The last words from the cockpit of a missing Malaysian jet were a standard “Good night Malaysian three seven zero”, Malaysian authorities said, changing their account of the critical last communication from a more casual “All right, good night”.

Malaysia yesterday released the full transcript of communications between the Boeing 777 and local air traffic control before it dropped from civilian radar in the early hours of March 8 as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

The correction comes as Malaysian authorities face heavy criticism, particularly from China, for mismanaging the search, now in its fourth fruitless week, and holding back information. Most of the 239 people on board the flight were Chinese.

Minutes after the final radio transmission was received, the plane’s communications were cut off and it turned back across Peninsular Malaysia and headed towards the Indian Ocean, according to military radar and limited satellite data.

The search is now focused on a vast, inhospitable swathe of the southern Indian Ocean west of the Australian city of Perth, but an international team of planes and ships have so far failed to spot any sign of the jetliner.

The transcript, issued yesterday and shared with families of the passengers and crew, covers about 55 minutes of apparently routine conversation, beginning about a quarter of an hour before take-off.

The last exchange took place at 1.19am (1719 GMT). Nothing appeared to be wrong, as Malaysian air traffic controllers told the pilots they were entering Vietnamese air space and received a fairly standard sign-off with call sign in reply.

Air Traffic Control: “Malaysian Three Seven Zero contact Ho Chi Minh 120 decimal 9, good night.”

MH370: “Good night, Malaysian Three Seven Zero.”

Malaysia’s ambassador to China had told Chinese families in Beijing as early as March 12 that the last words from the cockpit had been “All right, good night”, which experts said was more informal than called for by standard radio procedures.

Nine ships and 10 aircraft resumed the hunt for wreckage from MH370 yesterday, hoping to recover more than the fishing gear and other flotsam found since Australian authorities moved the search 1,100 kilometres north after new analysis of radar and satellite data.

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