MH370

[gfwgfw]

Evening

I have been absorbed by this missing flight MH370

Reading both UK/Worldwide newspapers

The varying speculations are mind blowing

My wish is that it will be quickly resolved without the loss of life

Have yourselves a very peaceful evening

The Intrigued Giant of Cerne Abbas

[david63]

Sadly me feeling is that there has already been a major loss of life (possibly all 239) in this.

Even with a massive amount of planning I find it somewhat incredulous that all the passengers and crew could have been secreted somewhere without some word/someone getting out. Also how do you get enough food and water for a week or more for 239 without anyone knowing?

There are two things that I am sure about though - one is that they will find the plane as it is essential that the aviation industry knows what happened and the second is that before long all commercial planes will be fitted with a tracking device that cannot be switched off.

[Boris+]

I really cannot see this ending happily in any way shape or form. I wish it would, but I just can't see it. Surely if there were any survivors somebody somewhere would know something by now.

It must be torment for the families.

Em

[Silver_Shiney]

I understand that the onboard radar is supposed to have been switched off. Hmmm, fair enough, I know military aircraft can do so, so that they can try and disguise themselves from the country they are attacking - but that's why the defending nation has its own ground radar to detect the incoming threat. It is known that, even during peacetime, military radar is in operation if for no other reason than to ensure that air force aircraft stay out of the way of civilian flights.

So, why has it taken so long for the Malaysian military to declare that they tracked this aircraft flying west? One country has said that, because of the perceived attack risk being assessed as "low", its radar was not switched on.

The whole thing smells a very funny colour to me.

I feel for the families who are left grieving.

[Wobgoescruising]

Tracking has to switched off when they are on the ground otherwise warnings of close proximity will be sounding off and flashing everywhere. Whether they can adjust them so they can't be switched off when flying I have no idea.
Thing I don't understand is that there are beacons on aircraft, and in/on the black box/es which can still be traced under water.

[Silver_Shiney]

Tracking has to switched off when they are on the ground otherwise warnings of close proximity will be sounding off and flashing everywhere. Whether they can adjust them so they can't be switched off when flying I have no idea.

I know military aircraft can do something to at least disguise their whereabouts - actually, I now remember reading that Martin Withers switched off the aircraft's radar as his Vulcan approached the Falklands.

[Wobgoescruising]

Military planes turn them off if refuelling or flying in formation etc - too many flashes, buzzes and warnings otherwise I should imagine !.

[towny44]

If the plane did fly back across the Malay peninsular, and if all the passengers were still alive, why did none of them use their cell phones. Presumably they do work on planes, at least they did on the 9/11 one that crashed.

[Silver_Shiney]

Could it be that they'd been warned you can't use them, or a member of the crew in collusion had forcibly gathered them all up?

We may never know.....

[david63]

Tracking has to switched off when they are on the ground otherwise warnings of close proximity will be sounding off and flashing everywhere. Whether they can adjust them so they can't be switched off when flying I have no idea.

I doubt that it would be beyond the wit of man to have an "altitude switch" that would turn a tracking device on/off at a particular altitude.

Thing I don't understand is that there are beacons on aircraft, and in/on the black box/es which can still be traced under water.

Remember that it took two years to locate the "black box" from the Air France plane that crashed into the Atlantic a few years ago and they knew where to start looking

[Boris+]

Might there have been a situation where one member of crew decided to use a weapon (eg a gun) against another crew member which would have had serious effect on the flight; or was it a bad weather driven situation?

I reckon the aircraft is underwater and that sadly there are no survivors.

Em

[david63]

Might there have been a situation where one member of crew decided to use a weapon (eg a gun) against another crew member which would have had serious effect on the flight; or was it a bad weather driven situation?

On the news last night was another expert whose view was that this was well planned.

The timing of when communications were switched off coincided with the change over of air traffic control so effectively they were not missed by anyone. The plane was also flying at an altitude that was between the two layers of radar so again they could not be seen.

I reckon the aircraft is underwater and that sadly there are no survivors.

That is probably highly likely but not a foregone conclusion.

I suspect that there are many factors that we are unaware of for security reasons.

[Wobgoescruising]

There's got to be something they aren't telling us. It even crossed my mind that it was shot down. They seem so be leaking bits of info when they choose, but I'd be suprised if they didn't know more.

[Dark Knight]

the Russians to divert attention away from their invasion of the Ukraine


or little grey man from space

[Boris+]

I wonder - is the lack of information down to the Chinese authorities controlling output of information and being typically 'inscrutable' ? I agree - there could well be something which are not being told, but surely the people who really desperately 'need to know' are the families and friends of all those who were onboard.

Em

[Stephen]

I expect a film and book are already being devised as we speak.

[Onelife]

It has crossed my mind that the plane may have sufferd the same fate as the Helios airways flight 552 . The crew and passengers were overcome by hypoxia which eventually resulted in the plane crashing into the side of a mountain.

[Frank Manning]

It will be found eventually, but I haven't a clue when or where. There are so many theories, but the authorities have admitted that they are not telling us everything.

[david63]

I don't know if it was a slip of the tongue or I misheard but last night on the news there was someone from the FBI who said "the Malaysian plane crash"

[Boris+]

Hi David,

Some may have used the phrase you mentioned because as it hasn't actually landed somewhere then they have assumed it crashed?

Em

[gfwgfw]

Good day or is it ?

Not a good result


I have been very intrigued by this MH370 ongoing saga

Reading lots of World Wide media with a varying narrative of speculation

I am wondering if the true happenings will ever be "put to bed"

I do have great sympathy for family and friends whose loved ones are no longer with them

Graham

[lioness]

It has crossed my mind that the plane may have sufferd the same fate as the Helios airways flight 552 . The crew and passengers were overcome by hypoxia which eventually resulted in the plane crashing into the side of a mountain.

As ex-aircrew, I have a lot of pilot friends and the majority think it was either hypoxia or fumes from a slow fire in the electronics bay. This has happened before and cuts communications. Also the a/c was carrying 200kg of lithium batteries which have caused fires in two aircraft before.

Jean

[Boris+]

I am not disagreeing with you Jean, but I can't see that the lithium battery aspect holds water with this one - maybe I'm just being daft. I thought it was the 787 which had the lithium battery problems (it is fitted with those). So, if there were these items on board, were they being carried as freight?

If they then caused a fire, why did the aircraft take a potential 7 hours of further flight to hit the water - surely a 777 would only have a glide potential of about 100 miles. If there had been a battery fire, it would have gone into the S China sea?

All I really do know is that this is tragic and sad beyond belief.

Em

[Silver_Shiney]

There is a viral email going the rounds, which my FIL (to my surprise, given his narrow viewpoint on many things) forwarded to me.

It claims to be an old Malaysian Airways advert heralding their "new 777" but is actually a photoshopped image for a new ad, which shows an Airbus A380. If you are desperate to see it, I'm sure you can find it on Google.

I cannot believe how sick some people can be at such a time. I know I can sometimes use "graveyard" humour to help me get through something, but this is beyond the pale.

I've replied to him with a link the the website proving it is a sick hoax and asked him to forward it back down the chain. I'm disappointed in him.