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Original poster

Another flight has gone missing

95 replies

crapcrapcrapcrap · 28/12/2014 07:31

uk.mobile.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKKBN0K601G20141228

:(

OP posts:
YonicSleighdriver · 28/12/2014 23:26

It's still front page on the bbc mobile site.

YonicSleighdriver · 28/12/2014 23:30

Hmm, Fox News...

BBC has a quote about possible iced pitot tubes, which was the Air France issue.

HoneyB, I never saw anything about MH370 having to open hatches to switch off systems - when did that come out?

Opopanax · 29/12/2014 00:12

How on earth can it be to do with the metric system? That might just be the maddest thing I have ever heard!

Yonic, read the MH370 threads. There is loads about it in there. Really interesting stuff about how planes actually work, too.

Stealthpolarbear · 29/12/2014 07:09

54 posts on this thread. I'm sure the other was filling up by now.
Hope they get news in the next day or 2

TheHoneyBadger · 29/12/2014 07:27

right - several sites yesterday were reporting a leaked satellite image from the search and rescue mission showing wreckage near an island that would correspond with the 'strange flight pattern' requested. but there's been no follow up. there's also one relative whose said they received a text saying all was well they'd had to make an emergency landing and the airline is looking into that apparently. i really do hope for a rational, speedy outcome.

opop - it wasn't specific to that flight it was all flights i think - it was clarifying what the actual procedure involved in turning off the system was because had received the impression it was a flip a switch thing when of course it isn't because why would that system ever need or want to be so easily switch offable? in the case of hijack or pilot sabotage or whatever you wouldn't want them to just go oh i'll reach out press a button and make us invisible to air traffic control. there is no benefit to designing the system to be turned off by the pilot - really it just needs to be accessed by engineers and people who check things are working, do maintenance etc.

YonicSleighdriver · 29/12/2014 08:17

Stealth, in the first couple of days for MH370 they were searching the sea where they had last contact (South China sea, I think) because it initially seemed like a "simple" plane loss, it took a while for the military data and then the handshake stuff to get investigated, IIRC.

YonicSleighdriver · 29/12/2014 08:21

So there probably wasn't a lot to "discuss" initially on here (plus MN is a bit quieter over Xmas)

YonicSleighdriver · 29/12/2014 08:26

Honey, I thought the pilots had the ability to pull the circuit breaker in case of malfunction or interference. I was on the MH370 threads and don't remember anything about hatches.

YonicSleighdriver · 29/12/2014 08:38

Current thinking is that it is in the sea but that the sea floor is not too deep:
m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-30620647

TheHoneyBadger · 29/12/2014 08:40

iirc it came later than that yonic - i may be wrong. i think it was something i had clarified for me after it quietened down on the mn thread but was still being discussed by manufacturers etc who were actually more forthcoming later on.

i distinctly remember reading about it and seeing someone on a news show explain the procedure but i'm currently recovering from flu and starting out on meds to prevent migraine that cause a bit of brain fog initially so must admit i cannot bring to mind the name of the system in question so i can even go search for the info.

YonicSleighdriver · 29/12/2014 08:43

No worries Honey, hope you get well soon!

WildBillfemale · 29/12/2014 08:51

All aircraft have pitot tubes I can't fathom why A320s are so problematic and supposedly Airbus modified all the A320 pitots after it was found to be a factor in the the AirFrance crash. Also they requested a climb to avoid bad weather (completely normal) it wasn't permitted as another aircraft was on the above flight level and would have conflicted (again completely normal). They possibly had no choice but to fly through bad weather, even if they tried to skirt the cells storms can be embedded.

Aircraft can withstand lightening strikes in that they won't break up mid air but they can knock out all the avionics which on a 'Flybywire' A320 is hugely problematic.
SAR have to be within a certain radius of the locator beacon to pick it up.
Pilots getting metric and imperial mixed up is very rare but does happen - remembers chaos and many go arounds at Gatwick some years ago when a pilot effed up flight levels because of this.

rip people - a tragic 'chain of events' accident.

TheHoneyBadger · 29/12/2014 09:03

so the wreckage will be where then in your expert opinion?

WildBillfemale · 29/12/2014 09:04

impression it was a flip a switch thing when of course it isn't because why would that system ever need or want to be so easily switch offable? in the case of hijack or pilot sabotage or whatever you wouldn't want them to just go oh i'll reach out press a button and make us invisible to air traffic control. there is no benefit to designing the system to be turned off by the pilot

The transponder makes the aircraft identifiable to ATC, (aircraft type, registration, which airline, all traceable to a flight plan, POB etc)

If an aircraft is not transponding but flying it is still visible to ATC on Radar.

If the aircraft is no longer flying then it's not visible on radar which sadly appears to be the case here.
Any emergency landing would have been called in hours ago.

TheHoneyBadger · 29/12/2014 09:06

and yet that wasn't the case with the malaysian airways flight. i haven't seen you on mn since that incident - nice to see you again.

WildBillfemale · 29/12/2014 09:06

so the wreckage will be where then in your expert opinion

That's one for SAR, my expertise is as a pilot

WildBillfemale · 29/12/2014 09:07

I've never commented on any other aviation incident on mumsnet. You are confusing me with someone else.

TheHoneyBadger · 29/12/2014 09:07

that flight disappeared from atc screens - not just it's flight no. and details etc - it disappeared completely hence being assumed to have crashed but now is alleged to have flown for a further 7 hours or so is it?

ArabellaStrange · 29/12/2014 09:08

So a lightning strike would knock out the systems that transmit a location to traffic control?
In regards to MH370, was this not considered a possibility due to the fact its electronic handshakes continued to function?

TheHoneyBadger · 29/12/2014 09:08

oh right sorry to have confused you with another poster!

TheHoneyBadger · 29/12/2014 09:13

as a pilot then - how does one turn off a transponder?

deadwitchproject · 29/12/2014 09:20

Just switched on the news and saw this. So awful, those poor people and their families Sad

WildBillfemale · 29/12/2014 09:20

HoneyBadger go over to PPRUNE and ask such questions, you'll probably find no-one will answer that there either, and yes you have confused me with another poster!

I'll leave you to your conspiracy theories ladies...........

GoofyIsACow · 29/12/2014 09:43

Conspiracy theories?? Where...? Confused

plinkyplonks · 29/12/2014 09:52

This is the most helpful site I go to for latest updates and not just media speculation:

avherald.com/h?article=47f6abc7&opt=0