ExSim I dont know the exact circumstances and the only figure Ive reliably got is that MAS touched down at LHR with 3.5 tonnes of fuel. A 747 even at a light weight would have a FR of around 4.6 tonnes minimum. At average weights it would be around 5 tonnes. Ive seen 7 tonnes on the fuel gages when I was a FO on a 747, while landind at Paris CDG in perfect weather and even that reading made me feel niggley!
I dont want to turn this thread into a MAS-bashing one, but after a lot of digging around I discovered:
* An enroute stopoff for fuel has implications for MAS cabin crew duty-hours limits (company pressure)
* MAS has a "flying-on-fumes" fuel policy introduced a few years ago by a then new flight department chief (company pressure). (Hes since been removed?)
* MASs fanatical insistence on on-time arrivals (commercial pressure)
As to the incident itself no one except MAS knows the mitigating circumstances, but given these pressures I would say a few of the locals would cave in. Im led to believe too that there flight department is run by iron-fisted rule with severe penaltys for any pilot who doesnt follow their orders (including flying on fumes).
This post is not a slur against MAS pilots because I believe most of them (on the widebody fleets anyway) to be professional and level-headed. I think there actions in the 777 engine-oil loss incident out of Kuala Lumpur proves this.
BTW carriers I myself would NEVER fly as pax are (in order of most dangerous)
1. Korean (unless the captain is an expat)
2. China Airlines (ditto)
3. Anything domestic in mainland China (except those based in HKG like CX, Dragonair, etc). If you have no other choice (rail, car, hitchhiking, donkey-cart) then go China Southern. Best of a bad bunch.
4. Garuda Indonesia
5. Indonesian domestic (Merpati Nusantara, Sempati, etc)
I might point out that Indonesia has a very strong religious-fatalism attitude (yeh ExSim heh heh, islam!). Seems poor old allah gets the blame for most aircraft-related deaths, engine failures, mountain crashes, runway excursions, and wether the aeroplane will get there or not.
Safe airlines Ive personaly flown with (as a pax). These ones have the least risk of ever killing you (please note Ive not listed them in any order):
1. KLM
2. BA
3. Japan Airlines
4. Air NZ
5. SAA
6. Cathay Pacific
7. Dragonair
8. Qantas
9. Emirates
10. Delta
Of course there are more equaly safe airlines out there but these are the only ones I can personaly vouch for having flown with them.