Duncan Steel Theory
Specifically regarding the Duncan Steel post, three people including active airline pilots well versed with airline procedures and airliner capabilities and controls who wish not to be identified due to the obvious high degee of conjecture involved at present have responded to my inquiry regarding the Steel theory with these comments:
1. Route over land would have been easily picked up by numerous radar
sites. Any plane without a transponder signal at cruising altitude, without a transponder signal, would stick out like a sore thumb. 2. The first initial turn (if correct) is a classic "return to safety" in an emergency. 3. Total (electrical) power loss would have created the known fact of Transponder and ACARS loss. 4. The two engines can continue running with full aircraft (electrical) power loss as in they have isolated generators that continue to running EEC power. The engines will continue to maintain performance, and all necessary functions independent of aircraft central inputs. 5. All opinions/theories resulted in: The aircraft flew statically on the last course. The last course was a sloppy 180 most likely set in by pilots in a rush, or with limited visibility to PFD or CDU. Pilots lost consciousness, aircraft continued on course. If you go by such a scenario, the aircraft most likely took a western route as that was the initial turn programmed by hurried pilots.