Im thoroughly confused. Initialy I thought it was wrong of anyone to assert as fact that they knew when a new waypoint was inserted into the flight plan. But I came here and the posts I read seemed to me to accept the premise. I retired 10 years ago but do not recall that a flightplan change was somehow automatically reported to the ground.
But now, "what we know" is being challenged---here anyway, not on CNN. For two days CNN has been challenging its "experts" to explain why a new off course waypoint was entered into the flight plan. As in this report from WOLF today. And I quote:
" significant new developments.....and right now to that sharp turn to the west that the jet took about an hour after takeoff. A senior US official tells CNN the altered route was actually entered into the plane guidance system at least 12 minutes before the co-pilot signed off with air traffic controllers with the words 'all right, good night'".
Someone please tell me how anyone would know what was entered into the flight plan short of someone transmitting that info via acars.
this is a question.