MH370: ‘Boeing aircraft are dangerous to fly in’ Says Former PM
If there is one thing that can be deduced from the MH370 tragedy, it is that "Boeing aircraft are dangerous to fly in", Mahathir bin Mohamad, the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia wrote in his blog.
"If this can happen to MH370, a 777 Boeing, is it safe to fly in such planes. When will another plane disappear??"
The search for the missing MH370 became the most expensive search throughout aviation history.
Australia alone had already spent $43 million with it leading the search towards the southern vector. Kym Bergmann, editor of Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter and a former government defence adviser estimated that the search for the missing plane is costing Australia about 1 million a day.
Just recently, in a meeting in Canberra, Australia, China and Malaysia vowed not to stop the search until it is found. Another $60 million is needed to continue with the search.
As of May 2014, Boeing is at number eighty-five at Forbes list of World's Most Valuable Brands with a market cap of $95.31billion, cash on hand $9.09 billion, revenue of $86.62 billion, assets of $92.66 billion and profit of $4.58 billion.
However, the company remained deathly silent about MH370. Silence is dangerous as the cliché goes.
For Mr bin Mohammad, the Mh370 mishap should be blamed to Boeing alone.
"Boeing is the designer and assembler of all Boeing aircrafts. It also subjects the new aircrafts to rigorous test. It is totally responsible for the certification of the aircrafts and all the parts, avionics and safety features of the aircrafts," he wrote.
Given that Boeing has various suppliers and vendors; it is solely responsible for the correct installation, testing and certification, Mr bin Mohammad contends. Under the company's supposedly strict regulations, the aircraft's communication system, the lifeline of the aircrafts, is selected, tested and installed. With this, it is to be assumed that "under no circumstances should communication equipment fail."
"In the case of MH370 the only thing that we know for certain is that after the co-pilot said "Alright, Good Night" there was no more communication. There was no call from the aircraft and ground station could not contact the aircraft at all. In other words there was total communication breakdown. How was this possible! The pilot may disable it! Are the communication systems in a Boeing 777 so easily disabled? Is there no backup? Is there no fail-safe system for so important a facility? Or did a third party disable MH370's communication system?," Mr Bin asked.
For him, more questions on MH370 should be aimed at Boeing.
"If a plane disappears wouldn't someone notice. Yet the plane vanished and no one seems to know. Can Boeing explain how this can happen? But Boeing is deathly quiet! No explanation at all as to how the communication system and monitoring of position can fail in a Boeing aircraft."
And until the company breaks its silence on the issue, all fingers should be pointed at Boeing.
"Boeing has a lot to answer. Until the plane is found and the causes of the failure of communication equipment and the disappearance are fully explained, one must conclude that Boeing aircrafts are dangerous to fly in," Mr bin Mohammad ended.