From the ATC tapes linked above, MH122 declared a PAN on descent into ASP.
Here's the classic 'I hoid a bang and I knew we wuz gonna die!' news coverage:
The husband of a passenger onboard a Malaysia Airlines flight forced to divert to Alice Springs says his wife has described the experience as "hell".
Flight MH122 was travelling from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur with 224 passengers onboard this afternoon when one of the Airbus A330-300 plane's engines is believed to have been shut down.
Chin Kanani said his wife became alarmed when she heard a banging sound.
"She said she was on the loo when she started hearing loud banging noises from the right-hand side of the plane and that's when all it started," Mr Kanani said.
"It was like hell this flight and they were told to be ready for an emergency landing."
Malaysia Airlines flight MH122 to Kuala Lumpur forced to divert to Alice Springs - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
‘Brace for impact’: Passengers terrified as Malaysia Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Alice Springs
By Sean Davidson
10:28pm Jan 18, 2018
A terrified passenger has told of how she "thought she was going to die" after crew on board a Malaysia Airlines flight told passengers to brace for impact when the plane started vibrating.
Flight MH122, an Airbus A330 heading to Kuala Lumpur from Sydney, was four hours into the flight when a "massive vibration" rocked the plane, forcing it to divert to Alice Springs.
"The lights had just been turned off and everyone was settled in," Donna Edwards, who was travelling to London, told 9news.com.au.
"All of sudden a massive vibration, the whole plane was shaking."
Ms Edwards said passengers were holding hands and bracing for 30 minutes before the crew announced everyone should "brace for impact".
"The fight attendant came on and said the pilot will give a 30-second warning before impact," she said.
"One of the crew stopped near us and one guy said ‘are we crashing or are we landing’.
"The crew member said 'I don't know'.
“We were just bracing for the worst. I thought I was going to die.
"But then 30 minutes later the crew said it was under control."
https://www.9news.com.au/national/20...-alice-springs