Malaysia 777 Missing

[blues deville]

CNN has now mentioned lithium batteries as a possible cause.

"Among the things being considered is whether lithium batteries in the cargo hold, which have been blamed in previous crashes, played a role in the disappearance, according to U.S. officials briefed on the latest developments in the investigation. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release details to the media.

If the batteries being carried on the plane caused a fire, it still doesn't fully explain other anomalies with Flight 370, the officials say."

[vanishing point]

Likely because you can not just jump into a "moth balled" aircraft and turn the key to start it.

True but there's enough aircraft available on the market that are capable of doing what was proposed. Hijacking an aircraft just because it's needed for such a plan? I don't see it.

[YYCMatt]

Officials now admitting this was intentional. It flew for at least 7.5 hours!!

[props2you]

This couple with AF447 will certainly lead to a continuous data feed from new a/c to satellites, that cannot be easily disabled. A real time streaming black box.

[JohnGJB]

Long time reader - first time poster: This has been very interesting reading.

It is further interesting to note that there has been no recall of the 22 Nov, 1996 event wherein Ethiopian 976, a B767-200ER was hijacked enroute from Addis Ababa to Nairobi. Youtube carries a video of the aircraft crash landing into the sea in front of the beaches of Comoros. My theory has been that a hijacking took place and the 777 was selected as an ultra-long-range aircraft to do this. So, if the aircraft was highjacked, the bad guys assumed incorrectly that the airplane was fully fuelled to about 18+ hours range, thereby giving them (they thought) a very long run of escape with the jet landing somewhere far, far away. SAR efforts would have been fully confused.

However, by various reports, and at the time unknown to the highjackers, who had assumed full fuel, the jet was fuelled only to 5-7.5 hours range, much less than may have been expected. Hence the landing in the Indian Ocean/Bay of Bengal. As for "who" and "how", the crew may have been "selected" some time much previous to the day of departure, and in flight were under tremendous duress to do as commanded, whether physically threatened, blackmailed, or by of threats against family members, of which those threatened may have been fully unaware.

Just another theory, based on Ethiopian 961......

[Boney]

This couple with AF447 will certainly lead to a continuous data feed from new a/c to satellites, that cannot be easily disabled. A real time streaming black box.

Connected directly to the hot batt bus, so even if one turned off the batt switch, it's still powered. Of course, one can have other parameters to prevent it from sending useless data, like when it's parked.

[AAS]

http://flyht.com

This company in YYC have a product that transmits data from aircraft. Their stock price has jumped in the last couple of days.

[Guest longtimer]

There has been some talk about if the plane was highjacked why wouldn't the passengers riot and break into the cockpit.

Not knowing anything about the systems but couldn't whoever was in the cockpit don a O2 mask and then depressurize the aircraft and repressurized it once all of those in the passenger cabin were dead?

Grim thought but /////

[Guest]

My theory has been that a hijacking took place and the 777 was selected as an ultra-long-range aircraft to do this. So, if the aircraft was highjacked, the bad guys assumed incorrectly that the airplane was fully fuelled to about 18+ hours range, thereby giving them (they thought) a very long run of escape with the jet landing somewhere far, far away. SAR efforts would have been fully confused.

However, by various reports, and at the time unknown to the highjackers, who had assumed full fuel, the jet was fuelled only to 5-7.5 hours range, much less than may have been expected.

My only thought here is why would they assume it would be fully fuelled for a relatively short flight? And given the complexity of the presumed hijacking, surely the aggressors (cowards) would have known what the uplift for the flight was going to be in advance. It would not be hard to find out.

Something doesn't fit here.

[blues deville]

I think there several things that don't fit. Until they locate a wreckage and examine the FDR/CVR, I don't know how they can make any claims of a hi-jacking or a transponder being intentionally turned off.

[Don Hudson]

There are discussions taking place in some quarters concerning hacking the FCS. I'm not qualified to judge the veracity of statements and assumptions made but I do know that the people involved are experts in their respective fields and if anyone would know whether the notion is even feasible, they would. And this is a B777 - 1990's technology...I wonder what Special Conditions Boeing required if any, regarding protection against hackability of the AIMS data bus through which most data traffic goes?

[acsidestick]

Moon, I strongly agree.

[Guest longtimer]

since the aircraft recently had an "A" check, is there any compartment that is opened for the check which normally not be subject to any security checks but would be accessible during flight that might be used to secrete items that would be used during a high jacking ?

Please no details, just a yes or no. Just curious....

[Guest]

Umm... have you folks seen what is available on Google?

I agree that we shouldn't be the conduit of knowledge, however...

There isn't much of anything that isn't available publicly anymore.

[Zan Vetter]

And there's a 200+ page thread going on PPRUNE on the topic, so I wouldn't worry too much about this dusty corner.

[Moon The Loon]

And there's a 200+ page thread going on PPRUNE on the topic, so I wouldn't worry too much about this dusty corner.

Perhaps. 15 years ago, I was quite involved in the airliners.net tech forum. I was careful with what I posted, I thought. Less than 6 months after the "event", it was revealed that at least one of those involved in the hijackings learned things from that forum - training facilities, some technical issues,...

It just made me more sensitive to discussing some type specific stuff. Access ports to sensitive parts of the aircraft is high on my list. I say this with absolutely no disrespect to the poster, a former colleague!

[mrlupin]

An interesting analysis from a controversial writer.

What is interesting is that he does a good analysis of the behind the scene possibilities ...

http://charleshughsmith.blogspot.ca/2014/03/what-happened-to-flight-370-analysis-of.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+google/RzFQ+%28oftwominds%29

[GDR]

Interestingly enough it turns out that the last transmission, (alright goodnight), was made after the ACARS had been turned off which indicates that whoever it was that made that transmission is involved in the incident, unless it was one of the pilots in which case they may have had a gun to their head. Presumably they will be able to tell if it was one of the pilots or not. The fact that they are searching the pilot's homes leads you to think that it was the voice of one of them.

I have to think that they will eventually find another satellite or two that will have received a ping from the aircraft and they will be able to narrow down the route that it took. It is slow work but they are making progress.

[blues deville]

Maybe not a good idea to put that stuff here? Just a thought...!

Deleted. However, I just googled the topic and it's amazing how much technical information is available on the internet.

[blues deville]

An interesting analysis from a controversial writer.

What is interesting is that he does a good analysis of the behind the scene possibilities ...

http://charleshughsmith.blogspot.ca/2014/03/what-happened-to-flight-370-analysis-of.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+google/RzFQ+(oftwominds)

Interesting article and it looks like the writer has good taste in guitars.

[blues deville]

Interestingly enough it turns out that the last transmission, (alright goodnight), was made after the ACARS had been turned off which indicates that whoever it was that made that transmission is involved in the incident, unless it was one of the pilots in which case they may have had a gun to their head. Presumably they will be able to tell if it was one of the pilots or not. The fact that they are searching the pilot's homes leads you to think that it was the voice of one of them.

I have to think that they will eventually find another satellite or two that will have received a ping from the aircraft and they will be able to narrow down the route that it took. It is slow work but they are making progress.

Yes the "alright, good night" comment has stuck in my mind since I read it in the news. It doesn't sound like a phrase you would hear from a Malaysian pilot. Not usually casual on the radio or elsewhere.

[GDR]

It does seem to me that if the airplane had been forcibly hijacked that some passenger or crew member would have gotten a message out somehow. It would have happened while they were still overland and presumably within cell phone range. It appears that the Americans are focusing on the pilots.

[blues deville]

It does seem to me that if the airplane had been forcibly hijacked that some passenger or crew member would have gotten a message out somehow. It would have happened while they were still overland and presumably within cell phone range. It appears that the Americans are focusing on the pilots.

Another good point. There was no radio call received or reported by other aircraft in the area. And there are lots of late night departures heading north from airports in the region.

Certainly a mystery but this news from Canada.com may help out the over 90 aircraft and ships.

"A U.S. P-8A Poseidon, the most advanced long-range anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare aircraft in the world, was to arrive over the weekend and sweep parts of the Indian Ocean, the U.S. Defence Department said in a statement."

[boestar]

I just read an article (I dont have the link) I am not sure I would post it anyway because I think I am actually dumber for reading it.

His theory is that an American AWACS aircraft jammed all transmission from the aircraft and took control of it remotely all in order to get rid of some important passengers. (UGH)

Although one thing I do find interesting. if in fact the plane did turn west and over the indian ocean, then the depth of the water there would make recovery near impossible. If I wanted to "get rid of the evidence" then the south china sea wouldn't be the place to do it due to the relatively shallow water. Turn west for a few hours and voila the Bay of Bengal is significantly deeper. Where would you try to hide a big jet if there was something you didn't want anyone to find?

[mo32a]

^If the intention was to crash the aircraft why bother going all the way to the Indian ocean, point the nose down and go in.

What would anyone on board want to hide from discovery, the deed is done.

If it was a hijacking why is no one taking credit, this wouldn't be a lone wolf, it would have to be a meticulously planned event.

If it was an intentional act rather than an accident my money would be on a crew member. The erratic altitudes and directions that were reported initially could be caused by someone fighting for control of the aircraft from someone else.