Malaysian Airlines MH370 contact lost
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Question for T7 Drivers
Since I have no operating knowledge of the bird, is it, or is it not, possible to disengage SATCOM from the flight deck?
Assuming a hostage/hijack scenario, I'm wondering if it was not possible to shut down the SATCOM, if it was overlooked, or perhaps left on deliberately by the crew.
All conjecture I know, but still an interesting line of thought.
Assuming a hostage/hijack scenario, I'm wondering if it was not possible to shut down the SATCOM, if it was overlooked, or perhaps left on deliberately by the crew.
All conjecture I know, but still an interesting line of thought.
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CaptainJim
The fact that the transponder is instantaneously reporting zero while the a/c is 7 miles high in the sky is a key piece of information. The lack of radio reports while the transponder is still working would indicate an in-cabin event which precluded a radio report. Then over a three minute period the transponder ceases reports all together.
It looks like this geographical area is where transponder updates become sketchy as some historic tracks lose data up to a point just short of reaching the Vietnam coast.
All of this points to a rapidly deteriorating electrical system in the aircraft.
The oil rig observation is interesting. The observer is over 300 nm away but it is a dark, cloudless night. His observation of a burning plane would be down near the horizon. But his comment that, from his vantage point, he could percieve no lateral motion lends credibility to his report as we know the plane had just turned more in his direction, head on along with the indication that the event took place much further away than it appears.
If one of those US destroyers in the area is ASW equipped they should run their towed array sonar along 060 to 075 from LKP. The idea it was still in the air for 4 hrs lacks any published data... same as the "military radar" theory.
It looks like this geographical area is where transponder updates become sketchy as some historic tracks lose data up to a point just short of reaching the Vietnam coast.
All of this points to a rapidly deteriorating electrical system in the aircraft.
The oil rig observation is interesting. The observer is over 300 nm away but it is a dark, cloudless night. His observation of a burning plane would be down near the horizon. But his comment that, from his vantage point, he could percieve no lateral motion lends credibility to his report as we know the plane had just turned more in his direction, head on along with the indication that the event took place much further away than it appears.
If one of those US destroyers in the area is ASW equipped they should run their towed array sonar along 060 to 075 from LKP. The idea it was still in the air for 4 hrs lacks any published data... same as the "military radar" theory.
I would love to see more published data that they obtained.
However, what about the predicted flight path put together by the US military published earlier that suggests the missing plane was heading towards Andaman Islands?
I have noticed differing posting of the last 10 or so flight data points. The original postings in the early days of this event display the last 2 updates with a flight level of zero(0). The recent postings and news reports I've seen in the media seems to fill in those two values with the same 35,000ft as the rest of the 10 updates rather than the original reports of zero.
This maybe a key oversight. And why so many "experts" are focusing on other areas. I believe the last two reports of zero for altitude along with a constant reading for air speed may provide insight.
This maybe a key oversight. And why so many "experts" are focusing on other areas. I believe the last two reports of zero for altitude along with a constant reading for air speed may provide insight.
I thought we had disposed of this nonsense about 3,000 posts ago.
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Inmarsat
One would think the statement that deserves the most attention at the moment is from Inmarsat, when they confirmed receiving signals from the aircraft:
Inmarsat statement on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 - Inmarsat
The lack of any detail, given the magnitude of the event and the lack of other leads, is surprising. It is as if to say "Hey, we've seen the missing aircraft!" then, well, nothing.
The fact that they did say "...and the details have been passed on to Malaysian Airlines" is a responsible thing, given that Malaysian (Or technically it seems, the Malaysian transport minister) is the official mouthpiece. But the fact that after all this, that Malaysian is tight lipped, is incredible.
I think of the family members, who must be longing for closure, hearing "We've seen the aircraft", but then NO acknowledgement from Malaysian. I can't imagine how frustrating this is.
How about some details? When did you hear from the aircraft? What did you hear? Do you have any position, speed or altitude information? Give us some parameters on the error factors? I mean, give the people something to go on.
Inmarsat statement on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 - Inmarsat
The lack of any detail, given the magnitude of the event and the lack of other leads, is surprising. It is as if to say "Hey, we've seen the missing aircraft!" then, well, nothing.
The fact that they did say "...and the details have been passed on to Malaysian Airlines" is a responsible thing, given that Malaysian (Or technically it seems, the Malaysian transport minister) is the official mouthpiece. But the fact that after all this, that Malaysian is tight lipped, is incredible.
I think of the family members, who must be longing for closure, hearing "We've seen the aircraft", but then NO acknowledgement from Malaysian. I can't imagine how frustrating this is.
How about some details? When did you hear from the aircraft? What did you hear? Do you have any position, speed or altitude information? Give us some parameters on the error factors? I mean, give the people something to go on.
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Local Moonset in KL was 00:40am, coinciding with takeoff time. As the aircraft was initially eastbound, it is safe to say the entire flight was conducted in darkness, only stars could have provided some directional info to the initiated.
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BobM2
There is no "speed" input to the transponder. ATC gets groundspeed on the target from their own computer.
There is no "speed" input to the transponder. ATC gets groundspeed on the target from their own computer.
Airspeed
Ground speed
Vertical speed
Track
Bank angle
Desired altitude ( yes it rats out what you've dialed in or have in your flight plan)
Heading
Bout the only thing it doesn't spit out is if the pilot had the turkey on white or the ham on rye for lunch.
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The altitude of the plane would affect the moonset time for those aboard, no?
It would make the moonset about 10 minutes later. More than I would have thought.
It would make the moonset about 10 minutes later. More than I would have thought.
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The BBC has learned/understands is well known as shorthand for "seen/read/heard elsewhere" and it is a semantic point but most people will ill assume wrongly they are breaking some news.
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Lithium Batteries Theory
MH370 theory (based on my own opinion about breaking news regarding lithium batteries onboard the jet's cargo area)....
Freescale employees (~20 onboard) were carrying cargo with them that included Lithium batteries for demo purposes (see previous fires caused by such batteries including a UPS 777).
Upon learning of the fire, the jet changed course back towards Malaysia, explaining why the pilots flew towards the northern tip of Malaysia (closest land) instead of back to Kuala Lampur.
The fire resulted in a gradual loss of pressure which caused Hypoxia but did not bring down the aircraft, and simultaneously slowly melted the communication devices (explaining why one was shut down and then another 14 minutes later), but did not affect the engines (explaining why the engines continued to "ping" satellites for hours). The jet kept cruising westward as the pilots were unconscious until it eventually crashed into the Indian Ocean.
You heard it here first.
Freescale employees (~20 onboard) were carrying cargo with them that included Lithium batteries for demo purposes (see previous fires caused by such batteries including a UPS 777).
Upon learning of the fire, the jet changed course back towards Malaysia, explaining why the pilots flew towards the northern tip of Malaysia (closest land) instead of back to Kuala Lampur.
The fire resulted in a gradual loss of pressure which caused Hypoxia but did not bring down the aircraft, and simultaneously slowly melted the communication devices (explaining why one was shut down and then another 14 minutes later), but did not affect the engines (explaining why the engines continued to "ping" satellites for hours). The jet kept cruising westward as the pilots were unconscious until it eventually crashed into the Indian Ocean.
You heard it here first.
UnderDriven
The altitude of the plane would affect the moonset time for those aboard, no?
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Math Gurus Needed
Just for the hell of it this old Navy Piloto from half a century ago fired up Microsoft Flight Simulator FSX and started a flight from KL to Beijing, the same one as MH370. Upon arrival at IGARI reset the autopilot to VAMPI thence Gival then to IGREX and let her fly. This route made no sense. Backtracking from VAMPI to GIVAL??? Who does that? It is more like a mathematical Markov Random Walk. So we may need to harness the mathematicians among us; graduate level of course, to solve the future whereabouts of MH370 from the present last datum by a Markov Chain Stochastic Analysis. Time has erased most of my high level math learned in Engineering School. Let the games begin. John Nash, where are you now that we really need you?
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I really don't think someone who has a Flight Sim at home for sinister purposes would be broadcasting the fact, along with all the hardware that he's bought to put it together (sounds like he built his own -rather impressive - Gaming PC for this purpose), and more importantly using his own name.
He's obviously a really keen gamer and SIM'er, so people that keep harping on about this point really aren't doing themselves any favours.
Background chatter that can be turned down I think.
He's obviously a really keen gamer and SIM'er, so people that keep harping on about this point really aren't doing themselves any favours.
Background chatter that can be turned down I think.
Suppose a plane disappeared under odd circumstances such as this one did. After the disappearance, it was found that the pilot had a very elaborate and expensive sim setup hidden in his basement which nobody knew about.
Then would you find it at least a little suspicious?
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re # 3407 Underdriven
While apparent moonset or sunrise are indeed a function of YOUR altitude to within a few minutes, I would suggest that that whole issue is a red herring
As a passenger - tourist with only a few long overseas trips at various times day and night ,etc IMHO- to believe anyone at night in the passenger section and absent that little screen display of route could notice stars- or even be aware of a gentle coordinated turn via an autopilot dial or a partly trained non pilot is almost absurd. Eyes open or closed. Now if a high banked turn was made, there would be a slight change ( depending on a coordination) in g's and if during the day some visual clues. But overwater- at night- unless one was fixated on A STAR OR SIMILAR, one would be clueless as to chan ge in direction or slight chane ( less than several thousand d feet in altitude ).
\And as a passenger - so what!!
So what remains ?
1) deliberate change in normal broadcast of transponder and other radio comm
2) delilberate change in course
3) no obvious landing places yet found or discovered
4) last track timing may be due to pinger schedule
5) and over a deep part of ocean
Above are reasonable (IMO) descriptions of available- somewhat factual/credible information released.
And they seem to poInt to A) no accident B) deliberate actions by ??
Hopefully that dampens all the rest - decompression, cell phones, satcom, flight simulators, loose oxygen bottles, hypoxia, and actions by residents of area 51.
As a passenger - tourist with only a few long overseas trips at various times day and night ,etc IMHO- to believe anyone at night in the passenger section and absent that little screen display of route could notice stars- or even be aware of a gentle coordinated turn via an autopilot dial or a partly trained non pilot is almost absurd. Eyes open or closed. Now if a high banked turn was made, there would be a slight change ( depending on a coordination) in g's and if during the day some visual clues. But overwater- at night- unless one was fixated on A STAR OR SIMILAR, one would be clueless as to chan ge in direction or slight chane ( less than several thousand d feet in altitude ).
\And as a passenger - so what!!
So what remains ?
1) deliberate change in normal broadcast of transponder and other radio comm
2) delilberate change in course
3) no obvious landing places yet found or discovered
4) last track timing may be due to pinger schedule
5) and over a deep part of ocean
Above are reasonable (IMO) descriptions of available- somewhat factual/credible information released.
And they seem to poInt to A) no accident B) deliberate actions by ??
Hopefully that dampens all the rest - decompression, cell phones, satcom, flight simulators, loose oxygen bottles, hypoxia, and actions by residents of area 51.
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Further to the moon set times etc, most passengers are not aware of any of that, far less the flight plan route. A turn is just that, a turn on a route, and they do not question it. Turns happen when you are holding, even on airways at higher than normal holding altitudes.