To clarify incorrect information that leads to the wrong scenarios and assumptions:
- I have asked pilot friends and between us we have over 100,000 commercial hours. None of us know how to turn the Acars off in the flight deck. Cannot be done.
- the Acars does report events such as off and on blocks but not any flight plan info. CPDLC does but that is different. Singapore has CPDLC connections KL and Vietnam do not so they would not be logged on and so no one can know what was programed into their FMC flight plan. No one has any information as to how the aircraft was operated as the aircraft does not report any to the ground unless through CPDLC or the transponder. Ignore "BBC or CNN has learned" as the only way the conduct of the flight will be understood will be through finding the black box data.
I believe most probable is the theory of smoke and a turn back and all overcome or exploding oxygen bottles (google Qantas exploding oxygen bottles and images). If this occurred then the pilots may have had time to action a return but also become unconscious and the plane flies on.
Last edited by Interested_Party; 19th Mar 2014 at 22:14.