Missing Malaysian Plane

[AUChase]

Re: Missing Malaysian Plane

Excuse me for my ignorance, but if this was hi-jacked for a terrorist attack, say in the US, wouldn't it show up on some type of radar before it even got close? Wouldn't they be able to shoot it down?

The same class destroyer the US is using to help search for the plane could be equipped to take down a freakin' F-18 by itself.

[Bullit]

Re: Missing Malaysian Plane

The same class destroyer the US is using to help search for the plane could be equipped to take down a freakin' F-18 by itself.

The thing that worries me more is not whether we or anybody could shoot it down. But lets just take a worst case scenario and say that the passengers are still alive. The passengers are put back on the plane, it is loaded with explosives or even a small nuclear of dirty bomb device and flown towards anybody. Sure we can shoot it down, but with 200+ passenger and a bomb even over open water......

That is what terrorism is about. Loss of life and a statement not necessarily about the most damage.

[bigbob]

Re: Missing Malaysian Plane

The thing that worries me more is not whether we or anybody could shoot it down. But lets just take a worst case scenario and say that the passengers are still alive. The passengers are put back on the plane, it is loaded with explosives or even a small nuclear of dirty bomb device and flown towards anybody. Sure we can shoot it down, but with 200+ passenger and a bomb even over open water......

That is what terrorism is about. Loss of life and a statement not necessarily about the most damage.

I'd prefer it be shot down and 200 die over letting it go, crashing into a building or a highly populated area killing 1,000s.

[LBzrule]

Re: Missing Malaysian Plane

It just gets more weird. http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/mis...ut-down-n53881

I can't even read this article right LOL. I feel like I'm trying to solve Nolan's Inception when I first saw it. So here is a stab.

ACARS = disabled before flight crew last radio contact with ATC
ACARS = in the lower level of the air craft.
Disconnection of ACARS can only happen through a series of circuit break pulls
Series of circuit break pulls can only occur by someone who knows their location.

Someone tampered with the aircraft. Seems to be pointing towards a cooperation between pilots and another party (one or more). Although, I'm not sure. What could the pilots have said to ATC once the ACARS had been disconnected. Why would they contact at all if they were in on it?

[Knight165]

Re: Missing Malaysian Plane

This is getting to be nonsense.
There was communication following the disabling of the ACARS...

WHAT WAS THAT COMMUNICATION?


...and the last line in that article....

"diverted by a deliberate action of someone on the plane."

Okay....but to what end?
Because something was wrong?....because someone was forcing them?.....because they were in on it?...

It's obvious that if the plane turned and it flew on...it was deliberate(at least in a sense)

It went this way...it went that way.
Yikes!

M.K.
Knight165

[LBzrule]

Re: Missing Malaysian Plane

This is getting to be nonsense.
There was communication following the disabling of the ACARS...

WHAT WAS THAT COMMUNICATION?


...and the last line in that article....

"diverted by a deliberate action of someone on the plane."

Okay....but to what end?
Because something was wrong?....because someone was forcing them?.....because they were in on it?...

It's obvious that if the plane turned and it flew on...it was deliberate(at least in a sense)

It went this way...it went that way.
Yikes!

M.K.
Knight165

Exactly to the bolded! What was the communication? Was it we are in trouble? Were they under the impression everything was normal? What was the damn communication? I just have a feeling the insiders know what the communication was and don't necessarily want to leak that information until they can find the aircraft.

[z Revis]

Re: Missing Malaysian Plane

The communication was from someone in the cockpit who said "All right, good night."

[Bullit]

Re: Missing Malaysian Plane

I'd prefer it be shot down and 200 die over letting it go, crashing into a building or a highly populated area killing 1,000s.

I agree, but that is what I'm saying. Its about the statement. That could be the intention to begin with. Not even thinking that the plane would reach a population center. But who knows. It is all just conjecture on our part.

[gopher_guy]

Re: Missing Malaysian Plane

As far as the "it's on an island somewhere being stored for future terrorist use" theory:

This is a HUGE plane, isn't it? Like, it can only land/takeoff at major airports? I get the feeling that it would have to be a pretty damn big island, with a large runway, in order to land the plane without damaging it, and so you'd have the ability to actually get it off the ground again.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[Bruins]

Re: Missing Malaysian Plane

As far as the "it's on an island somewhere being stored for future terrorist use" theory:

This is a HUGE plane, isn't it? Like, it can only land/takeoff at major airports? I get the feeling that it would have to be a pretty damn big island, with a large runway, in order to land the plane without damaging it, and so you'd have the ability to actually get it off the ground again.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

There are a lot, but the plane would definitely come into someone's radar range if it was landing at most (all?) of them.

<iframe frameborder="0" scrolling ="auto" src="http://project.wnyc.org/runways/" width="100%" height="720" ></iframe>

But of course the number of places the plane could have landed is much larger as it assumes the plane used a formal runway in the first place. Slate’s Jeff Wise spoke to a pilot who flies 777-200s who said the plane could be landed on a highway. “A runway wouldn’t even necessarily have to be paved,” wrote Wise, “hard-packed dirt would likely be good enough.”

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/03/15/mh370_the_634_runways_where_malaysian_airlines_flight_could_have_landed.html

[gopher_guy]

Re: Missing Malaysian Plane

Well.

Nevermind, I guess.

Haha

[SuperBowlNachos]

Re: Missing Malaysian Plane

Plus they could completely strip it out and with no passengers the thing will weigh at least 100,000 pounds less from what it would normally weigh packed with passengers and luggage.

[z Revis]

Re: Missing Malaysian Plane

Has anyone come forward yet and given us a legitimate reason on why transponders can be turned off? Under what circumstance would a pilot ever need to do that? Even if this turns out to be pilot suicide it still needs to be addressed. It is obviously something that is being taken advantage of and has been taken advantage of in the past. Let's not forget 3 of the 4 hijacked planes on 911 had their transponders turned off too.

Just wondering, there has to be a reason for it. Maybe if the transponder malfunctions it can cause other serious issues? I don't know. Regardless they need to figure something out otherwise this is going to continue to be a vulnerability that hijackers or terrorists can take advantage of.

[HealyMonster]

Re: Missing Malaysian Plane

If it were to have gone into the ocean, how long would floating debris take to float to land with the tide? Is there an estimated time for that? Like after earthquakes and tsunamis things seem to cross oceans surprisingly fast

[LowerWolf]

Re: Missing Malaysian Plane

Has anyone come forward yet and given us a legitimate reason on why transponders can be turned off? Under what circumstance would a pilot ever need to do that? Even if this turns out to be pilot suicide it still needs to be addressed. It is obviously something that is being taken advantage of and has been taken advantage of in the past. Let's not forget 3 of the 4 hijacked planes on 911 had their transponders turned off too.

Just wondering, there has to be a reason for it. Maybe if the transponder malfunctions it can cause other serious issues? I don't know. Regardless they need to figure something out otherwise this is going to continue to be a vulnerability that hijackers or terrorists can take advantage of.

Two reasons I've read: One, as you mention, is in case in malfunctions. Apparently it can cause problems if left on in that case. Two, with a bunch of planes at the airport, you want to turn it off when not landing/taking off to reduce airwave traffic and interference.