[RC51]

During an emergency, especially a fire, every pilot thinks... “GET THE BIRD DOWN NOW!” Turns, ridges, runway obstacles etc. All that falls by the side. You are fighting a battle and it’s 100% time based. How quickly can I put this on the ground?

[Qiviut]

To clarify my remarks, here's exactly what the guy said ... guess it looked like I was emphasizing the info wrong in my comment to suggest he was choosing an airport because of terrain rather than the closest one - the turn was toward the closest airport .... it just also happened to be less problematic ... :

When I saw that left turn with a direct heading, I instinctively knew he was heading for an airport. He was taking a direct route to Palau Langkawi, a 13,000-foot airstrip with an approach over water and no obstacles. The captain did not turn back to Kuala Lampur because he knew he had 8,000-foot ridges to cross. He knew the terrain was friendlier toward Langkawi, which also was closer.

Take a look at this airport on Google Earth. The pilot did all the right things. He was confronted by some major event onboard that made him make an immediate turn to the closest, safest airport.