Flight beyond 02:14:45z
GreatBear,
The problem with flight beyond 02:14:45z is that − as was pointed out to me recently − unless the ACARS transmission system coincidentally became u/s (aerial damage, or plain bad luck), or its aerial lost sight of the satellite (unusual A/C attitude), the first engine (and/or its AC generator) to fail would itself have resulted in at least one ACARS message. By the same logic, there needed to be an almost simultaneous failure of both engines’ AC generators to disable ACARS transmission of the first such failure.
If the BEA is right, the absence of the predictable FCPC1`(PRIM 1) FAULT message at 02:14:45 can only be explained by one of the above events having taken place between 02:14:26 (Advisory, Cabin VS) and 02:14;45.
Like you and others, I share Hyperveloce’s concern that the SW quadrant of the 40nm circle should be searched, asap. But we're not paying...
Chris