Missing Flight Mh370

[Eve]

Just unimaginable thinking about the loss of life in this tragedy.

There are thoughts, obviously just that at this stage, that terrorism may be a possible cause, especially now they have identified four stolen passports having been used by passengers on the flight.

I will be honest in that I don't have much knowledge of politics in that part of the world. I know that there have been terrorist incidents but who could be behind this kind of a tragedy, if it does turn out to be an act of terrorism?

[jomifl]

Mobile phones at sea level do not have sufficent power to be picked up more than a few miles away assuming that there is an antenna in line of sight. Digital mobiles have in my experience about half the range of analogue mobiles (if any still exist)

[pusskin]

Would it be absolutely impossible for the plane to be floating some where in that great space of sea. Air pockets perhaps?

[EDDIE51]

pusskin. Yes impossible, it can float for 30 mins max and that only if it was a controlled 'ditching' in a flat calm sea.

[EDDIE51]

76 pages of comments on PPRUNE now including some intresting theorys
http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/535538-malaysian-airlines-mh370-contact-lost.html
Remember this is a site for aviation professionals , they are in better position to comment than most on AB ( apart from Clanad of course)

[237SJ]

Not always Eddie. There are a lot of "plane spotter" types on there as well and one Professional I spoke to last night (a b777) pilot, thought the plane had been shot down by the Koreans so they`re not always right!

[puddle-duck]

If the transponder were switched off, wouldn't the plane still show up on radar? I thought the transponder just gave out information, such as make, type of aircraft, speed and altitude.

Also if the plane broke apart in mid-air wouldn't that be picked up on radar?

Another thing that baffles me is according to a sky news report they are searching a body of water 100's of miles to the west of Kuala Lumpur. I thought the plane left Kuala Lumpur and was heading north to Beijing. So why are they searching over a body of water the plane wasn't even supposed to be flying over?

[Prudie]

There was some suggestion from radar that the plane may have made a turn shortly before it disappeared puddle-duck. It's all such a mystery.

[237SJ]

The transponder identifies the aircraft and if it was switched off, it would still show up on radar. It would probably also show up on radar if it fell from the sky in large pieces (so I`m told)

[Bazile]

//The glide performance does change with altitude as well as airspeed. Additionally, most twin engine large jets (read B-777) are equipped with a RAT… an emergency ram air turbine that extends automatically in the event of loss of both engines. It provides emergency electrical and/or hydraulic power but adds a lot of drag and the glide ratio would suffer dramatically. It cannot be retracted except on the ground//

clanad - I remember watching a film where both engines were out of operation and with the help of that device to provide electricity for some of the instruments ; the pilot was able to glide the aircraft to a safe landing

The film was based on a real life incident - do you recall the event ?

[EDDIE51]

No radar that far out of anyones airspace, it failed to enter China's airspace.
The only way to track it that far out would be the transponder.' Flightradar24' (which despite the name does not use radar) was tracking it via transponder when it suddenly dsappeared.

[modeller]

Apparently only the USA checks passports against them being reported as stolen.. So that's all right then. ! What a farce ! However I think I'm right in saying it's only the Israelis who do a proper check on the photo as well as all the other details.

[237SJ]

There is a worldwide database of stolen passport info. You would think the Chinese would have checked because when API is sent from the airline (when the flight departs), the info goes to the destination authorities so that they can check who is trying to get into their country (undesirables etc) and they can chellenge them accordingly. Someone is being lax somewhere.

[EDDIE51]

I think the stolen passports are a red herring , they were far more likedly being used to get a illegal immigrants into Europe , both the stolen passport customers were booked onwards to Europe.

[Prudie]

Bazile I think that's 'Freefall Flight 174' (I'm a sucker for flying films). It was based on a real Air Canada incident.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider

[Bazile]

Aye Prudie - that looks like the one

[puddle-duck]

237SJ & Prudie thanks for the replies. It is indeed a mystery, just hope they find some answers soon for the sake of the families.

[Hopkirk]

I supect it is a re-run of the Air France A330 that fell out of the sky.

[237SJ]

I`m not sure.. but personally, I think whether the aircraft turned back or didn`t turn back is significant ( assuming the info about that is correct)

[Hopkirk]

It may have turned, but was that a controlled turn?

[237SJ]

Well, yes. As I asked in a previous post. Was it a wide arc ( which says controlled turn) or was it a smaller arc which is says "uncontrolled"? It`s a mystery isn`t it?