ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 328980
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Sunday 4 December 1977 |
| Time: | 20:36 |
| Type: |  Boeing 737-2H6 |
| Owner/operator: | Malaysian Airlines System - MAS |
| Registration: | 9M-MBD |
| MSN: | 20585/306 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1972 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 12684 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 100 / Occupants: 100 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Tanjong Kupang -
 Malaysia
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Penang International Airport (PEN/WMKP) |
| Kuala Lumpur Subang International Airport (KUL/WMKK) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
MAS flight 653 departed Penang, Malaysia at 19:21 hours on a domestic flight to Kuala Lumpur. While descending through an altitude of 4000 feet towards Kuala Lumpur, the crew reported that the plane was hijacked. The hijacker demanded to be flown to Singapore.
The aircraft climbed to FL210 and proceeded to Singapore. En route to Singapore, the hijacker reportedly shot both pilots and then himself. The cockpit voice recordings indicate noises suggestive of the cockpit door being broken in, along with a reasonable amount of screaming and cursing. No noises are heard from within the cockpit to indicate any of the three occupants were conscious. The autopilot was then disconnected, possibly due to a pitch input by someone entering the cockpit and trying to control the aircraft. An investigator speculated that someone pulled back on the column, causing a pitch up, followed by an oscillation. This rapidly developed into a high amplitude phugoid oscillation that resulted in a rapid dive. The 737 crashed into a swamp and disintegrated.
Cause
The accident was caused by the fatal incapacitation of the crew by the hijackers resulting in the aircraft being left in the descent to impact without any professional control.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
Flight International 10 December 1977 (1708)
The final call / S. Barlay (382-282)
Location
Images:
photo (c) via Werner Fischdick; Bangkok International Airport (BKK); March 1976
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Jan-2024 11:27 | harro | Updated [Other fatalities, Damage, Accident report] |
| 15-Jan-2024 11:37 | harro | Updated [Other fatalities, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation