HypothesisDisputed
Mechanical / cargo-fire failure
Official report: no identified failure mode fits
A running systems failure that also produces a coherent reverse course and six more hours of SATCOM is a poor fit. Lithium-battery cargo was reviewed and not adopted as cause.
The investigation found no airframe/engine/fuel/control failure that would produce the observed deactivation plus diversion, while not being able to eliminate every unknown mode. Cargo fire remains a popular public hypothesis the official team did not support.
Sources
- Malaysian Safety Investigation Report 2018