moscow Times’ coverage of the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014. Additionally, U.S. and Russian official narratives of the incident were compared to the MH17 coverage by the two selected newspapers. Results reveal an absence of hostile Cold War assertions but indicate a link between media frames and the U.S. and Russian government positions. Additionally, findings shed light on the Moscow-Washington relations against the backdrop of intense confrontation between Russia and the West not witnessed since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Trauma and belief systems; an operational code analysis of Dutch Prime Minister Rutte and the downing of flight MH17

AbstractWhat is the impact of a crisis on the belief systems of leaders? We know from a substantial body of research that the beliefs of leaders impact their decision making processes. These beliefs are generally assumed to be stable, which makes them a reliable tool for explaining decision making behavior. There is, however, some limited evidence that suggests that when crises are experienced by leaders as a traumatic event, their beliefs can be affected. This article studies the potential impact of crisis‐induced trauma on leaders' belief systems by measuring the operational codes of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte before and after the shooting down of flight MH17 in 2014 in Ukraine. We use quantitative content analysis of written texts such as the speeches by Rutte. Our aim is to contribute to the crisis management literature that focuses on individual leadership and crises by finding out whether Rutte's operational code changed significantly after the downing of flight MH17. We conclude that there were two significant changes in Rutte's belief system, but these cannot be attributed to the effects of the traumatic event only. Therefore we offer an alternative explanation that combines the traumatic event hypothesis with the crisis‐learning hypothesis.

Seafloor Topography Estimation from Gravity Anomaly and Vertical Gravity Gradient Using Nonlinear Iterative Least Square Method

Currently, seafloor topography inversion based on satellite altimetry gravity data provides the principal means to predict the global seafloor topography. Researchers often use sea surface geoid height or gravity anomaly to predict sea depth in the space domain. In this paper, a comprehensive discussion on seafloor topography inversion formulas in the space domain is presented using sea surface geoid height, gravity anomaly and introduces an approach that uses vertical gravity gradient. This would be the first study to estimate seafloor topography by vertical gravity gradient in the space domain. Further, a nonlinear iterative least-square inversion process is discussed. Using the search area for the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 as study site, we used the DTU17 gravity anomaly model and SIO V29.1 vertical gravity gradient to generate the seafloor topography. The results of the proposed bathymetric models were analyzed and compared with the DTU18 and SIO V20.1 bathymetric models. The experimental results show that the gravity anomaly and vertical gravity gradient in the study area are strongly correlated with the seafloor topography in the 20–200 km wavelength range. The optimal initial iteration values for seafloor topography variance and correlation length are 0.6365 km2 and 10.5′, respectively. Shipborne measurements from SONAR data were used as external checkpoints to evaluate the bathymetric models. The results show that the RMS for BAT_VGG_ILS (inversion model constructed by vertical gravity gradient) is smaller than for BAT_GA_ILS (inversion model constructed by gravity anomaly) and BAT_GA_VGG_ILS (inversion model constructed by gravity anomaly and vertical gravity gradient). The relative accuracy of the DTU18 bathymetry model was 9.27%, while the relative accuracy of the proposed seafloor models was higher than 4%. Within the 200 m difference range, the proportion of checkpoints for BAT_VGG_ILS was close to 95%, about 80% for BAT_GA_ILS and BAT_GA_VGG_ILS, and less than 50% for the DTU18. The results show that the nonlinear iterative least square method in the space domain is feasible.

Malaysia's Membership at the United Nations Security Council 2015-2016: Successes and Setback

This article analyses Malaysia’s membership as a non-permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council in 2015 and 2016, focusing on major successes achieved and challenges faced throughout the two-year term. Among Malaysia’s key achievements in the UN were on the protection of children in armed conflict and on the question of Palestine, especially relating to illegal Israeli settlements. Malaysia also played an important role in pushing for openness and inclusivity in the selection process of the new UN Secretary-General. However, Malaysia’s attempt to pursue accountability for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine was derailed by a veto from a permanent member of the Council. The highly contentious issue of Security Council reform also remains stagnant, despite Malaysia’s long-standing efforts to push for comprehensive reform. &nbsp

Time‐Dependent Crustal Accretion on the Southeast Indian Ridge Revealed by Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Search

AbstractOur understanding of oceanic crustal formation is mostly limited to observations of young crust formed in the past several million years, due to the thick sediments on older crust and the remote location of many spreading centers. Here we use 40 m‐resolution bathymetric data collected over hundreds of square kilometers during the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on the flank of the Southeast Indian Ridge, which provides a record of crustal accretion from 11–23 Ma. Spectra calculated from the data show a characteristic timescale of 300–400 kyr and no evidence for periodicity coinciding with glacial cycles. This characteristic timescale could be explained by fluctuations in melt supply and the amount of faulting, leading to variations in crustal thickness. We show that this timescale of variation is consistent with porosity waves observed in a two‐phase flow model, which persist over millions of years.