karenkay

Thanks very much for posting these. ^

Kiwi Flyer

Water transmits shocks very well. However, an aircraft impact isn't big enough to be recorded unless they're almost on top of the impact site.

alex_b

Sorry for using the wrong term and having read every page I don't remember a conversation about programming an incorrect route. In any case if somebody was trying to program a turnaround and entered the wrong endpoint could they create an incorrect route that the FMC follows?

invisible

There is a question which has been asked number of times - if authorities know the location of the plane at the moment of last ping.

Answer - yes, they do

Quote:

In the case of the missing Malaysian jetliner, precise locations were provided. However, it is unclear why the transmission ceased and where the plane may have ended up after the final ping.

MANman

I can't fault your logic.
However the result is terrible. Truly disgusting if deliberate. And truly shocking. Honestly, without a proper motive identified I cannot believe this would be a deliberate act.
If no one can offer a motive, I have to believe this was a mix of catastrophic mechanical failure, confusion and bad luck. Possibly the wreckage could yield evidence of fire that could substantiate this.
On the other hand the long after flight and the probable pulling of the voice recorder and flight recorder fuses means we will likely never have corroboration of a deliberate evil act.

And I still ask the question: to what end? what was the end game?
Without answers to this, it is surely more likely cock-up and not conspiracy.

jrl767

again, I'm going back to my 767 flight test experience (circa 1982) ... the pilots input target ("cleared-to") altitude as directed by ATC; once the autopilot "captures" the set altitude it automatically engages Alt Hold mode ... the pilots also input the desired route into the FMS, which manipulates the control surfaces (and the throttles, to help maintain altitude and airspeed during turns) to follow the desired track

if the pilots enter erroneous data into the FMC and accept the entry, the system will indeed fly the route as programmed

again, pilots and more experienced folks please clarify as necessary

mt99808

If they know the last ping and use time in the air to estimate fuel couldn't they narrow the radius to a much smaller window? Assuming the plane did not refuel anywhere.

raybolt

If the autopilot is on in LNAV mode and those fixes are set into the FMS, then the a/c will fly that route.

-dan

halls120

Mods - ^^ on the Wiki refresh. Much easier on the eyes and more logical layout.

Maluku_Flyer

I guess what I meant to ask was this. Imagine a nearly incapacitated pilot. He really wants to tell his plane to return to KUL. Could he mistakenly enter a code into the system that would result in the FMS "picking" these way-points on its own? Assuming the plane really flew that course.

gtpdiddy

The Malaysian radar measurements may not be entirely accurate. CNN just showed a 777 flight simulator that it's almost impossible to fly up to 45000 ft without major alarms and impact on structural integrity of the aircraft, and the sudden drop in elevation will also be impossible with the G force without structural disintegration of the aircraft. They believe there was a change in altitude but likely much less in variation. Also, the sudden initial change in course in travel direction could've have been too steep without alarms sounding and spiral out of control.

AMRivlin

If the plane went south into the Indian Ocean from the Andaman Sea, I find it hard to believe Diego Garcia's UK/USA landing/fueling base couldn't monitor a better part of the Indian Ocean.

Or Australia's Jindalee 4000km early detection system should be able to track any southerly heading leaving south east asia.

Kiwi Flyer

No it is in conflict.

The seismic reading was supposedly* about 90 minutes after initial disappearance.

Mentions of pings have referred to 4 hours duration.

* potentially out by an hour due to time zones.

WindowSeat123

Some heart-wrenching photos of the victim's relatives.

Still, we are no closer to finding the location of the plane...

uszkanni

I would think that if whatever happened was powerful enough to register on a Chinese seismograph (time inconsistency notwithstanding) then it would likely register on CTBTO infrasound monitors.