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Missing flight search involves amateur radio emcomm

The van­ish­ing of the Malaysian Air­line (MAS) Boe­ing 777–200ER jet­lin­er with 239 pas­sen­gers on board is a mys­tery that nine nations are try­ing to solve. 

When flight MH370, ex-Kuala Lumpur bound for Bei­jing, dis­ap­peared from the air traf­fic con­trol radar, the MAS Emer­gency Man­age­ment Cen­tre (EMC) at Kuala Lumpur Air­port pro­vid­ed ccom­mo­da­tion for all next-of-kin at the Ever­ly Hotel at Putrajaya. 

The Malaysian Ama­teur Radio Trans­mit­ters’ Soci­ety Pres­i­dent, Mohd Aris Bernawi 9M2IR, said MARTS was asked to pro­vide a link between the air­port and the hotel. 

Mohd 9M2IR said at the hotel MARTS quick­ly set up a sta­tion, led by Zanir­ul Akhmal Zanirun 9M2PRO, and Azizi Sam­suri 9W2ZZE was the MAS team leader. 

NESRAC, a club from Negeri Sem­bi­lan, pro­vid­ed the vol­un­teers for the sta­tion at the air­port’s Emer­gency Man­age­ment Centre. 

MARTS pro­vid­ed a cross-band VHF/UHF link to avoid any unnec­es­sary inter­fer­ence from the pub­lic ser­vices. An HF link was lat­er added. 

Dur­ing the call-out there were 11 vol­un­teers at EMC and 23 vol­un­teers at the hotel, on a shift ros­ter for the link. 

Mohd 9M2IR, who over­saw the entire process, said MARTS an IARU mem­ber soci­ety, was pleased to be able pro­vide the link on the very trag­ic occa­sion. The search for MH370 continues. 

— Jim Lin­ton VK3PC, Chair­man IARU Region 3 Dis­as­ter Com­mu­ni­ca­tions Committee.
 

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