Flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing lost contact. 239 on board. (1 Viewer)

SlowerThanPlatt

Well-Known Member
A search and rescue operation is under way after Malaysia Airlines said that a plane carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew on board went missing en route to Beijing.

The company said that it lost contact with the aircraft two hours after takeoff and it was now working with authorities who had deployed search and rescue teams to locate the aircraft, which had departed from Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am on Saturday.

A statement from the airline said it was contacting the next-of-kin of passengers and crew.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members," it said.

Radar contact with the aircraft, flight MH370, was lost in airspace controlled by Vietnam in the early hours of Saturday morning, China's Xinhua news agency said. The aircraft did not enter airspace controlled by China and did not make contact with Chinese controllers, Xinhua added.

The flight had been expected to land at Beijing at 6.30am on the same day. The passengers on board included two infants, according to the airline, which also released a telephone number which members of the public could call to seek information.

The last major accident involving a Malaysia Airlines flight was in September 1995, when one of its aircraft crashed in the Malaysian city of Tawau, killing 34 people on board and injuring nine on the ground. The plane had been attempting to land at the airport when it overshot the runway and plunged into neighbouring houses.

In December 1977, a Malaysia Airlines flight was hijacked and crashed in Tanjung Kupang, killing all 100 people on board.

An earlier statement published on Facebook by the airline said: "Malaysia Airlines confirms that flight MH370 has lost contact with Subang air traffic control at 2.40am, today (8 March 2014).

"Flight MH370, operated on the B777-200 aircraft, departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am on 8 March 2014. MH370 was expected to land in Beijing at 6.30am the same day. The flight was carrying a total number of 227 passengers (including 2 infants), 12 crew members. Malaysia Airlines is currently working with the authorities who have activated their Search and Rescue team to locate the aircraft.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/08/malaysia-airlines-loses-contact-plane

The thing that makes me doubt it was terrorism is that no one has claimed responsibility and there was no indication it was. Terrorists do things to terrorise, clearly, so they make sure as many people as possible know they have done it.
 

Nick

Administrator
I have read that they think there were a couple of people with fake passports on there? :(
 

SlowerThanPlatt

Well-Known Member
What I don't understand is why they find out AFTER the fact that there were people on board with fake passports. Why couldn't they discern that BEFORE they even got on board?


 

wingy

Well-Known Member
Bizzarre Is'nt It .

No ELT beacon signal to say It crashed,also how could It fly 5000 nautical miles In 7.5 hrs ,would have had to have been supersonic to do that distance in the timeframe .
 

SlowerThanPlatt

Well-Known Member
The point about passenger mobiles is an interesting one - if the planes demise was a slower than instantaneous one, or it was a hijack, you'd have thought folk would have switched mobiles on to send a last message to loved ones (like in the 9/11 hijacks). Ok, if messages couldn't be sent, due to signal issues, you'd have thought there'd be pings (maybe it's too soon for this data to come out).
 

SlowerThanPlatt

Well-Known Member
Not surprised they haven't found anything yet, the satellite images of the so called debris were from 4 days ago...would have drifted some way probably.
 

SlowerThanPlatt

Well-Known Member
The pilot and crew have come in for some, possibly understandable, scrutiny and suspicion. Who knows, they might have been true heroes battling all manner of catastrophes trying to keep the thing in the air. Guess time will tell.
 

wingy

Well-Known Member
The pilot and crew have come in for some, possibly understandable, scrutiny and suspicion. Who knows, they might have been true heroes battling all manner of catastrophes trying to keep the thing in the air. Guess time will tell.

I just don't know mate. When you look at the deviations they made between what are called the waypoints and then finally end up on a setting of 180deg ,something looks suspect . From the Initial turnback other pilots have stated it looked quite plausible for an emergency to be heading to a suitable strip ,but then 2-3 more deviations took them away again to finally end up on that heading .I think the veiw has changed once or twice about the detection equiptment being turned off ,but they have never doubted the route changes would have had to be programmed by an experienced person .
 

SlowerThanPlatt

Well-Known Member
One of the most frightening facts that has come out of this investigation is the discovery that some nations shut down their radar in the middle of the night. If I were a terrorist that would be wonderful information. Unbelievable in this day and age, isn't it?
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Strongly suspect that one or both of the pilots planned this as a suicide. Terrorists would not crash a plane in the middle of the sea without claiming responsibility and also would choose a more deliberate method than waiting for 8 hours for the plane to run out of fuel and crash of its own accord (also, no signs of struggle on the plane). Flying the plane above the operating height in the middle of the night would be enough to subdue the passengers and the 'all right good night' comment just before this happened suggests the co-pilot at least had this kind of motive. Set the plane on a course to the middle of a vast ocean and the chances of evidence being recovered will be very slim indeed, so for me all the signs point toward pilot suicide.
 

Hugh Jarse

Well-Known Member
Strongly suspect that one or both of the pilots planned this as a suicide. Terrorists would not crash a plane in the middle of the sea without claiming responsibility and also would choose a more deliberate method than waiting for 8 hours for the plane to run out of fuel and crash of its own accord (also, no signs of struggle on the plane). Flying the plane above the operating height in the middle of the night would be enough to subdue the passengers and the 'all right good night' comment just before this happened suggests the co-pilot at least had this kind of motive. Set the plane on a course to the middle of a vast ocean and the chances of evidence being recovered will be very slim indeed, so for me all the signs point toward pilot suicide.

Trust me, there are more holes in your argument than a Swiss cheese. I can't be arsed to go through them all but if it does turn out that your scenario is correct, no-one will be more surprised than me.

My statement is based on over 30 years in the aircraft industry, so I'm not just dissing you for the sake of it.
 

wingy

Well-Known Member
Trust me, there are more holes in your argument than a Swiss cheese. I can't be arsed to go through them all but if it does turn out that your scenario is correct, no-one will be more surprised than me.

My statement is based on over 30 years in the aircraft industry, so I'm not just dissing you for the sake of it.

Wha tIs your view on the suppositions around the varying Altitudes they were reportedly using ,who would know if the Info streams are off .

Would ground based radars be able to give that Info ?
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Trust me, there are more holes in your argument than a Swiss cheese. I can't be arsed to go through them all but if it does turn out that your scenario is correct, no-one will be more surprised than me.

My statement is based on over 30 years in the aircraft industry, so I'm not just dissing you for the sake of it.

Fair enough, how do you explain the chain of events though? No set of pilots in their right mind would set flight for the middle of the ocean but for any other reason than to take it down without trace. I am very happy to be shown wrong because I see no other explanation.
 

Hugh Jarse

Well-Known Member
Wha tIs your view on the suppositions around the varying Altitudes they were reportedly using ,who would know if the Info streams are off .

Would ground based radars be able to give that Info ?

It has been widely suggested that the varying altitudes story is just that, a story. As to ground tracking radars, we have to remember we are talking about countries who are very secretive about their capabilities. I don't think any of them are going to openly admit to having tracking capabilities beyond what we in the western world think they already have.

Fair enough, how do you explain the chain of events though? No set of pilots in their right mind would set flight for the middle of the ocean but for any other reason than to take it down without trace. I am very happy to be shown wrong because I see no other explanation.

Even the 'experts' can't explain the chain of events. If I was to stick my neck out, I would go for a hijacking that went wrong. Either by one or both of the crew or someone in the cabin but I also think the aircraft went as far as it did due to the accidental incapacitation of the flight crew (hypoxia). hell, I'm probably a million miles off myself so I'm going to wait and see what can be discovered once the wreckage of the flight is found. Even then, it'll take years to come to a final decision.
 

wingy

Well-Known Member
Something seems to be missing In this new equation that they're suggesting .

If as proposed the plane was flying faster and burnt the fuel quicker thus reducing the range by 700 miles ,over an hour at full speed or the speed the'yre promoting (at least 470-80 knots ,whats that 550-600 mph.) then the inmarset pings quoted as 8 must be incorrect .A reduction of 700 miles equates to over an hours flying ,the plane was pinged every hour In flight ,implying that at a minimum there would be 1 less ping ??:confused:
 

wingy

Well-Known Member
Take It back, Now quoting 7 pings ,sure they were all spouting 8 for the last couple of weeks.:facepalm:
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Even the 'experts' can't explain the chain of events. If I was to stick my neck out, I would go for a hijacking that went wrong. Either by one or both of the crew or someone in the cabin but I also think the aircraft went as far as it did due to the accidental incapacitation of the flight crew (hypoxia). hell, I'm probably a million miles off myself so I'm going to wait and see what can be discovered once the wreckage of the flight is found. Even then, it'll take years to come to a final decision.

If it were a hijacking why was no attempt made to communicate as such?
 

wingy

Well-Known Member
Take It back, Now quoting 7 pings ,sure they were all spouting 8 for the last couple of weeks.:facepalm:

Well I knew I read It /heard It!! So back to my point !!

From the Guardian.
The analysis follows fresh examination of eight satellite "pings" sent by the aircraft between 1.11am and 8.11am Malaysian time on Saturday 8 March, when it vanished from radar screens.
 

Hugh Jarse

Well-Known Member
The are stories and counter stories 'pniging' backwards and forwards, either on the internet or on the tv and in newspapers.

It is going to take an age to piece together what happened with MH370, for example, let's say they find the floating wreckage tomorrow, it's going to be a long time before they find the big bits and who's to say they are not thousands of meters under the water. Let's also assume that maybe the FDR and CVR have come away from the main wreckage and been swept away in the tide. The batteries by now must be on their last legs, will they ever be found.

I don't think we'll be seeing this on Aircrash Confidential anytime soon.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
If it was 'hijacked' by the one of the crew they wouldn't want any comms.

If one of the crew took control of the plane and crashed it I would guess that points to a suicide...why else set the plane to fly for hours in totally the wrong direction?
 

Nick

Administrator
May be a sick question, but if it was in the ocean, how long until bodies start getting washed up?

Of course, unless they are stuck inside the plane still.
 

SkyblueBazza

Well-Known Member
May be a sick question, but if it was in the ocean, how long until bodies start getting washed up?

Of course, unless they are stuck inside the plane still.

...or a shark

Seriously though depending on currents where they hit the sea it could be months...or years


PUSB
 

Hugh Jarse

Well-Known Member
May be a sick question, but if it was in the ocean, how long until bodies start getting washed up?

Of course, unless they are stuck inside the plane still.

Assuming the aircraft remained relatively intake at point of impact then if it's in a very deep part of the ocean, the water pressure will eventually 'crush' the fuselage, then you'll start to see floating bits and bobs.
 

Nick

Administrator
How annoyed are other countries going to be if they are searching for no reason for example
 

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