Malaysian Jet

Citing Inmarsat data they now say the flight ended in the south Indian ocean.

I have to believe it was suicide by one of the pilots and the only thing that makes sense is he wanted to make it as hard as possible to recover the remains.

Quote: chickenman

I have to believe it was suicide by one of the pilots ...

It may have been suicide as part of a dry run to make people around the world afraid to fly.

Quote: Pacomartin

It may have been suicide as part of a dry run to make people around the world afraid to fly.

I think if it was a terrorist act, part of it failed to implement properly -- that is getting the message out. About the only thing it put me off of so far is the competence of Malaysia in an accident investigation. Even still, if I had a scheduled flight there, I would still get on it. I wouldn't cancel.

Quote: rxwine

I think if it was a terrorist act, part of it failed to implement properly -- that is getting the message out.

In this scenario there was no message, because the terrorists intend to do this to several jets at once, possibly directing them towards cities. Without the ability to control the planes, the military would have to make the terrible decision to shoot down passenger jets.

But, if this plane was the only target, then I agree that it is an act of mass murder, but it sends no clear message.

Question for anyone who knows.

What if the people who can fly that plane are dead but the passengers are alive and have a couple hours left, but communications are out. Any chance at all for them?

A few days ago, American Chris Goodfellow had written his simple case on his Google+ page on what he believed happened to the missing aircraft. Goodfellow had based his theory on the key information of the turn back move shortly after the aircraft had left Malaysian airspace off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. His theory suggests that all relevant officials, investigators and the international media are overthinking the incident behind the disappearance of flight MH370.

Based on Goodfellow's theory, the following is what could have transpired on board the aircraft, and more specifically in the cockpit:

Shortly after takeoff, as MAS flight MH370 was flying out over the South China Sea, smoke began filling the cockpit, perhaps from a tyre on the front landing gear that had ignited on take-off.

The captain immediately did exactly what he had been trained to do, that is to find the closest airport and turn the plane toward it so he could land.

The closest appropriate airport was in Pulau Langkawi, as it had a massive 13,000-foot runway that could cater for the Boeing 777-200. The pilot was likely to have known that beforehand, as any experienced pilot with more than 18,000 flying hours under his belt would.

The captain programmed the destination into the flight computer. The auto-pilot turned the plane west and put it on a course right for the runway.

The pilot did not consider returning to Kuala Lumpur International Airport because the plane would have to cross over a 2000' mountain range in between. He knew the terrain to Langkawi would be friendlier (400' elevation, 65 miles of land) and also a shorter distance to cover.

The captain and co-pilot tried to find the source of the smoke and fire, but it soon filled the cockpit and overwhelmed them (a tyre fire would do this).

Such a fire could also short-circuit the cockpit systems one by one, including the transponder. Quite possibly, both pilots had passed out or died by then.

With no one awake to instruct the auto-pilot to land, the plane kept flying on its last programmed course... right over Pulau Langkawi and out over the Indian Ocean.

Eventually, six or seven hours after the incident, it ran out of fuel and crashed.

Quote: rxwine

Question for anyone who knows.

What if the people who can fly that plane are dead but the passengers are alive and have a couple hours left, but communications are out. Any chance at all for them?

In the USA anyways there is something like an >80% chance that there is some other pilot onboard, might not be rated on that kind of plane, but qualified enough to fly it and know what to do when communication is knocked out.

Quote: Pacomartin

A few days ago, American Chris Goodfellow had written his simple case on his Google+ page on what he believed happened to the missing aircraft.

This scenario makes a lot of assumptions to be confirmed, such as that a tire fire could do these things. [I know it is not your theory, but Goodfellow's]

Somehow they know that the new flight plan was put in by computer. If that is factual, it is a pretty calm reaction to the problem without radioing a mayday. OK, the automatic course plotter worked but the fire got the radio. He can keep answering any objections like this with an answer like this.

It seems unlikely that a fire would coincidentally do things just so to mimic exactly what somebody would do who just wanted to cut off all communications and fly the plane somewhere unknown.

The strongest objection is that the plane kept flying for eight hours with a quick acting, devastating fire like that.

Everybody is saying, though, it is so weird, nobody should rule anything out. This is possible.

Agree. Probably a plausible scenario so awaiting analysis by experts to weigh in on the actual possibility this chain of events is even possible.

So, BBB... now that the Malaysian official has 'declared' that the plane went down in the ocean, do you owe me $10?