MH370: FBI found nothing sinister in Capt Zahari's flight simulator, says Hisham

PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has found nothing sinister in MH370 pilot Capt Zaharie Ahmad Shah's flight simulator, said acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

However, he withheld further comments on the matter until the findings were corroborated by police here.

"That will be announced by the Inspector-General of Police, who had highlighted the four possible scenarios of what could have caused the plane to disappear two weeks ago, which are terrorism, hijacking, personal and psychological problems, or technical failure.

"These scenarios have been discussed at length with different intelligence agencies," Hishammuddin said, adding that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the UK Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and Chinese agencies have been involved in investigations over the flight simulator.

On March 14, police raided the Shah Alam house of Capt Zaharie, 53, and took his personal flight simulator after questions were raised of the two pilots in the cockpit, following after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's announcement that the plane was suspected to have been deliberately diverted.

Police also visited the house of co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27.

CNN reported that Capt Zaharie had posted on German online forum X-Sim.de that he had built a flight simulator himself in November 2012.

"About a month ago I finish assembly of FSX and FS9 with six monitors" said the message signed Capt Zaharie Ahmad Shah BOEING 777 MALAYSIA AIRLINES.

Checks revealed that FSX and FS9 were over-the-counter flight simulator games made by Microsoft that can be easily bought online. Capt Zaharie studied aviation at the Philippine Airlines Aviation School in Pasay City, Manila in 1980, before joining Malaysia Airlines in 1981.

The Penangite became a captain in the early 1990s and has 33 years and 18, 360 hours of flying experience under his belt. His colleagues described him as a jovial but professional "aviation geek" who collects remote controlled miniature aircrafts, light twin engine helicopters and amphibious aircrafts.

Outside of aviation, he runs a YouTube channel dedicated to DIY projects, where he teaches viewers how to fix home appliances like air-conditioners.