Malaysia Airlines Flight 653
Encyclopedia
Malaysia Airlines
Flight 653 (MH653), a Boeing 737-2H6
aircraft registered as (delivered September 1972 as ), crashed at Tanjung Kupang
, Johor
, in Malaysia on the evening of 4 December 1977. It was the deadliest and first fatal accident for Malaysia Airlines
, with all 93 passengers and 7 crew killed instantly. The flight was apparently hijacked
as soon as it reached cruise altitude. The circumstances in which the hijacking and subsequent crash occurred remain unsolved.
's Subang Airport (now known as Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport
). Passengers included the Malaysian Agricultural Minister, Dato' Ali Haji Ahmad; Public Works Department Head, Dato' Mahfuz Khalid; and Cuba
n Ambassador
to Japan
, Mario García. The pilot in command was Captain G.K. Ganjoor.
At approximately 19:54 hours, while at an altitude of 4,000 feet over Batu Arang
and descending toward Subang's Runway 33, captain G.K. Ganjoor reported an "unidentified hijacker" onboard to Subang Tower. The tower immediately notified the authorities, who made emergency preparations at the airport.
A few minutes later, however, Captain Ganjoor radioed: "We're now proceeding to Singapore
...". Flight MH653 never touched down at Singapore.
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.
At 20:15 hours, all communication with flight MH653 was lost.
At 20:36 hours, the residents of Kampong Ladang, Tanjong Kupang in Johor reported hearing explosions and seeing burning wreckage in a swamp. The wreckage was later identified as Flight MH653. The plane hit the ground at a near-vertical angle at a very high speed. There were no survivors and not one recognizable body was found.
was responsible for the hijacking, although no further evidence to support this hypothesis has come forward.
All recovered remains were x-ray
ed in an attempt to discover evidence of a projectile or weapon. No weapon or bullet was ever found. The remains of the victims were interred in a mass burial.
Malaysia Airlines
Malaysian Airline System Berhad , DBA Malaysia Airlines , is the government-owned flag carrier of Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines operates flights from its home base, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and its eastern hub in Kota Kinabalu. It has its headquarters on the grounds of Sultan Abdul Aziz...
Flight 653 (MH653), a Boeing 737-2H6
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
aircraft registered as (delivered September 1972 as ), crashed at Tanjung Kupang
Tanjung Kupang
Not to be confused with Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara and Tanjung Pinang in Riau IslandsTanjung Kupang is a small village near Nusajaya in Gelang Patah, Johor, Malaysia.-Malaysia Airlines Flight 653:...
, Johor
Johor
Johor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
, in Malaysia on the evening of 4 December 1977. It was the deadliest and first fatal accident for Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines
Malaysian Airline System Berhad , DBA Malaysia Airlines , is the government-owned flag carrier of Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines operates flights from its home base, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and its eastern hub in Kota Kinabalu. It has its headquarters on the grounds of Sultan Abdul Aziz...
, with all 93 passengers and 7 crew killed instantly. The flight was apparently hijacked
Aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
as soon as it reached cruise altitude. The circumstances in which the hijacking and subsequent crash occurred remain unsolved.
Flight number
Currently, Malaysia Airlines uses flight 653 as a flight from Penang to Singapore which operates daily, departs 13:15 and arrives at 14:35. The opposite is flight 652 as a flight from Singapore to Penang which operates daily, departs 11:05 and arrives at 12:25.Sequence of events
Flight MH653 departed Penang's Runway 22 at exactly 19:21 hours for Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
's Subang Airport (now known as Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport
Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport
Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport , LTSAAS , often called Subang Airport or Subang Skypark, is an airport located in Subang, Selangor, Malaysia, and primarily serves general aviation and some turboprop domestic flights...
). Passengers included the Malaysian Agricultural Minister, Dato' Ali Haji Ahmad; Public Works Department Head, Dato' Mahfuz Khalid; and Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Mario García. The pilot in command was Captain G.K. Ganjoor.
| Nationality | Fatalities |
|---|---|
 Malaysia |
73 |
 United Kingdom |
5 |
 West Germany |
4 |
 Australia |
3 |
 India |
3 |
 Indonesia |
3 |
 Cuba |
2 |
 Afghanistan |
1 |
 Canada |
1 |
 Japan |
1 |
 Greece |
1 |
 Singapore |
1 |
 Thailand |
1 |
 United States |
1 |
| Total | 100 |
At approximately 19:54 hours, while at an altitude of 4,000 feet over Batu Arang
Batu Arang
Batu Arang is a former coal mining town in Selangor, Malaysia. Apart from coal, Batu Arang was also known for its brick manufacturing. Today it no longer supplies coal and holds no significant role....
and descending toward Subang's Runway 33, captain G.K. Ganjoor reported an "unidentified hijacker" onboard to Subang Tower. The tower immediately notified the authorities, who made emergency preparations at the airport.
A few minutes later, however, Captain Ganjoor radioed: "We're now proceeding to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
...". Flight MH653 never touched down at Singapore.
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.
At 20:15 hours, all communication with flight MH653 was lost.
At 20:36 hours, the residents of Kampong Ladang, Tanjong Kupang in Johor reported hearing explosions and seeing burning wreckage in a swamp. The wreckage was later identified as Flight MH653. The plane hit the ground at a near-vertical angle at a very high speed. There were no survivors and not one recognizable body was found.
Aftermath
Some speculate that the Japanese Red ArmyJapanese Red Army
The was a Communist terrorist group founded by Fusako Shigenobu early in 1971 in Lebanon. It sometimes called itself Arab-JRA after the Lod airport massacre...
was responsible for the hijacking, although no further evidence to support this hypothesis has come forward.
All recovered remains were x-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
ed in an attempt to discover evidence of a projectile or weapon. No weapon or bullet was ever found. The remains of the victims were interred in a mass burial.
Memorial
The memorial site is situated at Jalan Kebun Teh, Johor Bahru, Malaysia. It is known as Tanjung Kupang Memorial. It was erected by the Johor state government on 8 December 1977, 4 days after the incident.Notable references
- A Malay languageMalay languageMalay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
novel used in secondary schools in Malaysia called Tragedi Empat Disember ("The Tragedy of December 4"), written by Dzul Karnain Ithnin, is a story about a plane crash in Tanjung Pangku (as opposed to Tanjung KupangTanjung KupangNot to be confused with Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara and Tanjung Pinang in Riau IslandsTanjung Kupang is a small village near Nusajaya in Gelang Patah, Johor, Malaysia.-Malaysia Airlines Flight 653:...
), with obvious references to the real disaster.
See also
- D. B. CooperD. B. CooperD. B. Cooper is the name popularly used to refer to an unidentified man who hijacked a Boeing 727 aircraft in the airspace between Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington on November 24, 1971. He extorted $200,000 in ransom and parachuted to an uncertain fate...
, another one of the few cases of unsolved hijacking in the world