'Contact lost' with Malaysia Airlines plane with 239 people on board

[webfact]

RT @mpoppel: Vietnamese newspaper Tuổi Trẻ, citing navy statement, says missing airliner crashed 153 nautical miles off Tho Chu Island

[webfact]

@ChannelNewsAsia: Malaysian & Vietnamese authorities jointly working on search operations. #MalaysiaAirlines cannot yet confirm if the plane had crashed

[jimky]

Yahoo Malaysia Reporting Same

Navy Admiral Ngo Van Phat reporting crashed in sea; Malaysia Airlines not confirming or denying when contacted.

[chooka]

An Australian Newspaper had a photo of a flightscanner page with its last reported position about 100k east of Kuantan which does seem pretty slow for 2 hours.

I'm not so sure about that, the flight route for this flight two hours into the flight is over land. Perhaps mountains over Laos or Vietnam.

Other flight tracking data service has the plane losing altitude and suddenly changing direction at the same time data stopped.

What's your source for that?

...

I was watching the ABC News 24 (Aust) and they were interviewing aviation expert who said it is extremely unusual for navigational, communications and both engines to cut out all at the same time.

[jpinx]

Just found this. http://avherald.com/h?article=4710c69b&opt=0

This states

Aviation sources in China report that radar data suggest a steep and sudden descent of the aircraft, during which the track of the aircraft changed from 024 degrees to 333 degrees. The aircraft was estimated to contact Ho Chi Minh Control Center (Vietnam) at 01:20L, but contact was never established.

I have no idea to the validity of this site.

One of the most reliable info sources. The site operator is a legend and well regared. He doesn't speculate and only provides factual info released from the airlines and regulatory bodies.

A lot of confusion here... ATC reported a contact about 2 hours into the flight. The last radar contact appears to have been on the limit of that radar stations range. The chinese speculation on a change in course and heading has no supporting evidence.

2 hours out of KL on the track shown puts the aircraft north of Ho Chi Minh city, possibly on the Vietnam/Cambodia border area near Buon Ma Thuot

[webfact]

REPORTS
Malaysia Airlines flight went missing in Vietnamese airspace

A Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing that went missing early Saturday disappeared in Vietnamese airspace, the Vietnamese government said.

The plane lost contact in Ca Mau province airspace before it had entered contact with Ho Chi Minh City air traffic control," a statement posted on the official Vietnamese government website said.

The plane was meant to transfer to Ho Chi Minh City air traffic control at 1722 GMT but never appeared, the statement said, citing a senior Ministry of Defence official.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Defence has launched rescue efforts to find the plane, working in coordination with Malaysian and Chinese officials, the statement added.


-- The Nation 2014-03-08

[laobali]

So speculation will start. From what I have read so far, it appears that something happened very suddenly to cause an immediate descent and change of heading with no time for the crew to make an emergency call. Maybe that alleged prior wingtip damage to the same aircraft was a factor; explosive decompression and airframe breakup possible; mid-air collision or explosive device unlikely. Hopefully, eventually some evidence will be found.

Previous damage to wing not just alleged. From aviation-safety.net:

"A taxiing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 passenger plane (9M-MRO), flight MH389, contacted the tail of a China Eastern Airlines A340 plane, B-6050, waiting on the taxiway at Pudong International Airport.No one was injured.

The tip of the wing of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 was broken off and hung on the tail of the China Eastern Airbus 340-600, according to pictures posted by passengers on the Internet."

It's possible there was undetected further damage to the wing structure or spar. The whole wing could have detached on this fatal last flight.

If this was the case and the whole aircraft disintegrated at flight altitude, due to ambient air temperature well below freezing and with insufficient oxygen, death for the occupants would have been almost instantaneous and painless.

[NomadJoe]

Lots going on in the South China Sea militarily. Let's hope this isn't another Korean Air flight 007 situation.

Sent from my Lenovo A369i using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Tywais]

At about noon local time Vietnamese search personnel reported they have detected an ELT signal about 20nm south of the coast of Ca Mau. Vietnam officials subsequently stated that they have not yet detected flight MH-370.

China reported that the aircraft did not enter Chinese airspace (editorial note: which effectively discounts rumours and false reports by a Malaysian outlet of the aircraft having landed in Nanning (China)).

AVHerald

[jpinx]

The reported position is less than an hour's flight time from KL, so something else must have been going on.

[sunshine51]

The following statement from a poster on this link...

http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/535538-mh370-contact-lost-5.html

"Yahoo singapore reports what we feared at post number 1
Vietnam media quote Navy Admiral Ngo Van Phat saying

military radar recorded #MH370 crashing into sea 153 miles

south of Phu Quoc island."

Which puts the crash site approximately here on my Google

Earth taking what the Viet Admiral stated as "true" bearings

...give or take a couple miles due to error in the radar.

[jimky]

All I heard reported was that it missed reporting in Ho Chi Minh (thus establishing the lost contact time?). Many major sources (example: reuters) have reported "last had contact with air traffic controllers 120 nautical miles off the east coast of the Malaysian town of Kota Bharu, the airline said on Saturday."

So sometime between that check in and Ho Chi Minh it was lost? If so, What's the time frame? X.X hours to 2 hours (could that be where the confusion is coming from?)

[jpinx]

Lots going on in the South China Sea militarily. Let's hope this isn't another Korean Air flight 007 situation.

Sent from my Lenovo A369i using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

My thoughts too. The latest reports seem to indicate that the search is in the Gulf of Thailand. Hopefully the Chinese will not piggyback some military moves onto a SAR mission.

[neverdie]

http://my.news.yahoo.com/mas-aircraft-goes-missing--says-airline-023820132.html

Edited March 8, 2014 by neverdie

[sunshine51]

From this website: http://avherald.com/h?article=4710c69b&opt=0

is this photo...

Which if scaled with my previous post and what the Vietnamese are

now saying, there is gonna be a fairly large area to search.

God Bless the victims souls...rest in peace.

Edited March 8, 2014 by sunshine51

[harrry]

If it is where the Vietnames say it is that is roughly where the mast reported position was ,about 1hr from KL.
Sounds as if a bit of spin has been placed in Malasia's statements.

My sympathy for all on board and their families

[Tywais]

9:02PM: Vietnamese Navy Admiral Ngo Van Phat confirms MH370 has crashed into the South China Sea 153 miles off of Thu Cho Island.

airlinereporter

[coma]

Already on WIKI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_370

If what wiki states of its last known contact is true. Then the aircraft has certainly ditched in the drink. More than plausible as no reports by anyone on land of a crash. And have yet to locate crash also adds weight to in going down and sinking into the sea.

[NeverSure]

Maybe I shouldn't say this because it isn't even speculation much less based on evidence.

But being from the US and having planes go down in ways such as Lockerbie Scotland and 9/11, I start asking myself why the pilot didn't appear to have time or be able to call out a mayday, or report a problem at all, even in a descent from 35,000 feet...

Then again I suppose it could have been a total electrical failure although those systems are redundant.

Please forgive my musing...

[Carib]

Think it is safe to say by now that it is in the water somewhere near? the Vietnamese coast, hope they will get there soon, maybe......

Experienced crew, fair weather judging by charts and comments, plane 11-12 years old, good airline with a pretty good maintenance record. Your guess is as good as mine.

[Mosha]

Maybe I shouldn't say this because it isn't even speculation much less based on evidence.

But being from the US and having planes go down in ways such as Lockerbie Scotland and 9/11, I start asking myself why the pilot didn't appear to have time or be able to call out a mayday, or report a problem at all, even in a descent from 35,000 feet...

Then again I suppose it could have been a total electrical failure although those systems are redundant.

Please forgive my musing...

There is a wind powered generator that they can deploy that runs essential equipment IIRC

[theoldgit]

Let's go easy on the speculative posts please.

[webfact]

Lost Malaysia Airlines plane had clocked up 20,000 hours' flying time
The San Francisco crash landing of South Korean airline last July was the first fatal accident in the Boeing 777 19-year history
Danny Lee, Lana Lam and Agencies

The Boeing 777 has had only one fatal crash in its history until the accident of Malaysia Airlines 777-200ER, which accumulated 20,000 hours flying time during its 12 year service.

The San Francisco crash landing of South Korean airline last July was the first fatal accident in the Boeing 777 19-year history. Three Chinese nationals were the only fatalities on-board Asiana Airline’s fatal crash, of which 309 people were on-board, tarnished a near-perfect safety record for the American-made jet.

However, aircraft accident fatalities fell to the lowest rate in 10 years last year, according a report published in January by the European Aviation Safety Agency.

Malaysia Airlines’ missing jetliner, the Boeing 777-200ER, flew 20,243 flying hours before today’s event, a spokeswoman has said.

Several Hong Kong-based pilots with more than 30 years’ experience told the Post that the estimated 20,243 of a 12-year-old Boeing 777 was the normal amount of flight time for a plane of that age.

“The 777 is the safest airlines in the skies right now,” one captain with more than two decades’ experience said, adding that “it’s a remarkably safe and reliable aircraft”.

Full story: http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1443524/lost-malaysia-airlines-plane-had-clocked-20000-hours-flying-time

-- South China Morning Post 2014-03-08

[Lite Beer]

RT@mpoppel REU: MALAYSIA TRANSPORT MINISTER SAYS HAS NOT CONFIRMED EXACT LOCATION OF THE PLANE CRASH

RT@ChannelNewsAsia: BREAKING: #Malaysia's transport minister denies reports that #MalaysiaAirlines #MH370 has crashed south of an island off #Vietnam

[Lite Beer]

RT@mpoppel: The Vietnamese navy simply said where it believed plane crashed based on last location; they never said actual wreckage had been found

[coma]

Malaysian Airlines missing flight: Live Report

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jvhDdV-q_h5fF33X04HrzOjGXjZA?docId=d0db577e-b093-4078-bee9-1fd20d41ce22

[PepperMe]

According to an online flight tracker, the very same flight the day before was cancelled for 'unknown' reason.

Seems a bit strange, what was wrong with the airplane the day before? These are the questions now being asked.

2014-03-08

Kuala Lumpur (KUL) Beijing (PEK) B772 (9MMRO) 12:35 AM MYT 12:41 AM 6:30 AM CST Unknown / Canceled

2014-03-07

Kuala Lumpur (KUL) Beijing (PEK) B772 (9MMRO) - 12:49 AM -

Unknown / Canceled

[jpinx]

According to an online flight tracker, the very same flight the day before was cancelled for 'unknown' reason.

Seems a bit strange, what was wrong with the airplane the day before? These are the questions now being asked.

2014-03-08

Kuala Lumpur (KUL) Beijing (PEK) B772 (9MMRO) 12:35 AM MYT 12:41 AM 6:30 AM CST Unknown / Canceled

2014-03-07

Kuala Lumpur (KUL) Beijing (PEK) B772 (9MMRO) - 12:49 AM -

Unknown / Canceled

Was it that specific airplane ?

[Chicog]

Well 9M MRO is the aircraft reg.

[Mosha]

According to an online flight tracker, the very same flight the day before was cancelled for 'unknown' reason.

Seems a bit strange, what was wrong with the airplane the day before? These are the questions now being asked.

2014-03-08

Kuala Lumpur (KUL) Beijing (PEK) B772 (9MMRO) 12:35 AM MYT 12:41 AM 6:30 AM CST Unknown / Canceled

2014-03-07

Kuala Lumpur (KUL) Beijing (PEK) B772 (9MMRO) - 12:49 AM -

Unknown / Canceled

Flightradar24 had it's flight, previous to this incident, to HKG