MISSING MAS FLIGHT: Foreign media anchor on aviation chief's 'unprecedented mystery' comment

[webfact]

MISSING MAS FLIGHT: Foreign media anchor on aviation chief's 'unprecedented mystery' comment
News Desk
The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: -- The annals of aviation history will likely record the disappearance of MH370 as an incident unlike any other. No large aircraft has ever totally flown off the radar without a single trace for so long.

Most foreign news reports yesterday on the missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 anchored on comments by Department of Civil Aviation director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, who described the incident as an “unprecedented aviation mystery”.

“There is no record of big planes simply disappearing, although they may take some time to find,” the New York Times reported in a “Question and Answer” article on the disappearance of MH370.

The closest thing to the MH370 mystery was the tragic 2009 incident involving Air France Flight 447, which plunged into the Atlantic Ocean en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

“A few pieces of debris from Air France Flight 447 were spotted floating in the Atlantic a day after the plane crashed,” the article said.

Many key parts of the aircraft were only found in 2011 and the final report on the crash was issued a year later.

Steve Marks, a United States-based aviation lawyer who has represented families in two previous cases where an airliner plummeted from cruising altitude, was quoted in the Washington Post as saying there could have been a mechanical problem that caused the pilot to be unable to report the problem, with the aircraft being lost on radar as a result.

However, he said the failure of all communications from MH370 made it “the most mysterious” crash in his recollection.

The Christian Science Monitor newspaper also compared the circumstances between Air France Flight 447 and MH370.

“In both cases, there was no ‘mayday’ or distress call from pilots. The planes just ‘disappeared’ from the sky,” the report said.

Meanwhile, Time Magazine’s website ran an article on “Six Mysterious Airplane Disappearances in Aviation History”.

Most of the other examples given in the article, however, involved much smaller aircraft that went missing in the 1940s to 1960s, well before the advent of modern day radar and communications gear, which the state-of-the-art B777-200 was equipped with.

The closest example other than Air France Flight 447, which the article highlighted, was 1972’s Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 which crashed into the Andes mountains in poor weather.

The story of the plane crash and its aftermath was made into the 1993 film Alive.

The most famous case in aviation history was the 1937 disappearance of pilot Amelia Earhart as she was navigating her aircraft over the Pacific Ocean in an attempt fly around the world.

No trace of her aircraft was found and she was declared dead two years later.

Many foreign newspapers also led off their reports yesterday with Azharuddin’s comments on the nature of MH370’s disappearance.

“Missing Malaysia Airlines flight – Disappearance of MH370 plane is an ‘unprecedented mystery’,” read the headline in the UK Daily Mail.

-- ANN 2014-03-12

[jpinx]

He only needs to ask his military people -- they know a lot more than they are telling anyone because they don't want to disclose their capabilities or lose face. Malaysian authorities now appear to assume there are no survivors, so they feel free to save face in whatever way they can. Something will turn up one day, possibly a fisherman will find bits washed up on some far-flung coast and not tell anyone, or those he does tell never heard of this flight being lost.

[lungmi]

The Guardian (UK) and Le Monde (FR) give a very good summary of the topic. Read it.

[jpinx]

The Guardian (UK) and Le Monde (FR) give a very good summary of the topic. Read it.

links ?

[lungmi]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The Guardian (UK) and Le Monde (FR) give a very good summary of the topic. Read it.

links ?

Official link:http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/11/missing-plane-definitely-turned-back-malaysia.

http://www.lemonde.fr/asie-pacifique/article/2014/03/11/avion-de-la-malaysia-airlines-disparu-ce-que-l-on-sait-mardi-soir_4381123_3216.html

[Basil B]

A plane of this site can not just vaporize without trace.

But if it was over water due to the time it is taking to locate any trace of it, as time goes on it will be more unlikely they will find enough of it to determine the cause.

[jpinx]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The Guardian (UK) and Le Monde (FR) give a very good summary of the topic. Read it.

links ?

Official link:http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/11/missing-plane-definitely-turned-back-malaysia.

http://www.lemonde.fr/asie-pacifique/article/2014/03/11/avion-de-la-malaysia-airlines-disparu-ce-que-l-on-sait-mardi-soir_4381123_3216.html

Thanks -- nothing new in there

[intravox]

A very plausible scenario .... http://mh370lost.tumblr.com/?og=1

[jpinx]

A very plausible scenario .... http://mh370lost.tumblr.com/?og=1

That theory has been kicking around for a while, but there are questions about the plausibility of slow decompression being un-noticed before the guages show it or the warnings sound.

[sprq]

Go to www.pprune.org Flight Deck Forums for the best analysis -- a forum of pilots who know what they're talking about, unlike most journalists.

[jpinx]

Go to www.pprune.org Flight Deck Forums for the best analysis -- a forum of pilots who know what they're talking about, unlike most journalists.

not really -- they are as infested by trolls and whackos as everywhere else

[khaosai]

A very plausible scenario .... http://mh370lost.tumblr.com/?og=1

Hi,

I think it's great that people are bouncing ideas around to try and come up with potential reasons for the aircrafts disappearance. However I don't this is plausible due to the caution then warning the pilots will get in the flight deck well in advance of the cabin altitude being a problem to carry out any required tasks.

[fvw53]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The Guardian (UK) and Le Monde (FR) give a very good summary of the topic. Read it.

links ?

Official link:http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/11/missing-plane-definitely-turned-back-malaysia.

http://www.lemonde.fr/asie-pacifique/article/2014/03/11/avion-de-la-malaysia-airlines-disparu-ce-que-l-on-sait-mardi-soir_4381123_3216.html

Le Monde provides information that the mobile phones of some of the passengers - and which were called by relatives after the mystery started - continued to ring ....indicating they were still within reach of a transmitter?

[jpinx]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The Guardian (UK) and Le Monde (FR) give a very good summary of the topic. Read it.

links ?

Official link:http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/11/missing-plane-definitely-turned-back-malaysia.

http://www.lemonde.fr/asie-pacifique/article/2014/03/11/avion-de-la-malaysia-airlines-disparu-ce-que-l-on-sait-mardi-soir_4381123_3216.html

Le Monde provides information that the mobile phones of some of the passengers - and which were called by relatives after the mystery started - continued to ring ....indicating they were still within reach of a transmitter?

Yes -- the mobile phone ring-outs were discussed earlier and there was a lot of talk about the providers giving a ringing tone even after the mobile phone was not on the network.

[Scott]

A troll post has been removed.

[harrry]

In the press conferance just finished (5.10) they seemed to be trying to be a bit more honest. THe airforce guy said that they did not know what it was but the airforce radar had an indication which may possibly be the plane and thus they sent some of the search that way. I think they may have woken up that they cannot cover up as others are involved.

[wpcoe]

He only needs to ask his military people -- they know a lot more than they are telling anyone because they don't want to disclose their capabilities or lose face.

Very likely. When UA811, a 747 from Honolulu to Auckland, lost its cargo door over the Pacific Ocean, US Navy radar was sophisticated enough to see echo images of debris as it fell from the airplane 22,000 feet over the middle of no place. It provided enough specific information that the pieces were located and retrieved fairly quickly from the ocean floor 14,000 feet under the surface. Talk about needle in a haystack. That was in 1989 -- 25 years ago. I would guess that with technology advances in the past couple decades, including the addition of out-in-space monitoring, quite a bit more information is available these days. Especially from the military.

[SanukJoeII]

The plane did not crash into the sea at any part of the planned route. That route is take by many more planes, plus is searched by planes and ships. A plane that large gives a huge rubble of floating debris, think of 250 seats that are floating, luggage of 250 people, 250 swim vests, many parts of a plane are light weight and will float, so a crash in a frequented part of the South Chinese sea is unlikely, as no debris are found.

Second option is what the military found but had to withdraw: the plane turned around.

That means that all searchers are at the wrong place. It was mentioned that it was on the military radar near an island between Malaysia and Indonesia, that is way out of the are where they are searching now. The airforce commander had to take his statement back, but I personnally think he knows more than all officials will admit.

Another thing: the pilots can switch off the black box signal (I read) and also radar signals. That would leave only ground radar efficient, radar that send a signal and catches reflections. Military have that, not sure about civil radars. It would explain something: military saw more than civil radar.... If this happened the plane could have flown anywhere and landed. Reason why no debris are found yet....

Just a few thoughts...

[Beetlejuice]

Adding to the OP regarding mystery disappearances of flights, the flight of band leader Glen Miller comes into mind in 1944. Not a trace has ever been found, not even to this day.

Just a theory, is it possible that if the plane did have malfunctions and went on an uncontrolled course on automatic pilot, that it was shot down over some foreign territory regarded as invading it`s air space and therefore the details are being covered up? This would not be the first time such incidents have happened, just do a search in Google for details. Of course this is only wild speculation on my part, but it`s certainly a possibility., that I don`t think has been mentioned anywhere as yet.

[Ulic]

Any one who has sailed the Gulf of Thailand or the straight between Indonesia and Malaysia knows the area is full of commercial container ships and thousands of small fishing vessels. There is no way debris would be missed. Either one of the pilots turned of the radar beacon and all other tracking devices and flew the plane into the middle of the Indian Ocean or the plane has crashed on land/jungle where it will have left a much smaller signature and be harder to spot.

[khaosai]

The plane did not crash into the sea at any part of the planned route. That route is take by many more planes, plus is searched by planes and ships. A plane that large gives a huge rubble of floating debris, think of 250 seats that are floating, luggage of 250 people, 250 swim vests, many parts of a plane are light weight and will float, so a crash in a frequented part of the South Chinese sea is unlikely, as no debris are found.

Second option is what the military found but had to withdraw: the plane turned around.

That means that all searchers are at the wrong place. It was mentioned that it was on the military radar near an island between Malaysia and Indonesia, that is way out of the are where they are searching now. The airforce commander had to take his statement back, but I personnally think he knows more than all officials will admit.

Another thing: the pilots can switch off the black box signal (I read) and also radar signals. That would leave only ground radar efficient, radar that send a signal and catches reflections. Military have that, not sure about civil radars. It would explain something: military saw more than civil radar.... If this happened the plane could have flown anywhere and landed. Reason why no debris are found yet....

Just a few thoughts...

Hi,

The crew can switch off a few flight deck components but the black box is not one of them. Hopefully they will find something soon.

[dick turpin]

Adding to the OP regarding mystery disappearances of flights, the flight of band leader Glen Miller comes into mind in 1944. Not a trace has ever been found, not even to this day.

Just a theory, is it possible that if the plane did have malfunctions and went on an uncontrolled course on automatic pilot, that it was shot down over some foreign territory regarded as invading it`s air space and therefore the details are being covered up? This would not be the first time such incidents have happened, just do a search in Google for details. Of course this is only wild speculation on my part, but it`s certainly a possibility., that I don`t think has been mentioned anywhere as yet.

Understand they did find his baton......and oh, a little brown jug

[zydeco]

Adding to the OP regarding mystery disappearances of flights, the flight of band leader Glen Miller comes into mind in 1944. Not a trace has ever been found, not even to this day.

Just a theory, is it possible that if the plane did have malfunctions and went on an uncontrolled course on automatic pilot, that it was shot down over some foreign territory regarded as invading it`s air space and therefore the details are being covered up? This would not be the first time such incidents have happened, just do a search in Google for details. Of course this is only wild speculation on my part, but it`s certainly a possibility., that I don`t think has been mentioned anywhere as yet.

Didn't I read about 20 years ago that someone came forward to note that bombers were coming back from European target run, after being unable to unload their bombs, and dumped them over the Channel. Miller's plane was supposed on a path to cross the bombers below them at precisely the time they unloaded and he went missing.

[Daffy D]

On another forum the ringing mobile phones question was also discussed and the answer was that just because the caller hears the phone ringing does not mean the phone he is calling is actually ringing.

Seems that when you make a call the phone system has to locate the phone you are trying to call. First it checks the last known location of the phone then goes searching all over trying to make a connection. This can take a little while, especially with international calls so they give you the ringing tone, instead of silence, to let you know the system is working trying to make your connection.

It des not mean the phone you are calling is also ringing.

[Tropicalevo]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The Guardian (UK) and Le Monde (FR) give a very good summary of the topic. Read it.

links ?

Official link:http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/11/missing-plane-definitely-turned-back-malaysia.

http://www.lemonde.fr/asie-pacifique/article/2014/03/11/avion-de-la-malaysia-airlines-disparu-ce-que-l-on-sait-mardi-soir_4381123_3216.html

Le Monde provides information that the mobile phones of some of the passengers - and which were called by relatives after the mystery started - continued to ring ....indicating they were still within reach of a transmitter?

Different communications system to the plane's satelite communications system. Read

http://www.smh.com.au/world/missing-malaysian-airlines-jet-the-last-words-heard-from-the-crew-20140312-34mqg.html

[davidstipek]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

The Guardian (UK) and Le Monde (FR) give a very good summary of the topic. Read it.

links ?

Official link:http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/11/missing-plane-definitely-turned-back-malaysia.

http://www.lemonde.fr/asie-pacifique/article/2014/03/11/avion-de-la-malaysia-airlines-disparu-ce-que-l-on-sait-mardi-soir_4381123_3216.html

Le Monde provides information that the mobile phones of some of the passengers - and which were called by relatives after the mystery started - continued to ring ....indicating they were still within reach of a transmitter?

If this is the case...

Can we not traiangulated the phones signal and locate where by now it is sitting??? I am sure there are enough Cell Phone companies and Satellites launched to complete this task ASAP! Unless someone somewhere doesn't want location to be found as it would cause Someone or Some Country an Extremely Large loss of Face!!!

It can be done.. We just need someone to do it!!

Or are we waiting, Biding our time until we are sure the Batteries must be dead.......

[Gummigalgen]

I am very convinced the plane is to be found onshore. Technical problems, u turned and landed in Malaysian forest / jungle area. A 100% electrical power loss is very possible.

[jerrybuice]

In a pilots forum I read that the plane that is missing had been in a collision on the ground a year or two ago. It's wing was damaged but repaired. Maybe there was more damage that was not seen but actually happened deeper inside the plane that was not caught and not repaired.

[MrWorldwide]

In a pilots forum I read that the plane that is missing had been in a collision on the ground a year or two ago. It's wing was damaged but repaired. Maybe there was more damage that was not seen but actually happened deeper inside the plane that was not caught and not repaired.

That was revealed to the world roughly 4 hours after the plane was initially reported missing on Saturday. Inevitably, MAS will try to point the finger at Boeing, and that's when the fun really gets going.

[flaper]

k

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