Position lines - estimated roughly
 

The images do NOT show tracks.
The images do NOT show tracks.
The images do NOT show tracks.

The primary purpose of this post is to indicate using symmetry the location of the southern position line. It is a LONG way from anywhere.

The diagram shows a representation of an estimate of the two position lines (with uncertainty) described in the press conference as being the position lines indicated by the last received "ping".

Since the satellites are geostationary, that is above the equator, I have assumed that the two lines are symmetrically disposed about the equator.

The two lines are based on the PMs statement; "a northern corridor stretching approximately from the border of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to northern Thailand", a *random* line between the two points (generated by Google Earth), and a southern copy of that line reflected in the equator.

The last image shows an additional alternate random position line between the two points. The white rectangle was drawn with the Google Earth "add polygon" tool with four points and the orange line with the "add path" tool with four points.

Please note:-


The images do NOT show tracks :-)))))

Hopefully a mathemetician will be along in a minute to explain the correct shape of the lines.

Two estimated position lines for the LAST "ping".

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/y...sition-850.png



Northern

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/y...-north-850.png



Southern

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/y...-south-850.png



Alternate northern - showing an alternative estimated line.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/y...th-alt-850.png


Higher resolution versions are available at (hopefully):-
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/y...copter/malasia

Spectators Balcony
 

I have started a new thread in Spectorors Balcony for those of us who are not Professional Flightcrew to ask questions and speculate. Hopefully that will reduce the number of posts here and make the thread more useful.

Update
 

A quick update to keep us focused:

Official Confirmed

01:07 Last routine engine data transmission
XX:XX ACARS disabled
01:17 Sign off Subang ATC
01:21 Xpndr switched off (near IGARI)
01:21 Malasian military PSR picks up MH370 at IGARI
XX:XX MH370 moves towards VAMPI and then towards GIVAL
02:15 MH370 turns towards IGREX and is lost on Malasian military PSR
08:11 Last ACARS handshake signal detected

Official Unconfirmed

08:11 A/C somewhere between border of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to northern Thailand
08:11 A/C somewhere between Indonesia and the southern Indian ocean

Unofficial Unconfirmed

XX:XX Altitude excursions at IGARI of unidentified PSR target (leak, via NYT)

Rumors

Everything else

What I am saying Stormy is that final ping to the Satellite at 8:11 am came from the wreckage in the South China off Veitnam. Which is on the 40 degree line. It doesn't show up on your picture because it's faded. But I saw it when Jim Clancy showed his picture in front cameras this afternoon after the news conference.

The pilot thickens.

Just out of curiosity, is there any public record of the last known conversation beyond the "Roger that" bit we've been allowed to know of? What was being acknowledged by that phrase?

Nigel post 3922
once again,so it`s understandable for everybody.
Your guess is the same 1 was thinking about LAST evening.
Could it be a long planned revenge for OBL?

Thanks jimjim1

The corridors should be along a large circle of radius 4840 km (as measured on the Earth's surface) centred on a point on the equator at 64 degrees east.

This is the point below the INMARSAT IOR which has been doing the receiving of pings.

I have not been able to draw postable diagrams yet these are close to yours.

The explanation for this is spread over several pages of previous posts by myself and several others especially including a photo of a map from the SAR authorities.

Radio contact with MH88
 

(Sorry if this has been posted before)

In the New Straits Times, an anonymous 777 pilot was quoted saying he had radio contact with MH730 on 121.5 MHz at 01:30LT (17:30Z), 8 mins after loss of radar contact. The NST report says that the pilot was over Vietnam, 30 mins ahead of MH730 with destination Narita, Japan. Data from Flightradar24 suggests that this flight in contact with MH730 may have been MH88.

MH88 on Flightradar24

The MH88 pilot said to NST that he was sure he was talking to the co-pilot of MH370.

Do I rightly recall that a friend of the Captain met him through 'political activism?'

If so, what exactly was meant by that? Does it mean that the guy handed out leaflets at his local supermarket against cutting down trees? Or was he a fully fledged campaigner for any one of a number of contraversial/extremist organisations whose names hardly need to be spelt out?

In the light of current developments, I can't believe this isn't a focus by someone, somewhere; it seems to have never been more relevant. Or - given the speculation by some about planesnatching, installing 'dirty bombs' and the like, is the extent of his extracurricular actvities too alarming for us to know the details?

Conversely if his activities were only small fry, I'd expect his family to want to see this cleared up.

Sheep Guts

The south china sea is on the 40 degree (satellite altitude) line as you say.

However, it is not included in the final 8:11am locations (marked in red on the Malaysian photo) because that area is also covered by another INMARSAT doing ACARS coms (called POR which is over the Pacific).

If the plane had ended up there then the pings would also have been picked up by POR. Obviously they were not hence the corridors start West of south-east asia.

You can see a map of INMARSAT coverage back a few pages or just search on google.

As the current thinking is moving away from an accident to a willful act, all the possible scenarios have one thing in common: they require a good deal of planning and preparation with nothing left to chance, and the kind of impeccable timing that one can see in a Mission: Impossible movie. Such preparation needs both time and money, and likely involved a number of people. It is very clear that any such planning must have involved this particular flight, as a number of key parameters (eg. takeoff time, initial flight path, fuel endurance, etc.) are unique to this flight only. I think it is also no coincidence that a moonless sky was chosen.

The key emerging question is why this particular flight would have been chosen as the target of such a massive investment and effort. I can think of several countries in the region where security procedures are much more lax (speaking of experience, will say no more), I can think of several airports on the border of oceanic zones where it is much easier to slip away from primary radar, etc.

Clearly understanding the motives is the key to the puzzle, as it is drifting away from being a purely aviation matter to something of much broader implications.

With all respect, I beg to differ. I've been following this thread since its inception and some of the more insightful and helpful posts have come from people who are not in the aviation industry. This is such an unusual event that the normal rules don't really apply. If someone with knowledge of satellite telecommunications wants to chime in with their particular expertise, I welcome their opinions. We've had a detective comment on investigative issues that have been helpful. I've even seen a few posts from admitted SLF (a/k/a the people who pay the bills) that were thoughtful and constructive to the discussion.

This incident is highly unusual and I welcome posts from anyone who can help shed some light on the situation whether they're in the industry or not.

Inmarsat
 

Correct me if wrong, but could the plane have landed or crash landed with some systems still active along that 40 degrees relative angle extrapolated through Inmarsat/plane TX-RX range-calc and continued to ping the satellite while on the ground?
How often does the pinging occurs?
Since it seems possible to judge movement with a single radio reference only by measuring changes in distance from the satellite thus impossible if flying along an equidistant path (40 degrees in this case), could it be the plane wasn't even moving at all? Is the Inmarsat ACARS system on the 777 active while on battery power or does it needs engines or APU to be powered?

Loose lips
 

Given recent developments, I am now of the opinion that some ideas and theories should be referred to relevant authorities rather than disseminated via this site. I'm sure that the relevant people are quietly going about their business and that they know more than they're letting on. It seems prudent to now assist them by hesitating before communicating.

Simple crewing question...that I think hasn't been discussed here yet.
Since when were both pilots rostered on MH370 flight? Was it long term planning random assignation, specific request of one or both pilot or was it a last minute crew assignation decided by Crew planning?
In case of fool play, which is highly suspected, we can guess that whatever happened to MH370, it has required serious planning and preparation.
This could at least give an indication if pilots could be involved or not.

I do not think a wilful act other than a head case individual or even crew member stacks up!
Any organised terrorist group would have claimed their prize by now as not to do so would be unproductive in their misplaced eyes to their cause.

More likely this was a case of massive depressurisation. Note the private jet accident which flew for miles with all the crew and PAX inert in their seats.
a massive decompression would have accounted for the lack of radio communications, attempt to change course, deviation off track and eventual crash in the Sea.

Seems to fit the events more than some high tech terrorist attack

Just been running the FR24 playback of the relevant time.

Three flights along the route which are possible to tag along with given the timing.

THY67, EK349 and SQ68.

The 45,000ft report is from RMAF mil radar and I'm given to understand these are not pinpoint readings thus 40,000 would be more sensible and achievable..

Inmarsat 40 degree line
 

Those concentric circles with degrees on them on the map denote 'angle of elevation' for a ground observer at sea level to assist with positioning a flat antenna on some terminals.As you get closer to the satellite the angle increases.The zero circle denotes the point at which the satellite will be on,or very slightly under the horizon.Given that the satellites are in geostationary orbit ( approx 36,000 kms above the equator) the difference in the elevation angle at 35,000 feet instead of sea level will be negligble.

Which means that you could probably use a hand held satphone out of a western facing window on the aircraft.


mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Ok thanks for the info Stormy and Ana. Will bet back to be books. What's missing is the range rings for the other pings in between they haven't given us. Surely that would give a better picture. It is not plausible it flew to Kazakstan. Pakistan and Indian radars would have seen them for sure.

So the options with the current information (which will undoubtedly change again) would be a hijacking, particularly one where the hijackers demanded a reroute - which would mean the plane could be parked at an airbase somewhere in central Asia, or a situation like Ethiopian Airlines 961 but with an even worse outcome.

If the pilot took it upon himself to change course, what could his motivation be? If he was suicidal, surely he'd have nosedived it somewhere along the planned route or into a prominent building/city? Not flown thousands of miles out into the Indian Ocean.

If he was attempting to land somewhere else, why? to sell the plane? I can't imagine the market for stolen intercontinental jets is huge, and most of the components could be tracked if it was broken up.

I can't imagine a Malaysian pilot wanting to claim asylum anywhere either.