Malaysia Airlines Flight Goes Missing En Route to China

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the hit-show LOST is coming to real life. Was John Locke on the plane?

Surreal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So... Who thinks its terrorism? The more I read the more I think it is the only thing that makes sense.

I feel badly for not having read more - if this crash involved Americans, I know I'd be following this more closely.

That said, what I have read makes me think more and more that this isn't terrorism. I think shows like 24 and homeland make us think there's something significant about the passport thing when there probably isn't. It's likely just a coincidence. People do shady things all the time. It's possible somebody just happened to be doing something shady with a passport or two when a plane happened to crash.

If it was terrorism, then a group would've claimed responsibility or want to claim "victory" by now.

I agree

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So... Who thinks its terrorism? The more I read the more I think it is the only thing that makes sense.

I feel badly for not having read more - if this crash involved Americans, I know I'd be following this more closely.

That said, what I have read makes me think more and more that this isn't terrorism. I think shows like 24 and homeland make us think there's something significant about the passport thing when there probably isn't. It's likely just a coincidence. People do shady things all the time. It's possible somebody just happened to be doing something shady with a passport or two when a plane happened to crash.

If it was terrorism, then a group would've claimed responsibility or want to claim "victory" by now.

Not necessarily. 9/11 wasn't claimed for quite some time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:theory making the rounds on twitter

MH370 - what happened
A plausible explanation for why MH370 "disappeared" and why we still can't find it.
MARCH 10, 2014
My recommendation to the NTSB
I sent this email to Peter Knudson (Media Relations) at the NTSB, and he will consider if its worthy of forwarding onto investigators.

At the end of this email, I’ve listed sensible and low-cost recommendations to best aid recovery efforts.
===================================

Has anyone considered if the below FAA Airworthiness Directive could be a clue the MH370 investigation?

A November 2013 FAA Airworthiness Directive for the 777
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013...2013-23456.htm
SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for
certain The Boeing Company Model 777 airplanes. This proposed AD was
prompted by a report of cracking in the fuselage skin underneath the
satellite communication (SATCOM) antenna adapter. This proposed AD
would require repetitive inspections of the visible fuselage skin and
doubler if installed, for cracking, corrosion, and any indication of
contact of a certain fastener to a bonding jumper, and repair if
necessary. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct cracking and
corrosion in the fuselage skin, which could lead to rapid decompression
and loss of structural integrity of the airplane.
Summary: It’s plausible that a fuselage section near the SATCOM antenna adapter failed, disabling satellite based - GPS, ACARS, and ADS-B/C - communications, and leading to a slow decompression that left all occupants unconscious. If such decompression left the aircraft intact, then the autopilot would have flown the planned route or otherwise maintained its heading/altitude until fuel exhaustion.
A slow decompression (e.g. from a golfball-sized hole) would have gradually impaired and confused the pilots before cabin altitude (pressure) warnings sounded.
Chain of events:
Likely fuselage failure near SATCOM antenna adapter, disabling some or all of GPS, ACARS, ADS-B, and ADS-C antennas and systems.
Thus, only primary radars would detect the plane. Primary radar range is usually less than 100nm, and is generally ineffective at high altitudes.
If the decompression was slow enough, it’s possible the pilots did not realize to put on oxygen masks until it was too late. (See Helios 522)
Also explains why another Pilot thirty minutes ahead heard “mumbling” from MH370 pilots.
(VHF comms would be unaffected by SATCOM equipment failure.)
With incapacitated pilots, the 777 could continue to fly on Autopilot - programmed to maintain cruise altitude and follow the programmed route. Using the Inertial Reference System (gyroscope based), the plane could navigate without needing GPS.
Other thoughts:
The plane was equipped with cellular communication hardware, supplied by AeroMobile, to provide GSM services via satellite. However this is an aftermarket product; it’s not connected through SATCOM (as far as I know).
This explains why 19 families signed a statement alleging they were able to call the MH370 passengers and get their phones to ring, but with no response.
When Malaysian Airlines tried to call the phone numbers a day later, the phones did not ring. By this time, fuel would have been exhausted.
Note: 777 Passenger Oxygen masks do not deploy until cabin altitude reaches 13,500. Passengers were likely already unconscious by then, if it was a slow decompression. Also remember that this flight was a red-eye, most passengers would be trying to sleep, masking alarming effects of oxygen deprivation. No confirmed debris has been found anywhere near the search area, consistent with the plane having flown for hours after it lost radar contact.
Conclusion:
This was likely not an “explosive decompression” or “inflight disintegration.” This was likely a slow decompression that gradually deprived all crew/passengers of oxygen, leaving the autopilot to continue along the route autonomously.
The aircraft may be at the floor of the East China Sea, Sea of Japan, or the Pacific Ocean thousands of miles northeast from the current search zone. [UPDATE: Basically, it could be “anywhere”, and we need to use any available radar records to help figure it out. This is where the Vietnamese/Malaysia civilian and military radars will help.]
Recommendations:
• Investigators should obtain data logs from primary radars throughout mainland China that would have been along the planned route. They may be the best clue as to the trajectory of the aircraft. Per the latest reported news, the Straight of Malacca is a possibility.
• Investigators should obtain all passengers’ cell phone log and location data. The timing of the last successful cellular connection (ring/SMS/data-packet) can predict how long the plane was in the air. iPhone/iOS location (GPS) data may be available from Apple if subpoenaed. Android location data may be available from Google.
• Add a secondary search space to include a 300nm radius around Beijing, focusing on surrounding bodies of water. Using planned routing trajectory, known autopilot logics, fuel quantities, and weather patterns, it may be possible to define a smaller 50nm * 50nm search space. Consider running the above scenario in MH’s 777-200ER full flight simulator.
• Boeing should provide expertise about the SATCOM antenna schematics and autopilot/navigation logic, so as to help plot this second search space.
__________________

This is really interesting, but not consistent with (unconfirmed? I can't even tell anymore) reports that the plane changed course, unless it had an unrelated reason to do so.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

MH370 - what happened
A plausible explanation for why MH370 "disappeared" and why we still can't find it.
MARCH 10, 2014
My recommendation to the NTSB

Don't want to quote the whole thing, but likely the explanation is something like that -- a totally unexpected (to the crew) airplane mal function.
Or it could still be terrorism: they have nothing to gain by claiming victory if this was a test run. They could have also used the two passengers with the fake passports to bring something aboard that they (the passengers) did not know was dangerous. After all, they had gone through criminal channels to get their fake passports. Who know what else they took with them that they did not know about....

[Anonymous]

Definitely an alien abduction.

[Anonymous]

Did you hear? Jonti Roos says the very same captain had entertained her and other women in the cockpit and smoked cigars on another flight that she was on

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you hear? Jonti Roos says the very same captain had entertained her and other women in the cockpit and smoked cigars on another flight that she was on

Post the link a couple pages back..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, great, scheduled to fly on a B777 in 2 months.

me too. I hope they fix that problem with the SATCOM on 777s soon.

There are almost 100,000 commercial flights PER DAY in the world. The odds of ending up on the one per decade that crashes are really low. And the 777 is an exceptionally safe airplane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, great, scheduled to fly on a B777 in 2 months.

me too. I hope they fix that problem with the SATCOM on 777s soon.

There are almost 100,000 commercial flights PER DAY in the world. The odds of ending up on the one per decade that crashes are really low. And the 777 is an exceptionally safe airplane.

I am the original PP. Thank you for reminding me of this--my rational self needs to hear this. The FAA directive spooked me-- as if this whole thing is spooky enough.

[Anonymous]

Are cockpits outfitted with some kind of emergency notification button, that can tell air traffic control (or otherwise) that something like a hijacking as occurred, even with the tracking system turned off (or can be silently pushed to submit a signal, before tracking is turned off)? The plane is new plane - it's fit with highly secure cockpit doors, right?

I find it hard to believe that a hijacking could occur in this day and age without the ability to submit some kind of silent emergency signal.

I wonder if the pilots were disorientated somehow - I've heard that if that the pressure and air circulation system may have had problems, perhaps the pilots were in an altered state?

Or, it was deliberate?

From what I understand, it has not been 100% confirmed that the plane continued flying even after the signaling was turned off, or confirmed that it veered for over an hour in the other direction. It still has yet to be fully corroborated with other airplanes that may have traveled in that "turnaround" area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
I don't understand. If cell phones are still active and they didn't crash then why don't they just track the cell phones.


They don't work under water ...


What if they aren't underwater - a jungle with dense canopy, a remote island, a secret runway...

Yes b/c there are cell phone towers all over the remote secret island. How do you think a cell phone works?

[Anonymous]

Are cockpits outfitted with some kind of emergency notification button, that can tell air traffic control (or otherwise) that something like a hijacking as occurred, even with the tracking system turned off (or can be silently pushed to submit a signal, before tracking is turned off)? The plane is new plane - it's fit with highly secure cockpit doors, right?

I find it hard to believe that a hijacking could occur in this day and age without the ability to submit some kind of silent emergency signal.

I wonder if the pilots were disorientated somehow - I've heard that if that the pressure and air circulation system may have had problems, perhaps the pilots were in an altered state?

Or, it was deliberate?

From what I understand, it has not been 100% confirmed that the plane continued flying even after the signaling was turned off, or confirmed that it veered for over an hour in the other direction. It still has yet to be fully corroborated with other airplanes that may have traveled in that "turnaround" area.

Maybe the terrorist used knock out gas or small trained snakes that could go through the air vents of the plane a bite the pilots?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
So... Who thinks its terrorism? The more I read the more I think it is the only thing that makes sense.


I feel badly for not having read more - if this crash involved Americans, I know I'd be following this more closely.

That said, what I have read makes me think more and more that this isn't terrorism. I think shows like 24 and homeland make us think there's something significant about the passport thing when there probably isn't. It's likely just a coincidence. People do shady things all the time. It's possible somebody just happened to be doing something shady with a passport or two when a plane happened to crash.


If it was terrorism, then a group would've claimed responsibility or want to claim "victory" by now.


Not necessarily. 9/11 wasn't claimed for quite some time.

After a few hours of 911, terrorist expects were saying bin laden did it on the news.