I, as I'm sure many members on this forum have been totally astounded how a modern commercial airliner such as 777-2 could simply disappear without trace. We understand the limitations of radar coverage and that of SSR. Moreover the mystery of a final ACARS message at 1:07 and nothing from RR is worrying at best.
It is appreciated that all these systems fulfil separate and important functions pertaining to flight and health but there appears to be an apparent omission in terms of off radar tracking. It certainly appears that the 777 in question was certified for ETOPS 330 operation but that certification excluded the requirement for real time SATCOM tracking when out of radar coverage. (In reality such tracking would be continuous from TO to Land but legally required when out of radar coverage.
Such technology is readily available and deployed by law enforcement agency's and private firms. 3 separate SATCOM units fitted to the nose, mid-section and tail that feed continuous data on the A/C track, altitude, speed and fix in 30 second intervals. The SATCOM units retain battery backup so can transmit for up to 10 hours after power loss. In this situation even if the 777 had exploded in midair there would be likely data transmitted to alert SAR response.
The fact that this aircraft has been missing for nearly six days is an indictment and embarrassment to the regulations, manufacture, and the various agencies that control civil aviation. This is not dissimilar to the Titanic board of inquiry that focused on the actions of the crew rather than the fact that Titanic was certified to sail with only 50% lifeboat capacity. My point is how can you certify to 330 if you have no ability to find it in an emergency?
The cost to implement such tracking is too often traded off against the probability of such an incident. The hull loss in this case will prove to be insignificant against the civil actions . The wider issue is the perceive loss of confidence in the ETOPS system by pax who may vote with their feet on long oceanic routes such as ANZ1 NZAA - KLAX on 777-3ER where nearly the entire flight is out of coverage.
My point is that this incident has wide and powerful implications for the airline industry. NOTE: before you say it ( yes it also pertains to 4 holers)
I fully agree with your points. The cost these days of a simple SATCOM device to ping its GPS position is peanuts even including the cost of certification (some are probably already certified).
Considering the astronomical cost of the current rescue that will almost certainly be borne by the insurance underwriters, it is not unlikely that insurers may withdraw insurance from any aircraft flying out of LOS of land unless it has some kind of standalone self-powered tamper proof SATCOM tracking. It doesn't matter what the beancounters in the airlines say, if their insurers will not cover them unless they are equipped; they will be equipped.