Malaysia Airlines plane goes missing

[SaffaClint]

I've read online that families have been making calls to their relatives onboard the flight and the calls are ringing through but not being answered? That's just weird! If the plane was down or in pieces then surely the calls would go straight to answer phone? Very very odd situation.

 

[thewitt]

I find these reports hard to believe, as there are no cell towers in the South China Sea. I've been out there in a boat. No coverage.

I wonder if they are just getting a telco ring - which is not unheard of in China - when the phone is actually out of service range.

 

[tgtt]

I'm flying from Malaysia to China next month. Talk about being a little concerned... The safety record of the 777-200 is such that I cannot believe this was simply a structural failure. The fact that no one has taken credit for a terrorist act by now leads me to believe however that it was not terrorism...but you never know.

I had read, don't remember where and it was just the headline, that the suspected plane had a collision with another on the ground. On the phone now so not gonna research but, if that's true, it could've very well had some damage and someone made a horrible decision to let it fly.

 

[thewitt]

It did, some time ago. The wing was damaged, and repaired by Boeing.

 

[tgtt]

It did, some time ago. The wing was damaged, and repaired by Boeing.

I see. It had flown since repairs too? If so, how many times?

 

[O'Carroll]

It did, some time ago. The wing was damaged, and repaired by Boeing.

That was the same plane? I knew it was the same airline, but I didn't realize that was the actual plane involved in that collision.

 

[thewitt]

That was the same plane? I knew it was the same airline, but I didn't realize that was the actual plane involved in that collision.

Yeah, same plane...

 

[thewitt]

I see. It had flown since repairs too? If so, how many times?

The damage was back in 2012 so it's been back in service quite some time. No idea how many flight hours.

 

[Girardcorp]

The combination of the plane just vanishing and the passports logically would imply that something nefarious probably occurred. If there was some kind of failure at 35000 feet (outside the wing falling off etc) the pilots should be able to troubleshoot and get it down safely. Can't speak to Malaysian airport security so maybe something got through. Terrible regardless

 

[DawgDaddy]

What happened to the "black box"? I thought those could survive anything, seems they could track that to me, of course I am assuming they have some type of transmitter as well as being a flight data recorder.

 

[#Cookie]

I understand the oil slicks that could be related to this but I've only seen reports of a single possible piece of debris.

If this plane crashed into the ocean, would not debris be floating for miles?

 

[thewitt]

Malaysia Airlines plane goes missing

I'm surprised if this was terrorists that they have not claimed the act yet. Locally the Uighur's in China are suspect, but nothing concrete of course.

The biggest problem here with security would be corruption. Very easy to bribe your way into just about anything here.

One of the stolen passports was "lost" as it was used to secure a bicycle rental or motorbike rental in KL. Very bad idea....and of course it disappeared. I suspect it was sold, as passports are a high value commodity in this part of the world.

 

[thewitt]

I understand the oil slicks that could be related to this but I've only seen reports of a single possible piece of debris.

If this plane crashed into the ocean, would not debris be floating for miles?

None of the debris so far has been from the plane. If it exploded at 35,000 feet, I would expect lots of floating debris as well

 

[thewitt]

What happened to the "black box"? I thought those could survive anything, seems they could track that to me, of course I am assuming they have some type of transmitter as well as being a flight data recorder.

The transponder went dark, so they cannot locate the black box by that. They will have to recover it from the wreckage once found.

 

[#Cookie]

None of the debris so far has been from the plane. If it exploded at 35,000 feet, I would expect lots of floating debris as well

Apparently there was a yellow object floating thought to maybe be a door but now it can't be located and they say it's not connected to this.

This is simply unfathomable.

 

[Girardcorp]

I understand the oil slicks that could be related to this but I've only seen reports of a single possible piece of debris.

If this plane crashed into the ocean, would not debris be floating for miles?

The last time something like this happened from what i can remember, TWA 800, it was a lot lower to the ground going over long island sound, but it did leave a huge debris field. No explanation here why nothing has been spotted; certainly would be floating.

 

[deuce]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/10/opinion/palmer-malaysia-aircraft-air-france/index.html?hpt=hp_t4

Even with a dual engine failure, a Boeing 777 is capable of gliding about 120 miles from that altitude. This yields a search area roughly the size of Pennsylvania, with few clues within that area where remains of the aircraft might be.

 

[SHIFTY]

It has been reported that two passengers who were listed on the plane's manifest - an Italian and an Austrian - were not actually on the flight.
They both reportedly had their passports stolen in Thailand.

Could be terrorists, or could be people using those to escape something. I had no idea, but up to 40 million passports/travel documents, out there are fakes or stolen. Wow.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/09/stolen-passports-malaysia-flight/6230767/
Either way, I hope we find out soon, and people can get closure if the worst case scenario is true.

 

[Kutros]

The Air France Flight 447 that went down back in 2009 was similar to this. There plane just vanished off of radar and was never seen again. Looks like wreckage was found five days after the wreck, but it took them two years to find the black box. This was just a few years ago too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France_Flight_447

 

[deuce]

Now looks like the plane was traveling in the opposite direction of where it should have been.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/11/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

WTF this is such a mess.

 

[Smallville]

I just saw that too.

 

[tequila4kapp]

Now looks like the plane was traveling in the opposite direction of where it should have been.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/11/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

WTF this is such a mess.

Yes, but recall the article posted above from the pilot who said changing direction would not be unexpected at all because the pilot's primary responsibility in an emergency situation is to control (i.e., don't let it crash) the plane. The same thing applies to communication, apparently.

 

[deuce]

Yes, but recall the article posted above from the pilot who said changing direction would not be unexpected at all because the pilot's primary responsibility in an emergency situation is to control (i.e., don't let it crash) the plane. The same thing applies to communication, apparently.

Yeah, if true however it just means the bulk of the search is focused in the wrong area. If I had to bet money, it was an explosive depressurization, they tried to regain control and then autopilot dropped them into the sea who knows where. Sucks for all linked to this tragedy.

 

[Girardcorp]

Malaysia Airlines plane goes missing

Didn't they fly southeast for another hour? That's not decompression. Time to refocus on hijacking. If it was mechanical they would've flown towards one of those airport things not the middle of the strait of malacca with no transponder on.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SHIFTY]

Apparently their phones still ring when dialed.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus