View source for SilkAir Flight 185

{{Short description|1997 aircraft crash in Indonesia}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox aircraft occurrence
| date            = {{start date|df=yes|1997|12|19}}
| image           = File:Recovered wreckage of SilkAir flight MI185 (9V-TRF).jpg
| caption         = Aircraft debris recovered from the [[Musi River (Indonesia)|Musi River]]
| summary         = Crashed into the [[Musi River (Indonesia)|Musi River]] from [[cruise altitude]]; cause disputed <!-- The summary MUST be brief per template usage notes. The dispute over the causes is too long and speculative to fit in -->
| site            = [[Musi River (Indonesia)|Musi River]], [[Palembang]], Indonesia
| coordinates     = {{Coord|2|27|30|S|104|56|12|E|type:event_region:ID-SS|display=inline,title}}
| plane1_image    = B737, 9V-TRF, Silk Air.jpg
| plane1_caption  = 9V-TRF, the aircraft involved, seen in May 1997
| occupants       = 104
| passengers      = 97
| crew            = 7
| fatalities      = 104
| survivors       = 0
| aircraft_type   = [[Boeing 737 Classic|Boeing 737-36N]]
| IATA            = MI185
| ICAO            = SLK185
| callsign        = SILK AIR 185
| tail_number     = 9V-TRF
| origin          = [[Soekarno–Hatta International Airport|Soekarno–Hatta Int'l Airport]], [[Jakarta]], Indonesia
| destination     = [[Singapore Changi Airport]], Singapore
| operator        = [[SilkAir]]
}}
'''SilkAir Flight 185''' was a scheduled international passenger flight operated by a [[Boeing 737 Classic|Boeing 737-300]] from [[Soekarno–Hatta International Airport]] in [[Jakarta]], Indonesia to [[Changi Airport]] in Singapore that crashed into the [[Musi River (Indonesia)|Musi River]] near [[Palembang]], [[Sumatra]], on 19 December 1997, killing all 97 passengers and 7 crew members on board.

The investigation into the cause of the crash was led by investigators from the [[National Transportation Safety Committee]] (NTSC), who were joined by the [[National Transportation Safety Board]] (NTSB). The NTSB, which participated in the investigation due to [[Boeing]]'s manufacture of the aircraft in the US, investigated the crash under lead investigator [[Greg Feith]]. In its final report, the NTSC found "no concrete evidence" to support the [[suicide by pilot|pilot suicide]] allegation, with the previously suspected [[Parker-Hannifin]] hydraulic power control unit (PCU) having already been determined by the manufacturer to be defect-free. The final statement from the NTSC was that they were unable to determine the cause of the crash and was thus inconclusive. On the other hand, in a letter sent to the NTSC, the NTSB found that the crash was most likely the result of deliberate flight-control inputs that were "most likely by the captain".

== Flight ==
Carrying 97 passengers and a crew of seven, the Boeing 737 departed Jakarta's [[Soekarno–Hatta International Airport]]'s runway 25R at 15:37 local time (08:37 [[UTC]]) for an 80-minute flight to Singapore's [[Changi Airport]]. At the controls were Captain Tsu Way Ming (41){{efn|{{Lang-zh|first=s|s=朱卫民|t=朱衛民|p=Zhū Wèimín}}; [[Pe̍h-ūe-jī]]: ''Tsu Uẽ-mîng''<!--The Teochews are one of the three largest Chinese people groups in Singapore; the captain's romanized name matches the Teochew pronunciation of the logograms (for comparison, 民 is /bîn/ in Hokkien)-->}} of Singapore, a former [[A-4 Skyhawk]] pilot, and First Officer Duncan Ward (23) of New Zealand.<ref group="note">Captain Tsu had logged a total of 7,173 flight hours, including 3,614 hours on the Boeing 737. First officer Ward had 2,501 flight hours, with 2,311 of them on the Boeing 737.</ref><ref name=asn/><ref name=fsa/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/03/26/world/history-plane-crashes-pilots.html|title=A History of Crashes Caused by Pilots' Intentional Acts|author=Sinha|first=Shreeya|date=26 March 2015|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=18 April 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418170208/http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/03/26/world/history-plane-crashes-pilots.html|archive-date=18 April 2015|quote=A Boeing 737 belonging to the Singapore-based airline SilkAir was cruising at 35,000 feet in clear weather when it suddenly dove into a mangrove swamp near Palembang, Indonesia, on Dec. 19, 1997, killing all 104 people on board. Indonesian investigators said, that in the last seconds of the flight, there were indications that the pilot, Tsu Way Ming, "was in the process of, or intending to, leave the cockpit". He had recently been demoted and disciplined by the airline, and had large gambling debts. The government of Indonesia has yet to officially accept the findings.|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Generally fair weather was expected for the route, except for some thunderstorms near [[Singkep|Singkep Island]], {{convert|120|km|mi nmi|0|abbr=on}} south of Singapore.<ref name=ntsc/>

The aircraft was cleared to climb to [[flight level]] 350, about {{cvt|35000|ft|m|abbr=on}}, and to head directly to [[Palembang]].<ref name=ntsc/> At 15:47:06, while climbing through {{convert|24500|ft}}, the crew requested clearance to proceed directly to [[waypoint]] {{nowrap|PARDI ({{coord|0|34|S|104|13|E}})}}.<ref group="note">[[air traffic control|ATC]] reporting point north of Palembang.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fallingrain.com/waypoint/ID/PARDI.html|title=Waypoint PARDI ID|website=fallingrain.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102051856/http://www.fallingrain.com/waypoint/ID/PARDI.html|archive-date=2 November 2014|access-date=9 January 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> At 15:53, the crew reported reaching the cruise altitude of FL350 and was cleared to proceed directly to PARDI, and to report abeam Palembang. The [[cockpit voice recorder]] (CVR) ceased recording at 16:05. At 16:10, [[air traffic controller]]s informed the flight that it was abeam Palembang and instructed the aircraft to maintain FL350 and to contact Singapore Control upon reaching PARDI. First Officer Ward acknowledged this call. At 16:11, nearly 6 minutes after the CVR ceased recording, the [[flight data recorder]] (FDR) also stopped recording.

Flight 185 remained level at FL350 until it started a rapid and nearly vertical dive around 16:12. While descending through {{convert|12000|ft|m|abbr=on}}, parts of the aircraft, including a great extent of the tail section, started to separate from the aircraft's [[fuselage]] due to high forces arising from the nearly supersonic dive.<ref name=fsa/> About 1 minute later, the aircraft hit the [[Musi River (Indonesia)|Musi River]], near Palembang, Sumatra, killing all 104 people on board. The time it took the aircraft to dive from cruise altitude into the river was less than one minute. The plane was travelling faster than the [[speed of sound]] for a few seconds before impact.<ref name=fsa/> Parts of the wreckage were embedded {{cvt|15|ft|0|order=flip}} into the riverbed.<ref name="latimes" />

The aircraft broke into pieces before impact, with the debris spread over a wide area, though most of the wreckage was concentrated in a single {{convert|60|by|80|m|ft|adj=on}} area at the river bottom.<ref name=ntsc/> No complete body, body part, or limb was found, as the entire aircraft and occupants disintegrated upon impact. Only six positive identifications were later obtained from the few recovered human remains.<ref name=asn>{{ASN accident|id=19971219-0}}</ref><ref name=ntsc/>

== Background ==
=== Aircraft ===
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-36N with [[serial number]] 28556, [[Aircraft registration|registered]] as 9V-TRF, and powered by two [[CFM International CFM56#CFM56-3 series|CFM56-3B2]] engines.{{cn|date=November 2025}} Having completed its [[maiden flight]] on 27 January 1997, the aircraft was delivered to [[SilkAir]] on 14 February, 10 months before the crash.{{Cn|date=October 2024}} At the time of the accident, it was the newest aircraft in SilkAir's fleet and had accumulated more than 2,200 flight hours in 1,300 cycles.<ref name=ntsc/><ref name="SilkAirPressRelease3">{{Cite press release|date=1997-12-19|title=Report No. 3, Friday 19 December 1997, 2145hrs (Singapore time)|url=http://www.singaporeair.com/silkair/news.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980224054737/http://www.singaporeair.com/silkair/news.htm|archive-date=1998-02-24|access-date=2021-11-03|publisher=SilkAir}}</ref> This was the first and only fatal [[hull loss]] for SilkAir in the airline's history.<ref name="asn" />

=== Passengers and crew ===
SilkAir issued a press release on 19 December 1997 with a passenger count by nationality,<ref name="SilkAirPressRelease3" /> and another the following day with crew details and a complete passenger manifest.<ref name="SilkAirPressRelease7">{{Cite press release|date=1997-12-20|title=Report No. 7, Saturday 20 December 1997, 1100 hrs (Singapore time)|url=http://www.singaporeair.com/silkair/news.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980224054737/http://www.singaporeair.com/silkair/news.htm|archive-date=1998-02-24|access-date=2021-11-03|publisher=SilkAir}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable" 
|+ Victims' nationalities
|-
! Nationality
! Passengers
! Crew
! Total
|-
| Singapore || style="text-align:center;" |40 ||style="text-align:center;" | 6 || style="text-align:center;" |46
|-
| Indonesia || style="text-align:center;" |23 || {{n/a|-}} ||style="text-align:center;" | 23
|-
| Malaysia || style="text-align:center;" |10 || {{n/a|-}} ||style="text-align:center;" | 10
|-
| United States || style="text-align:center;" | 5 || {{n/a|-}} ||style="text-align:center;" |  5
|-
| France || style="text-align:center;" | 5 || {{n/a|-}} ||  style="text-align:center;" |5
|-
| Germany || style="text-align:center;" | 4 || {{n/a|-}} || style="text-align:center;" | 4
|-
| United Kingdom || style="text-align:center;" | 3 || {{n/a|-}}|| style="text-align:center;" | 3
|-
| Japan || style="text-align:center;" | 2 || {{n/a|-}} || style="text-align:center;" | 2
|-
| Bosnia and Herzegovina|| style="text-align:center;" | 1 || {{n/a|-}} || style="text-align:center;" | 1
|-
| Austria ||  style="text-align:center;" |1 || {{n/a|-}} || style="text-align:center;" | 1
|-
| India || style="text-align:center;" | 1 ||{{n/a|-}} || style="text-align:center;" | 1
|-
| Taiwan || style="text-align:center;" | 1 || {{n/a|-}} || style="text-align:center;" |1
|-
| Australia || style="text-align:center;" | 1 || {{n/a|-}}|| style="text-align:center;" | 1
|-
| New Zealand ||  {{n/a|-}}|| style="text-align:center;" |1 || style="text-align:center;" | 1
|-
! Total
! 97
! 7
! 104
|}

Among those killed in the crash was Singaporean model and author [[Bonny Hicks]].<ref>{{cite news|date=20 December 1997|title=Grieving relatives recall SilkAir crash victims|work=CNN|url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9712/20/singapore.crash|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915101003/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9712/20/singapore.crash/|archive-date=15 September 2008}}</ref>

==Investigation and final report==
The accident was investigated by the Indonesian NTSC, which was assisted by expert groups from the US, Singapore, and Australia.

Around 73% of the wreckage (by weight) was recovered, partially reconstructed, and examined. Both of the aircraft recorders, the CVR and the FDR, were retrieved from the river and their data were extracted and analyzed.

The investigators tested 20 different simulations for various equipment-failure scenarios, and found that the only scenario that matched the actual radar trajectory of the descent and crash of the flight was a high-speed steep dive commanded by one of the pilots.<ref name="Mayday" /><ref name="NTSB">{{Cite web|last=Hall|first=Jim|date=11 December 2000|title=Letter from NTSB Chairman Jim Hall to Professor O. Diran and comments on the NTSB Committee's Draft final report of the accident|url=https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40377243&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Letter%20from%20NTSB%20Chairman%20Jim%20Hall%20to%20Professor%20O.%20Diran%20and%20comments%20on%20the%20NTSB%20Committee%27s%20Draft%20final%20report%20of%20the%20accident-Redacted.PDF|access-date=2019-09-26|publisher=National Transportation Safety Board}}</ref> Furthermore, the investigators had found the trim jackscrew for the horizontal stabilizer, which revealed that flight inputs from one of the pilots had moved the stabilizer from level flight to a full nose-down descent.<ref name="Mayday" /><ref name=NTSB/>

First Officer Duncan Ward was initially speculated to have deliberately crashed the aircraft, as he was the only person in the cockpit when the CVR stopped recording, but this was quickly ruled out, as Ward's friends, family, and co-workers said that he had not displayed any signs of depression nor suicidality during his career at SilkAir, and was in a good mood on the morning of the accident flight.<ref name="Mayday" /><ref name="ntsc" />

At 16:05, the CVR recorded Captain Tsu stating that he was leaving the cockpit to fetch water, followed by a series of metallic snaps (presumed to be the sounds of the captain's seatbelt being unfastened and the chair moving). 13.6 seconds later, the CVR ceased recording. Tests indicated that a click would be audible on the CVR recording if the CVR circuit breaker had tripped normally, but not if it had been manually removed. As there was no click, it is likely that Captain Tsu pulled out the CVR circuit breaker while exiting the cockpit. At 16:11, the FDR stopped recording. The NTSC and NTSB investigators believed that if Captain Tsu was responsible for the crash, he must have devised some excuse to persuade the first officer to leave the flight deck before disabling the FDR (which would have immediately triggered a Master Caution on both pilots' control panels), so that his actions would go unnoticed.<ref name="Mayday" /> At 16:12, as recorded by Indonesian ground radar, the aircraft entered a rapid descent, disintegrated, and crashed into the Musi River.

On 14 December 2000, after three years of investigation, the Indonesian NTSC issued its final report. The NTSC chairman Oetarjo Diran overrode the findings of his investigators—that the crash was caused deliberately by pilot input—so that the report stated that the evidence was inconclusive and that the cause of the accident could not be determined.<ref name="ntsc">{{Cite web|title=Aircraft Accident Report SILKAIR FLIGHT MI 185 BOEING B737-300 9V-TRF MUSI RIVER, PALEMBANG, INDONESIA 19 DECEMBER 1997|url=http://www.dephub.go.id/knkt/ntsc_aviation/Revised-MI185%20Final%20Report%20(2001).pdf|date=2000-12-14|website=DepHub.go.id|publisher=National Transportation Safety Committee|via=Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110173851/http://www.dephub.go.id/knkt/ntsc_aviation/Revised-MI185%20Final%20Report%20(2001).pdf|archive-date=2014-01-10|access-date=2019-05-15}}</ref><ref group="note">The television series ''Air Crash Investigation'', episode "Pushed to the Limit", stated about 3 minutes before the end.</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/19/news/unexplained-disaster-insufficient-evidence-of-murder-3-years-after.html|title=3 Years After SilkAir Crash, Experts Are Divided on Pilot-Suicide Theory|newspaper=New York Times|date=December 19, 2000}}</ref>

The American NTSB, which also participated in the investigation, concluded that the evidence was consistent with a deliberate manipulation of the flight controls, most likely by the captain.

In a letter to the NTSC dated 11 December 2000, the NTSB wrote:

{{Poem quote|The examination of all of the factual evidence is consistent with the conclusions that:
1) no airplane-related mechanical malfunctions or failures caused or contributed to the accident, and
2) the accident can be explained by intentional pilot action. Specifically,
: a) the accident airplane's flight profile is consistent with sustained manual nose-down flight control inputs;
: b) the evidence suggests that the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) was intentionally disconnected;
: c) recovery of the airplane was possible but not attempted; and
: d) it is more likely that the nose-down flight control inputs were made by the captain than by the first officer.<ref name=NTSB/>}}

Geoffrey Thomas of ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'' said, "a secret report confirmed that the Indonesian authorities would not issue a public verdict because they feared it would make their own people too frightened to fly."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Geoffrey |date=7 October 1999 |title=The pilot who wanted to die |url=http://newsstore.theage.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=age&kw=%22The+pilot+who+wanted+to+die%22&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=nrm&clsPage=1&docID=news990710_0523_1914 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706113113/http://newsstore.theage.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=age&kw=%22The+pilot+who+wanted+to+die%22&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=nrm&clsPage=1&docID=news990710_0523_1914 |archive-date=6 July 2011 |access-date=19 September 2012 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> Santoso Sayogo, an NTSC investigator who worked on the SilkAir 185 case, said that the Indonesian investigators submitted a report which was similar to that of the NTSB's conclusion but were overruled by their boss.<ref name="Mayday" />

===Potential motives===
In the aftermath of the crash, several potential motives for the captain's alleged suicide and homicide were suggested, including recent financial losses of $1.2 million<ref name="latimes">{{cite news |author=Paddock |first=Richard C. |date=5 September 2001 |title=A Jet Crash That Defies Resolution |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-sep-05-mn-42336-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317010613/http://articles.latimes.com/2001/sep/05/news/mn-42336 |archive-date=17 March 2015 |access-date=7 January 2015 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |df=dmy-all}}</ref> (his share-trading showed trading of more than one million shares and his securities-trading privileges had been suspended 10 days before the accident due to nonpayment),<ref name=fsa/> his obtaining a $600,000 life insurance policy the previous week, which was to have gone into effect on the day of the accident<ref name="latimes" /> (though it later emerged that this was a routine policy taken out as part of a mortgage requirement),<ref name=fsa/><ref name="Mayday" /> his receipt of several recent disciplinary actions on the part of the airline (including one that related to improper manipulation of the CVR circuit breaker),<ref name=fsa/> and the loss of four squadron mates during his military flight training, 18 years earlier on the exact date of the crash.<ref name=ntsc/> He had also had several conflicts with Ward and other co-pilots who had questioned his command suitability.<ref name="keys1998">{{Cite news|last=Keys|first=Laurinda|url=https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/nation-world/1998/03/11/pilot-suicide-considered-possible-jet/50564506007/|title=Pilot suicide considered possible jet crash cause|newspaper=South Coast Today|date=March 10, 1998}}</ref> Investigations later revealed that his total assets were greater than his liabilities, although his liquid assets could not cover his immediate debts; his monthly income was less than his family's monthly expenditure; and he had some outstanding credit card debts.<ref name=fsa/>

An official investigation by the [[Singapore Police Force]] into evidence of criminal offence leading to the crash found "no evidence that the pilot, copilot, or any crew member had suicidal tendencies or a motive to deliberately cause the crash of [the aircraft]".<ref>{{Cite web|date=14 December 2000|title=Investigation into the Police Report lodged on 25 August 1999 by the Singapore-Accredited Representative to the National Transportation Safety Committee|url=http://www2.mha.gov.sg/mha/detailed.jsp?artid=375&type=4&root=0&parent=0&cat=0|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070323224159/http://www2.mha.gov.sg/mha/detailed.jsp?artid=375&type=4&root=0&parent=0&cat=0|archive-date=2007-03-23|access-date=|website=|publisher=Singapore Police Force}}</ref>

Tsu was formerly a [[Republic of Singapore Air Force]] pilot, and had over 20 years of flying experience in the older T/[[A-4S Skyhawk]]s, as well as the newer T/[[A-4SU Super Skyhawk]]s. His last appointment was instructor pilot of a Skyhawk squadron.

===CVR and FDR deactivation===
The CVR and FDR stopped recording minutes before the abrupt descent, but not at the same time.<ref name=ntsc/> The CVR stopped functioning about 6 minutes before the dive as the captain was leaving the cockpit for a short break. The FDR was deactivated 5 minutes later around 1 minute before the dive. Overload and short-circuit tests show that a distinctive 400-Hz tone is recorded by the CVR when the CVR circuit breaker trips. The investigators could not find this sound on Flight 185's CVR, which made them conclude that the CVR circuit breaker was manually pulled out. The radio continued to work after the failure of the CVR, which indicates that power failure was not the cause.<ref name=asn/><ref name=fsa/> Testing of the unit by the NTSC found no evidence that a malfunction or failure caused either recorder to stop recording data.<ref name="Mayday" /><ref name="ntsc" />

===Servo valve issue===
{{main|Boeing 737 rudder issues}}

Starting in 1991, several accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 737 happened as the result of uncommanded movement of their rudders. On 3 March 1991, [[United Airlines Flight 585]], a 737-200, crashed in [[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]], Colorado, killing 25 people.<ref name="AAR01-01 Final Report">{{cite book|url=https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR0101.pdf|title=Aircraft Accident Report: Uncontrolled Descent and Collision With Terrain, United Airlines Flight 585, Boeing 737-200, N999UA, 4 Miles South of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, Colorado Springs, Colorado, March 3, 1991|date=27 March 2001|publisher=[[National Transportation Safety Board]]|id=NTSB/AAR-01/01|access-date=17 January 2016}}</ref> On 8 September 1994, [[USAir Flight 427]], a 737-300, crashed near [[Pittsburgh]], Pennsylvania, killing 132 people.  [[Boeing 737 rudder issues|Four more incidents]] occurred where a 737 rudder PCU malfunction was suspected.

The ''[[Seattle Times]]'' devoted a series of 37 articles to Boeing 737 loss-of-control malfunctions.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is the status of the solution to the B-737 rudder design defect? Is the problem solved? |url=http://www.airlinesafety.com/faq/B-737Rudder.htm |publisher=AirlineSafety.com |access-date=19 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729083316/http://airlinesafety.com/faq/B-737Rudder.htm |archive-date=29 July 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The accident occurred in the middle of a controversy over the NTSB's role in accidents caused by the rudder control unit.<ref>{{cite news |title=Expert Panel May Have Key To Which 737S Are Most at Risk |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19970817/2555173/expert-panel-may-have-key-to-which-737s-are-most-at-risk |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=19 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928124252/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19970817&slug=2555173 |archive-date=28 September 2015 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

During the investigation of Flight 427, the NTSB had discovered that the PCU's dual servo valve could jam, as well, and deflect the rudder in the opposite direction of the pilots' input, due to thermal shock, caused when cold PCUs are injected with hot hydraulic fluid. As a result of this finding, the FAA ordered the servo valves to be replaced and new training protocol for pilots to handle unexpected movement of flight controls to be developed.<ref>{{cite web|date=24 March 1999|title=Uncontrolled Descent and Collision With Terrain, USAir Flight 427, Boeing 737-300, N513AU, Near Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, September 8, 1994| url=https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR9901.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014045026/http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/reports/1999/AAR9901.pdf|archive-date=14 October 2012|access-date=19 December 2012|publisher=National Transportation Safety Board|id=NTSB/AAR-99/01|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The FAA ordered an upgrade of all Boeing 737 rudder control systems by 12 November 2002.<ref>{{cite web |title=02-28111 Airworthiness Directives; Boeing Model 737 Series Airplanes |url=http://federal.eregulations.us/citation/67-FR-67518 |publisher=e-Regulations |access-date=19 December 2012}}</ref>

==Aftermath==
===Lawsuits===
SilkAir paid [[United States dollar|USD$]]10,000 compensation to each victim's family, the maximum under the [[Warsaw Convention]]. Boeing also paid an undisclosed amount of compensation.<ref name=Olson>{{cite web |last=Olson |first=Walter |title=NTSB says no defect, jury says $44 million |date=15 July 2004 |url=http://overlawyered.com/2004/07/ntsb-says-no-defect-jury-says-44-million/ |publisher=Overlawyered |access-date=11 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413141434/http://overlawyered.com/2004/07/ntsb-says-no-defect-jury-says-44-million/ |archive-date=13 April 2014 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In July 2001 six families began court proceedings against SilkAir for damages, based on the allegation that the crash was caused by the pilot, after each had rejected a compensation offer of $200,000 (£143,000).<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Aglionby |first1=John |date=3 July 2001 |title=Lawsuit says 104 died in Singapore pilot's suicide |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/jul/03/johnaglionby |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> In October 2001 the claims were turned down by a Singapore High Court judge who ruled that "the onus of proving that flight MI185 was intentionally crashed has not been discharged."<ref name=fsa/>

The NTSB and PCU manufacturer [[Parker-Hannifin]] had already determined that the PCU was properly working, and thus not the cause of the crash neither was any mechanical failure. Regardless, a [[private investigator|private and independent investigation]] into the crash refocused on and further examined the recovered [[Parker Hannifin#Boeing 737 accidents and incidents|PCU device]] whose malfunctioning had been the culprit in other [[Boeing 737 rudder issues|Boeing 737 crashes]]. The manufacturer's records relating to this particular unit revealed that it had failed some routine tests but were corrected after further testing. A metals expert, with the use of images from a scanning electron microscope, concluded that the servo valve had 'chip-outs' and numerous burrs "that could easily have interfered with the smooth operation of the valve".<ref name=Quek>{{cite news |last=Quek |first=Tracy |title=3 families got $75m. Now 29 others are going to court |newspaper=[[The Straits Times]] |date=11 July 2004}}</ref> The findings of the private investigation were then taken to the [[Los Angeles Superior Court]] in 2004 {{Why?|date=September 2025}} where the jury, which was not allowed to hear or consider the NTSB's conclusions about the accident, found that the crash was caused by a defective [[Servomechanism|servo]] valve in the plane's [[rudder]].<ref name=Quek/> Parker-Hannifin was ordered to pay three of the victims families present US$43.6 million.<ref name=Olson/> They later compensated all families involved after threatening to appeal the verdict, but denied any liability.<ref name="fsa">{{Cite web|last=Job|first=Macarthur|author-link=Macarthur Job|date=January–February 2008|title=Final Flight: SilkAir|url=http://www.casa.gov.au/fsa/2008/feb/18-28.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227095056/http://www.casa.gov.au/fsa/2008/feb/18-28.pdf|archive-date=27 February 2009|access-date=2021-01-18|website=Flight Safety Australia}}</ref><ref name="newsasia2004">"SilkAir crash families finally receive answers with court verdict", [[Channel NewsAsia]], 15 July 2004.</ref>
 
Parker-Hannifin spokesperson Lorrie Paul Crum stated that a federal law disallowed them from using the NTSB final report as evidence in the company's favor during the lawsuit. The lawyer representing the plaintiffs, Walter Lack, stated that the law only disallowed using the NTSB report's conclusion and suggestions, while statements of fact are admissible.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/story/0,4567,122025,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040710183746/http://business-times.asia1.com.sg/story/0,4567,122025,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2004-07-10|title=SilkAir crash: US firm told to pay US$44m|work=[[Business Times (Singapore)|Business Times]]|date=2004-07-09|access-date=2019-11-12|quote=NTSB reports can't be used as evidence at trial under federal law, Ms Crum said. Mr Lack said factual statements from NTSB reports can be used, while conclusions and recommendations are barred by the law.}}</ref> USC §1154 (Discovery and use of cockpit and surface vehicle recordings and transcripts) states: "No part of a report of the Board, related to an accident or an investigation of an accident, may be admitted into evidence or used in a civil action for damages resulting from a matter mentioned in the report."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title49-section1154&num=0&edition=prelim|title=§1154. Discovery and use of cockpit and surface vehicle recordings and transcripts|publisher=[[U.S. House of Representatives]]|access-date=2021-04-19}}</ref>

===Memorials===
A memorial for the victims was erected at the burial site, which is located within the Botanical Gardens near Palembang. Another memorial is located at [[Choa Chu Kang Cemetery]] in Singapore.<ref>{{cite web |title=Crash of SilkAir Flight MI 185 |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1576_2009-09-30.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228000742/https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1576_2009-09-30.html |archive-date=December 28, 2014 |access-date=27 July 2020}}</ref>

===Dramatisation===
The [[USA Network (Canadian TV channel)|Discovery Channel Canada]] / [[National Geographic (American TV channel)|National Geographic]] TV series ''[[Mayday (Canadian TV series)|Mayday]]'' (also called ''Air Crash Investigation'' or ''Air Disasters'') dramatised the accident in a 2012 episode titled ''Pushed to the Limit'' (broadcast in some countries as ''Pilot Under Pressure'').<ref name="Mayday">{{cite episode |title=Pushed to the Limit |series=Mayday |series-link=Mayday (Canadian TV series) |network=[[USA Network (Canadian TV channel)|Discovery Channel Canada]]/[[National Geographic Channel]] |year=2012 |season=12 |number=4}}</ref> The episode argues Captain Tsu may have taken the opportunity of leaving the cockpit for tripping the CVR circuit breaker to turn off the CVR.<ref name="Mayday" /> The episode also shows that Tsu is thought to have come up with an excuse to get Ward out of the cockpit. Having done so, he then proceeded to lock Ward out of the flight deck before disabling the FDR; Tsu is presumed to have done this to ensure that no record would be made of what he was going to do next.<ref name="Mayday" /> The episode further states that the rudder issue had been corrected before construction started on the accident aircraft. Nevertheless, the theory of a rudder malfunction was investigated with the possibility of [[corrosion]], or debris getting stuck in the PCU, and was disproved.<ref name="Mayday" />

The accident was also featured in a 2006 National Geographic documentary titled ''[[SilkAir 185: Pilot Suicide?]]''.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt15236520/ |title=SilkAir 185: Pilot Suicide? (2006) {{!}} Documentary |language=en-US |access-date=2024-12-21 |via=m.imdb.com}}</ref><ref name="NatGeoChannel-silkair185">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig9LE0Vp1YM |title=SilkAir Flight 185: Pilot Suicide? |date= |last=National Geographic Channel |type= |language=English |access-date=2024-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240731201004/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig9LE0Vp1YM |archive-date=July 31, 2024 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}}</ref> The documentary claimed that the accident aircraft's FDR had failed to record 60 out of the 296 parameters for periods lasting between 10 seconds and 10 minutes in the 25 hours preceding the crash.<ref name=ntsc/><ref name="NatGeoChannel-silkair185" />

=== In popular culture ===
Singaporean singer [[JJ Lin]]'s 2013 song "Practice Love" ({{lang-zh|t=修煉愛情}}) from the album ''[[Stories Untold (album)|Stories Untold]]'' ({{lang-zh|t=因你而在|labels=no}}) is based on this incident,<ref>{{cite web|title=《谁是大歌神》第3期 20160320完整版: 林俊杰首曝二十年情感历程【浙江卫视官方超清1080P】苏有朋、宁静、薛之谦、黄国伦|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqqF_YNb4n0&t=3216 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/QqqF_YNb4n0 |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|date=2016-03-20|website=YouTube|publisher=中国浙江卫视官方频道 China Zhejiang TV Official Channel 【欢迎订阅】|language=zh|trans-title="Who is the big song God" No. 3 20160320 full version: Lin Junjie first exposed 20 years of emotional history [Zhejiang Satellite TV official ultra clear 1080P] Su Youpeng, quiet, Xue Zhiqian, Huang Guolun|access-date=2016-03-27}}{{cbignore}}</ref> as a close friend of the artist, Xu Chue Fern, was killed on the flight.<ref>{{cite news |title=Stories from his heart: A decade on, JJ Lin finds his identity as a musician and is ready to share of himself on a deeper level |url=http://articles.stclassifieds.sg/entertainment-food-and-beverage/stories-from-his-heart--a-decade-on-jj-lin-finds-his-identity-as-a-musician-and-is-ready-to-share-of-himself-on-a-deeper-level/a/128712 |access-date=9 August 2016 |work=Straits Times |date=18 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818053845/http://articles.stclassifieds.sg/entertainment-food-and-beverage/stories-from-his-heart--a-decade-on-jj-lin-finds-his-identity-as-a-musician-and-is-ready-to-share-of-himself-on-a-deeper-level/a/128712 |archive-date=18 August 2016 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|1990s|Aviation|Indonesia|Singapore}}
{{Div col}}
* [[Aviation safety]]
* [[Boeing 737 rudder issues]]
* [[List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft]]
* [[Suicide by pilot#List of declared or suspected pilot suicides|List of declared or suspected pilot suicides]]
* [[List of aircraft accidents and incidents resulting in at least 50 fatalities]]
* {{section link|Boeing 737 Classic|Accidents and incidents}}
* {{section link|List of accidents and incidents involving airliners by location|Indonesia}}
* ''[[SilkAir 185: Pilot Suicide?]]''
* [[Suicide by pilot]]
{{Div col end}}

; Specific incidents involving pilot suicide
{{Div col}}
* [[China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735]], a crash possibly involving [[pilot suicide]]
* [[EgyptAir Flight 990]], a disputed crash involving [[pilot suicide]]
* [[Germanwings Flight 9525]]
* [[Japan Airlines Flight 350]]
* [[LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470]]
* [[Royal Air Maroc Flight 630]]
{{Div col end}}

; Specific incidents involving rudder/mechanical problems
{{Div col}}
* [[American Airlines Flight 1 (1962)|American Airlines Flight 1]]
* [[American Airlines Flight 587]]
* [[Eastwind Airlines Flight 517]]
* [[Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501]]
* [[Northwest Airlines Flight 85]]
* [[United Airlines Flight 585]]
* [[USAir Flight 427]]
{{Div col end}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite web|url=http://www.annals.edu.sg/pdf/36VolNo10Oct2007/V36N10p861.pdf|title=Remembering the Musi – SilkAir Flight MI 185 Crash Victim Identification|work=Annals, Academy of Medicine, Singapore|publisher=[[Academy of Medicine, Singapore]]}}
; {{in lang|zh}}
* "[http://www.zaobao.com/special/silkair/pages/silkair151200f.html 印尼国家交通安全委员会调查结论：没有证据显示朱卫民　股票交易影响飞行表现]." [Indonesian National Transportation Safety Commission Survey Conclusion: There is no evidence that Tsu Wai Ming's stock trading affects flight performance] {{in lang|zh}} ''[[Lianhe Zaobao]]''. 15 December 2000. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20010214225521/http://www.zaobao.com/special/silkair/pages/silkair151200f.html Archive])
* Pan, Junqin (潘君琴 ''Pān Jūnqín'') and Lin Shunhua (林顺华 ''Lín Shùnhuá''). "[http://www.zaobao.com.sg/special/silkair/pages/silkair040701.html 胜安空难诉讼案 副机师：朱卫民曾尝试以"令人怕"方式降陆]." [Shengan Air Combat Lawsuit Deputy pilot: Tsu Wai Ming tried to land in a "scary" way] {{in lang|zh}} ''[[Lianhe Zaobao]]''. 7 April 2001. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20020213101716/http://www.zaobao.com.sg/special/silkair/pages/silkair040701.html Archive])

==External links==
{{Commons category|SilkAir Flight 185}}
* [[National Transportation Safety Committee]]
** [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB976828385631381737 Final Report transcript]
** [http://knkt.dephub.go.id/knkt/ntsc_aviation/Final%20Report%20Silk%20Air%20MI-185.pdf Final report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110173851/http://www.dephub.go.id/knkt/ntsc_aviation/Revised-MI185%20Final%20Report%20(2001).pdf |date=10 January 2014 }}
** [http://knkt.dephub.go.id/knkt/ntsc_aviation/Revised-MI185%20Final%20Report%20(2001).pdf Revised final report (revision done in 2001)]; {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529194857/http://www.dephub.go.id/knkt/ntsc_aviation/Revised-MI185%20Final%20Report%20(2001)%20.pdf |date=29 May 2009 }}
* [[National Transportation Safety Board]]
** [https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=11051 Investigation docket]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/19990202033151/http://www.singaporeair.com/corpinfo/press/MIupdate.htm SilkAir Press Release] ([http://web.archive.org/web/19990202033151/http://www.singaporeair.com/corpinfo/press/MIupdate.htm Archive] [https://web.archive.org/web/19990202033151/http://www.singaporeair.com/corpinfo/press/MIupdate.htm Alt archive])
* [http://www.singaporeair.com/silkair/news.htm SilkAir news releases regarding Flight 185] ([https://web.archive.org/web/19980224054737/http://www.singaporeair.com/silkair/news.htm Archive] [https://web.archive.org/web/19990202033151/http://www.singaporeair.com/corpinfo/press/MIupdate.htm Alt archive])

{{Aviation accidents and incidents in Indonesia before 2000}}
{{Aviation incidents and accidents in 1997}}

[[Category:1997 suicides]]
[[Category:Airliner accidents and incidents involving deliberate crashes]]
[[Category:Accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 737 Classic]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1997]]
[[Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Indonesia]]
[[Category:December 1997 in Asia]]
[[Category:Mass murder in 1997]]
[[Category:Murder–suicides in Indonesia]]
[[Category:SilkAir accidents and incidents|185]]