[ventus45]

OK, P7, to get back "on track".

SANOB to ZWWW gone horribly wrong ?

An idea that that I have been playing with, (for some time), is the possibility that MH-370 may have been hijacked, with the intention of flying it to ZWWW, ie Urumqi-Diwopu-Airport, in China.
(https://skyvector.com/airport/ZWWW/Urumq...pu-Airport)

Now, if we assume that either ZWWW was not in the database in 9M-MRO, or, more likely, that the hijacker (planner) thought that it might not be, then the obvious thing to do would be to program a "direct to" final waypoint, in the immediate vircinity of the airport, that was simple, easy to remember.  The most obvious candidate is 44N 88E, which puts the aircraft within radio range of two VOR's, FUKANG (116.3 FKG 110) and URUMQI (115.7 URC 104), to navigate to a landing (in the dark at ETA), which puts him, with a left turn to 256 degrees, on a "straight in" 22 mile final to Runway 25.

The great circle track from SANOB (Lat: 6.586111N Lon: 95.669167E) to 44N 88E is only 2,275 nautical miles, which is well within 9M-MRO's fuel remaining range from SANOB, with reserves, and thus this destination is both sensible and realistic from a "planning" perspective.

Now, the theory goes, that a "simple mistake" was made by the hijacker when he input the coordinates for 44N 85E when approaching SANOB.

Instead of punching in 44N88E he accidentely entered 44S88E, IE, he punch in 44 South, instead of the intended 44 North.
Thus, 9M-MRO set off for the SIO.

Now, you would expect that even a hijacker (presumably "basically" trained), would know the difference between heading north and heading south, and would have quickly detected the error. when the aircraft adopted a southerly heading, instead of the expected northerly heading.
Perhaps he did, or perhaps he did not.

Bobby Ulich produced a "multiple turns / holding" analysis for the FMT, that I think could possibly be interpreted as evidence of "confusion on the flight deck".

Now, the theory goes that our hijacker detected that "something is wrong", and tried to sort it out, perhaps multiple times.
But, as is typical of "unskilled operators", perhaps he made the "same error" multiple times, and did not realize it.  
Then, probably now totally confused, and having re-checked "his instructions", he decided "it must be correct", and let the aircraft fly on (south) beleiving "it must be correct".

The great circle track from SANOB to 44 South 88 East is 3,053.5 nautical miles, which is just beyond 9M-MRO's fuel remaining range from SANOB, which is exhausted when crossing the 7th arc, on that great circle track, 6.586111N 95.669167E TO 44S 88E.  The initial True Heading departing SANOB is 184 degrees (magnetic heading 185 degrees).

The track is shown on Richard Cole's chart as the green line extending from 28 South 91.09 East to 40 South 88.90 East.

The 7th arc crossing point is near 37.45 South 89.40 East.




Thoughts anyone ?