Malaysian Flight 370

[fppilot 4,368]

I know CNN is doing a ton of coverage on this - most of it really dumb.

 

The latest CNN article has some flaws.  And they come from a so-called prof pilot.  Find the paragraph that starts with "The almost certain explanation would be...."

 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/14/opinion/goyer-malaysia-flight/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

 

The conclusion is certainly naive.  The speculation is out of control.  

[Gregg_Seipp 568]

So, in FS, if I am climbing and shut off the app while I am still climbing, the aircraft will keep climbing until it stalls. Once it stalls, it will descend rapidly until airspeed and attitude align. Then, it will level out and climb if climb thrust is activated, it will begin to climb again and repeat the process until it crashes. Also, when it stalls, it would likely bank to the left/right.

 

This sounds like an inexperienced pilot who doesn't know how to monitor his speed.  Stalling repeatedly.  I had thought about the possibility of a 9/11 style hijacking...by someone who kinda knew how to fly.  More likely,  I wonder if he didn't mean to kill the pilots but did...knew enough about turning off transponders, etc. but was a poor pilot...couldn't operate the computer, fly steady, or, oh boy, land.  He'd have been scr*wed, overwhelmed and lost very quickly.

 

On the other hand, from what I've read so far, they climbed to 45,000, dropped to 23,000 and started climbing again.  Not necessarily erratic.  If the pilot fought him or something, the airplane would probably have come off A/P and done some wild things...possibly descending...until they got control.  No cell phone calls means they probably collected them so they really wanted this to be a secret.  Perhaps their plan went awry and they ditched, perhaps it didn't.  The question, if they succeeded, is what did they want.

 

This doesn't say much, really, except that it seems improbable that the pilot was involved.

[fppilot 4,368]

 

 

What has impressed me is the amount of cooperation between some rather disparate countries in the SAR operation.

 

Which is likely both a blessing and a curse.

[jime59 58]

Back to the op, how no one was able to phone ANYONE.  If there was a failure with the system and they lost oxygen then I could see it happening, as is, everyone on that plane was struck simultaneously with whatever caused this mystery.  Hopefully soon, we'll find out what happened so the family members of those onboard can have closure.

I know it's wrong and a little morbid but I hope it was a mechanical error and everyone perished in the water because if it's something else, it opens up a whole new can of worms in regards to air travel and anti-terrorism tactics.

[fuelpumps 3]

Having logged 5 million flights and 18 millions hours, the 777 ends its reputation in a very tragic way (although there has not been any evidence the aircraft is the culprit). The expedition mobilization on the sea and the air is the biggest since the WWII. Hopefully they come up with anything better than  fruitless results. It's been a week now.

[zmak 331]

Having logged 5 million flights and 18 millions hours, the 777 ends its reputation in a very tragic way (although there has not been any evidence the aircraft is the culprit). The expedition mobilization on the sea and the air is the biggest since the WWII. Hopefully they come up with anything better than  fruitless results. It's been a week now.

If its reputation is the worlds safest aircraft then its looking likely that its reputation will remain intact . Time will tell

[IAF747 8]

Here's a flight path that they think it may have taken...

 

http://airinfo.org/2014/03/14/disparition-du-vol-mh370-la-zone-de-recherche-etendue-a-locean-indien/

 

and here's the google translation...

 

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://airinfo.org/2014/03/14/disparition-du-vol-mh370-la-zone-de-recherche-etendue-a-locean-indien/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhttp://airinfo.org/2014/03/14/disparition-du-vol-mh370-la-zone-de-recherche-etendue-a-locean-indien/%26biw%3D1046%26bih%3D938

 

and here's a text description of a route in text format that mentions the waypoints they think it was following...

 

http://www.trust.org/item/20140314074853-wmctw

 

Pure speculation, I know, but it's easy to imagine that the plane could have headed to Iran.

I'm thinking like you Greg.

 

If I was in CIA Sat intel HQ I would be checking latest sat images between Iran and Malaysia and within all countries in between.

 

My instinct tells me if its not in the ocean it will be at an airport. But this is all based on information that may not be accurate.

[abovetheclouds 1]

You really all have no clue,

Tell me, how do you think, how easy it is to hijack a B777 nowdays, fly with it for many hours unspotted (even if transponder is off the radar will get primary target return) and then land somewhere. It's absolute bullsh*t, simply not possible.

[PiperFM 8]

You really all have no clue,

 

Tell me, how do you think, how easy it is to hijack a B777 nowdays, fly with it for many hours unspotted (even if transponder is off the radar will get primary target return) and then land somewhere. It's absolute bullsh*t, simply not possible.

 

O RLY?  Simply not possible?  Before now, I would have thought it would be impossible for a commercial airliner to disappear for more than a week without a trace somewhere other than Alaska, but I've been proven wrong.  Ever heard of nap of the Earth flying?  Perhaps the aircraft simply left the radar operator's screen.  Radar has a range dictated by its power, and the curvature of the Earth, terrain, etc.  Even though you might act like it, I doubt you have any better idea than me of what happened.

 

:Rolling Eyes:

 

You We really all have no clue,

 

That's more like it.  :wink:

Edited March 15, 2014 by PiperFM

[cmpbellsjc 2,960]

ABC news Nighline just reported that its confirmed highjacking. More to come they said in the next hour.

[ViperPilot 81]

It's just... there's theory on top of theory, with extra theory and a side order of theory!

 

At first it was frustrating to listen to (and read) all of the bits being put forth, then redacted. After a while, it's become downright comical. Every print, social and video media outlet has their own "Aviation Expert", dispensing tidbits of questionable veracity that the copywriters (and interviewers) both twist and distort in their copy, either from a lack of understanding the topic, the desire to sensationalize the 'facts', or both. 

 

The general public, having this burning need to have to know stuff, starts feeding off the 24 hour news machine, mixing that information with their own theories, explanations, suppositions, etc., spinning the whole sordid affair even grander and grander.

 

All I know is this: The airplane took off, reached it's assigned cruising altitude, was in normal contact with Malaysian ATC, and had acknowledged leaving their control. Then, all communication with the airplane was lost.

 

Until there is hard, conclusive evidence (and to me that means FDR/CDR retrieval and/ or physical wreckage), it's all speculation and hearsay.

[ZKOKQ 984]

Until I see concrete evidence of the location of the plane and the poor souls on board, I won't believe anything in the media.

Even a CNN reporter was saying that the NZ Air Force was searching for the plane, and NZ is a state of Australia...really ? Not since 1901.

We have a news reader here who has trouble pronouncing place names in her own country, let alone Asia, so the standard of reporting is disgusting. nothing new about that, but when txt speak starts to creep in to reporting major events like this one, who can you trust for the right information.

[WR269 367]

ABC news Nighline just reported that its confirmed highjacking. More to come they said in the next hour.

Unbelievable is that the world media is running with this garbage. An "unnamed" official who claims to be part of the investigative team, who refused to give his name because he is not authorised to speak to the media, claims that he is 100% convinced it is a hijacking. no proof, no reasons, no logic. That is it.

 

And the world media has gone into a frenzy.

 

I just read an official at the press conference advise there is NO certainty in the hijacking theory, it is simply one of many theories being looked at. Nothing else.

 

Truth is, until the aircraft is found, we will not know.

[IAF747 8]

O RLY?  Simply not possible?  Before now, I would have thought it would be impossible for a commercial airliner to disappear for more than a week without a trace somewhere other than Alaska, but I've been proven wrong.  Ever heard of nap of the Earth flying?  Perhaps the aircraft simply left the radar operator's screen.  Radar has a range dictated by its power, and the curvature of the Earth, terrain, etc.  Even though you might act like it, I doubt you have any better idea than me of what happened.

 

:Rolling Eyes:

 

 

That's more like it.  :wink:

 

 

I think some people cannot fathom limits of technology today. Yes we live in high tech world, but at the very least understand that technology has been designed with the user in mind, not with hijackers or criminals.

Unbelievable is that the world media is running with this garbage. An "unnamed" official who claims to be part of the investigative team, who refused to give his name because he is not authorised to speak to the media, claims that he is 100% convinced it is a hijacking. no proof, no reasons, no logic. That is it.

 

And the world media has gone into a frenzy.

 

I just read an official at the press conference advise there is NO certainty in the hijacking theory, it is simply one of many theories being looked at. Nothing else.

 

Truth is, until the aircraft is found, we will not know.

 

Depends if the claims of family in China that they have been able to call the phones of loved ones is true or not. Lots and lots of information surrounding this disappearance and there may be a few agendas to deal with as well. Well it's a detectives special treat. I am not too phased by the drama, just let's get bare facts on the table. But of course spy agencies and military signals intelligence services worldwide would be doing it.

 

It's not going to be fun having a large commercial airliner rigged with explosives aimed for a capital city. Even as Iran has previously threatened nuclear strike. Lots of possibilities here and if the aircraft is in the wrong hands militaries world wide would have to be on high alert until they recover the asset.

[byork 2,259]

 

 

Depends if the claims of family in China that they have been able to call the phones of loved ones is true or not.

 

I've read commentary from telecom engineers that the ringing phones don't necessary mean anything.

 

The whole thing is indeed very weird.

 

CNN is now including links to FSX in their articles about the pilot:

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/14/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-pilot-profiles/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

 

 

I just hope some nutter simmer isn't behind the hijacking, if it is a hijacking, like what happened in Japan once.