Missing Malaysia Air plane MH370 - Part 3

[KenAdams]

Thread 1

Thread 2

Doctrine, no I think it ditched in the Indian Ocean, but there are reports of the plane flying at 5000 feet and as we don't know where it was flying, I suppose it is possible that it was within reach of a tower at some point. If it was flying near to towers, a jammer would have prevented any contact by mobile phone. That would be a lot easier than trying to prevent over 200 passengers using their mobiles.

Not if you collect the phones before hand by threatening a hostage with a knife/gun/garrotte.

I agree trixy. I don't even think the authorities expect to find them alive. I think it's interesting having all these scenarios but most are far fetched and the most likely is that it's in the sea. The probability of them being somewhere etc as hostages etc must be so low to the point of unlikely,

During the news conferences, they've reiterated they are not withholding info and have had no contact at all from anyone. Surely that rules out a terrorist group. Talk of using the plane etc seem so ott to me. There are much easier ways of doing things. Often when there's unusual cases, it's turns out to be the simplest thing. Other than the pilots, I imagine it could have been one crazed individual threatening the pilots somehow.

Still don't think everyone would hand in their phones. Wouldn't be able to see what everyone is doing behind their seats. Could send a quick SOS.

We'll have to agree to disagree.

Also the flying at 5000ft is just a rumor it was announced today which Malaysia investigators know nothing about

edition.cnn.com/2014/03/17/world/asia/malaysia-plane-up-to-speed/

Does anyone know for a fact that these two pilots actually boarded the plane, and were not substituted by somebody else at any point?

Occam's razor jamontoast. The simplest theory is the most likely.

The glimmer of hope with all these theories is just making it all far worse for the poor families . As much as I hope beyond hope that they are all safe somewhere the likelihood is vanishingly small.

I read that it would be super difficult to fly a 777 at 5000 ft, especially in the dark.

Yes, I assume it's in the ocean somewhere, either because that was the plan all along or because of a struggle or because of error perhaps.

Eta but they wouldnt be able to send a quick SOS because their phones wouldnt work at that height!

Did the pilot's wife actually leave him the day before? I've seen reports that she and their children 'left the house' but that could have been on holiday or something? If it is confirmed that she actually left him (ie relationship breakdown) then surely that is a major signal as to what has gone on.

Boiled, would the message send though when the plane later came within reach of a tower?

Not on my phone it doesn't - I have to hit "try again"

I am moving away from Ledgerwood's theory of travelling in the shadow of the Siberian plane after Goldie's explanation of TCAS.

I'm veering towards the depressurisation scenario/lack of O2 addling the flight crew's brains so that what should have been a turnback to KL wasn't put into the plane's navigation systems properly. The transponder/ACARS turned off instead of being put on standby while the pilots tried to get their oxygen to work. The plane flew on till it ran out of fuel & ditched in a sea(Indian Ocean)

"Does anyone know for a fact that these two pilots actually boarded the plane, and were not substituted by somebody else at any point?"

They've got CCTV of them moving though the airport. If you are postulating a last minute switch close the the gate, where are the real ones? And were all the other crew (any of whom could have known the real ones and thus raised the alarm before take off) in the plot too?

Quint cctv has shown the pilots being scanned etc in security, so any substutute would have to be late

Pilot suicide seems the most likely explanation to me. The only thing troubling me is why would the pilot head for the Indian Ocean? I know it's super deep and would make finding the wreckage much more difficult, but would he be that rational in his planning? If he was suicidal because of politics/relationship breakdown, surely he wouldn't really care where he ditched the plane. If he wanted to make a political statement, why didn't he crash it into the tallest building in Kuala Lumpur?

Doctrine, my phone just keeps trying until it finds a signal, so sometimes it takes an age to send a text, but they get sent eventually. I just presumed that all phones did that.

Doesn't that run the battery down loads?

"During the news conferences, they've reiterated they are not withholding info and have had no contact at all from anyone. Surely that rules out a terrorist group. Talk of using the plane etc seem so ott to me. There are much easier ways of doing things."

Maybe. But if they had further plans, or their plan went wrong, they wouldn't want to let the authorities know exactly what was/is planned.

Hijack situations used to be like that - hold hostages, make demands. 9/11 changed that.

Doctrine, it probably does actually. I always seem to be low on battery.

hey i just wanted to ask a quick question about phones.....

Read somewhere that the Americans think that this is just a test run for the real thing.

doctrine it just sits in the outbox and periodically tries again or auto sends as soon as it regains a signal.