Missing Jet's Initial Turn Was Entered Using Computer

The first turn of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was made using the jet’s computer system rather than its manual controls, authorities confirmed to NBC News — further supporting the theory that the plane was deliberately diverted. The course of the Beijing-bound flight was altered by entering navigational instructions into the Flight Management System (FMS), the cockpit computer that directs the plane along a flight plan chosen by pilots. It is not clear when the instruction to turn west was entered into the FMS, but its use suggests the change of course was carried out by somebody in the cockpit who was knowledgeable about airplane systems. The FMS is controlled by a display panel between the two pilots.

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