Malaysia Airlines opted out of a simple software upgrade that would have cost RM33 per flight, which could have provided crucial information to help find missing Flight MH370, because the airline went for a cheaper alternative when purchasing the aircraft, the Sydney Morning Herald reported today.
A satellite industry official was quoted by the daily as saying the upgrade, called Swift, would have relayed the trajectory, speed, and altitude of Flight MH370 even after other communications systems on the aircraft were to go offline.
The Swift system, if it had been upgraded to include the full application suite, would also have transmitted information on engine performance and fuel consumption, regardless of whether the onboard transponder and Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) were working, he said.
The expert compared the Swift system to how a smartphone would continuously send data to a satellite in the background, while the ACARS is similar to a smartphone app that needs to be switched on and used manually.
“When ACARS is turned off, Swift continues on,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“If you configure Swift to track engine data, that data will be streamed off the plane. It continues to be powered up while the aircraft is powered up.”
Asked why an airline might choose not to buy an application that sells for a relatively modest cost, the industry official told the SMH: “Every pound on an aircraft is fuel consumed. As in all matters, it always comes down to cost.”
Rather than stream that data, he said, some airlines chose to download it onto a USB stick once the plane landed.
Because Malaysia Airlines went with the cheaper option, he said, “there was not an awful lot that was captured.”
Story: Sydney Morning Herald
