Missing Malaysia Air plane MH370 - Part 3

[KenAdams]

Thread 1

Thread 2

"But, if you don't look for it then, let it go dead, then try and 'backdate' your search, can you find anything out?"

Committing a bit a MN sin here by starting with "my DH says", but he used to be a software engineer for a mobile phone company and he says:

The tower receives the packets (chunks of data) from the phone and keeps a record of that via the IMEI, so, yes, if they know the IMEI of people's phones (which they wouldn't know automatically but could find out via finding their mobile numbers and getting the IMEI from the company, so theoretically they could search the big database for the numbers and cross-locate which tower the phone was seen on.

If there's a "missed call" logged for a phone assumed to be on the plane, then that could mean that the plane was, at the relevant time, at a low enough altitude for a signal to get through to it

• I think it's explained up thread that this isn't correct - but also, phones should be off or in flight mode anyway so all calls "can't reach" the phone.

"civilisation and people who can see a plane land!"

This might be a train for choosing a night flight. Small airport, irregular schedule, and it's dark; no-one will see the plane's livery on the way down.

It would be a bit of an over sight to go to The trouble of switching off satellite comms on the plane etc.
Then landing the plane within range of cell phone masts and everyone's iPhone chirping away with the location.

Even in the smallest airport (and it would have to have a big enough runway) air traffic control et al would spot an unexpected 777...

If this is in fact the work of a terrorist group, what are the chances that any members of that group are reading and contributing to one of the Internet threads this thread ?

If it is a cyber attack, it is going to have huge ramifications long after this may be resolved.

Meditrina - I live within a couple of miles of an airfield.
I know when they've got events on due to the increase in noise.
I'd notice a f*cling great 777 flying in the area.

I'm learning a lot from these threads, including things I didn't know that I didn't know, if you see what I mean.

gin, of course you'd notice. But would you know if that plane was meant to be there (given you expect them to be there sometimes) and can you identify the livery in th dark?

No, but you might remember it when there's a massive hunt for a missing plane going on...

I'm not really buying all the terrorist theories. I think what happened is that the pilot went postal due to the stress of his wife leaving. Killed the co pilot. Tried out all the manoeuvres he had tried on his simulator but could never do in real life. I.e. flying at 45,000 feet then at 5,000 feet and then set the plane to fly into the sunset so to speak and killed himself. Either the passengers and cabin crew couldn't get into the cockpit or could and couldn't contact anyone or do anything to save themselves.

I also think whatever happened we may never find out the truth.

There's also the possibility of disused, but viable, airfields in remote areas. If that area is in the hands of a rebel group, any locals who observed the landing of a very large aircraft might decide it's in their best interest to say nothing.

But that goes back to a question I posed earlier, which I hope Goldie can answer: If it's a disused aircraft, then presumably there's no ILS. Could a 777 be landed on visuals only?

It depends - if you're used to planes going over from time to time, you really don't register the day/time (especially if you don't hear about the event until one or two days after, and then it's adult her 5 days before you realise the search is anywhere near your location). And I bet you haven't clocked the livery because it's dark.

BTW: anyone here know what emergency landing strips were built in Aceh post-tsunami? Especially those strong enough to take huge planes fully laden with aid?

(disused airfield)

Tend to agree with Trixy. But out of interest, would it have been possible to jam all phones on the plane?

Etain, why would you need to jam them? No reception at altitude/over ocean/in remote area? Gather all phones after hijack and kill anyone who you spot reaching for their spare phone after that.

Have been reading these threads for days, so much more information here than anywhere else! I can't really contribute any more, except that I think the pilot's wife moving out was proved incorrect - but I can't remember where I saw that so I'm not very useful

alcibiades Ithink (not 100% sure) that on the previous thread Goldie said it would be impossible or v v difficult. Apologies if I'm wrong.

Heart really goes out to passengers, crew and families, so horrific for all involved.

All sorts of jammers exist. But how would you get one unnoticed though security?

Ppose the eventual way and place the plane falls out of the sky is irrelevant of you are simply testing if your cyber attack workamd you won't want to,claim responsibility if you have other plans for using such a technology on future.

What does a phone jammer look like?
If its just an electronic box you could just put it in your hand luggage.
I've flown with hair straighteners, phone charger, laptop etc in my hand luggage.

Doctrine, if it was a hijack situation, surely one of the passengers would have tried to send a text. If the plane was flying low and towards the north west as reported, surely it would've been in within reach of a tower at some point. Of course, if it was pilot suicide (and the other pilot had been killed/knocked unconscious), the passengers and crew could have been told that the plane was changing direction for some other reason and then wouldn't have tried to alert anyone.

But what use would a phone jammer be?

If it flew at 5000 feet or whatever over an area with a cell tower, it flew 5000 feet over a populated area, those being the ones with cell towers.

Do you think the flight did that?

I doubt it but so much unbelievable stuff has happened its hard to know what's truly unbelievable anymore.

I'm trying not to think about the passengers (& the children on board) as when the thoughts creep in it's too awful

I hope they never knew what was happening and 'just' crashed.