What happened to (where is) the missing Malaysian Airline?

[braumeister]

Last report I saw said the pilots did have the ability to turn off the plane's transponders, which apparently is what they did.

 

[robnplunder]

New information just adds to the mystery.

Missing Malaysia jet may have flown on for hours - The Wall Street Journal - MarketWatch

Both Malaysians and Rolls Royce (engine maker) deny that the engine was sending any data "for hours." It's just another misinformation which there have been tons of.

 

[Bikerdude]

Both Malaysians and Rolls Royce (engine maker) deny that the engine was sending any data "for hours." It's just another misinformation which there have been tons of.

It get weirder and wierder:

"Boeing officials decline to comment on the Malaysian remarks or, earlier, on the suspicious raised by the U.S. investigators. Rolls-Royce couldn't be reached for comment on the news conference and had earlier decline to comment on the report."

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303546204579436843318184308


This will not go over well with the passengers families:


"Malaysian Airline System Bhd. (MAS) opted out of a Boeing Co. (BA) service to collect real-time performance data from jets like Flight 370 for use in planning maintenance, according to a person familiar with the matter."

Malaysian Air Said to Opt Out of Boeing Jet-Data Service - Bloomberg

 

[ls99]

Me thinks there is much denial by various countries about what they know. Main reason would be if the flight indeed changed course and traveled into somebodys airspace and not detected or challenged, their defense ministers and some others are into good bit of expalining to do.

Other reasons, none of the coutries are willing to disclose the real range of their defense radars. Good bad or mediocre, or their ability to identify the flying objects. In addition, as I noted earlier the airplane routinely transmits information, even if not the engine monitoring data. The collision avoidance sytem TCAS constantly transmits and receives. Other aircraft interact with the information. There is also Navtex that usually runs when way out over water.

Yep, those who have real information are not talking, everyone else is making up stories.

 

[Koogie]

Me thinks there is much denial by various countries about what they know. Main reason would be if the flight indeed changed course and traveled into somebodys airspace and not detected or challenged, their defense ministers and some others are into good bit of expalining to do.

Other reasons, none of the coutries are willing to disclose the real range of their defense radars. Good bad or mediocre, or their ability to identify the flying objects. In addition, as I noted earlier the airplane routinely transmits information, even if not the engine monitoring data. The collision avoidance sytem TCAS constantly transmits and receives. Other aircraft interact with the information. There is also Navtex that usually runs when way out over water.

Yep, those who have real information are not talking, everyone else is making up stories.

Don't forget the Asian penchant for "saving face" Better to keep quiet than be seen to have failed with your technology or with your air defenses.

 

[ls99]

Don't forget the Asian penchant for "saving face" Better to keep quiet than be seen to have failed with your technology or with your air defenses.

Yep, that one likely trumps all others.

 

[Derslickmeister]

Don't forget the Asian penchant for "saving face" Better to keep quiet than be seen to have failed with your technology or with your air defenses.

Heard this theory espoused on talk radio today...

 

[Lcountz]

Maybe an in flight incident that rendered the pilots and passengers immobile ( loss of a window or door)...Much like the Payne Stewart crash where he took off from Orlando and crashed in South Dakota......fighter plane scrambled and could see Payne and his passengers were immobile in the plane....as it flew itself out of fuel and crashed.....

But that still does not explain the transponder being turned off....

IF the plane flew til it ran out of fuel, and crashed on land, maybe there would be no fire.....

or, if the pilots DID have a problem and were able to somehow land on the water in one piece ( a la the Miracle on the Hudson)....well.....the plane would not float forever...and if it sank in one piece there would be no debris field of floating bodies etc.....

What a mystery.....at least it takes the attention off the other world news for the moment....which could be a good or a bad thing.....

 

[ls99]

.....

What a mystery.....at least it takes the attention off the other world news for the moment....which could be a good or a bad thing.....

That bit is taken care of by the pi$$ing contest of CIA v Oversight Committe.

 

[robnplunder]

The plane flew for 4 - 5 hours after transponder was turned off, per US investigator. If that's true, it looks like a deliberate act and not a sudden disaster. Hmmm.

 

[TromboneAl]

Since there's conflicting evidence, some things have to be wrong. I know that eyewitness accounts are notoriously unreliable, but I find this email from the New Zealand oil rig worker to be pretty credible, perhaps because it's exactly the way I would write it.



So, here are my two theories:

1. The plane has some explosion or fire that disables a lot of electronics. The fire goes out (as per the above email), and the plane makes a Sullenberger landing in the water. The plane, still in one piece, then sinks without a trace. Any subsequent pings and radar are just due to overzealous analysts.

2. The plane has some explosion or fire that disables a lot of electronics. The fire goes out (as per the above email), and the pilot tries to turn back, but eventually makes a Sullenberger landing in the water. The plane, still in one piece, then sinks without a trace.

 

[Bikerdude]

New information suggests the plane flew on a well know route to the middle east. I suspect, unless the passengers revolted, that the plane is on the ground being painted and readied for its next flight.

Missing plane may have been diverted: Reuters - MarketWatch

http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-rad...g-malaysia-plane-flown-081839738--sector.html

 

[W2R]

New information suggests the plane flew on a well know route to the middle east. I suspect, unless the passengers revolted, that the plane is on the ground being painted and readied for its next flight.

Missing plane may have been diverted: Reuters - MarketWatch

Exclusive: Radar data suggests missing Malaysia plane deliberately flown way off course - sources

I was wondering if that could be the case, with things heating up in the Middle East as they have been. One thing is for sure; I feel so sorry for the passengers and their relatives. I just don't see how any good outcome could exist by now.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

In this case some of the comments on the missing jet articles are interesting and not just troll posts. One comment is that the U.S. government knows exactly where the airliner is because of all the spy satellites but they can't say because it would reveal too much of how they track what goes on in the world.

I tend to believe that theory. My best guess would be the jet is being repurposed.

 

[braumeister]

The distinct lack of "captured by aliens and beamed up to the mother ship" theories has me convinced that's what happened.

 

[sheehs1]

Since there's conflicting evidence, some things have to be wrong. I know that eyewitness accounts are notoriously unreliable, but I find this email from the New Zealand oil rig worker to be pretty credible, perhaps because it's exactly the way I would write it.

View attachment 18381

So, here are my two theories:

1. The plane has some explosion or fire that disables a lot of electronics. The fire goes out (as per the above email), and the plane makes a Sullenberger landing in the water. The plane, still in one piece, then sinks without a trace. Any subsequent pings and radar are just due to overzealous analysts.

2. The plane has some explosion or fire that disables a lot of electronics. The fire goes out (as per the above email), and the pilot tries to turn back, but eventually makes a Sullenberger landing in the water. The plane, still in one piece, then sinks without a trace.

Thanks for this TromboneA. Like you said, it is very specific, no emotion and therefore somewhat credible. Wonder what altitude and if he could really "see" the burning. As everyone else, praying for the passengers and crew. Still hoping for the best but ...many days have passed.

 

[robnplunder]

Since there's conflicting evidence, some things have to be wrong. I know that eyewitness accounts are notoriously unreliable, but I find this email from the New Zealand oil rig worker to be pretty credible, perhaps because it's exactly the way I would write it.

You didn't "authored" the letter, did you?

If the e-mail is true, I hope someone did a quick check to (dis)prove. I do wonder, if there was a fire on the plane, there could be a few more eye witnesses of its going down.

 

[timo2]

from my personal experience doing work outside in remote areas, it is amazing how many people are actually out and about in the world and notice everything around them. A big plane would have a difficult time avoiding being seen by someone.

my 'WAG' is the Iranian government did not want the two asylum seeking Iranians on the plane to get away.

(Or else maybe the "The Langoliers"by Stephen King is not a fiction story after all!)

Regardless, all this mystery and speculation is taking away from the fact that a whole bunch of people are probably dead and their relatives are in a state of limbo regarding that.

 

[ls99]

The distinct lack of "captured by aliens and beamed up to the mother ship" theories has me convinced that's what happened.

The Romulans locked it on their tractor beam. Extended a special tunnel which allowed air breathing inferiors to walk (voluntarily of course) up to the Romulan ship. Those who refused, were allowed to remain on board the 777 for the remaining journey, or until the fuel ran out.

 

[Rustic23]

From everything I have heard, Flight Crew involvement seems to be the best guest now.

I am not sure I have all the current facts/theories/wild @ss guess but from what I think I know, the plane went off transponder, and then a short time later another reporting system was shut down, then for about five hours ACARS information was received. This does not sound like a plane that exploded or came apart in flight. At least not where contact was lost.

So here is my scenario: One, or both of the pilots go off the rails, turns off transponders, and all other reporting equipment he can get to. Either can't turn off ACARS, does not realize it is on, or does not know. Drops below radar coverage and heads for ? somewhere. From that point lots of possibilities. He gets cold feet and takes the plane in to brink.

What I do know, is that so many 'experts' have said so much, that the news will all say 'see, that's what we said happened!'

 

[timo2]

From everything I have heard, Flight Crew involvement seems to be the best guest now.

It wouldn't be the first time a pilot has flipped out. Remember that Egyptian pilot that crashed the airliner, but different governments had different explanations (sounds familiar)
EgyptAir Flight 990 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[sengsational]

I must question any theory that suggests a water landing that was gentle enough not to have anything break off and then have the whole thing sink without a trace. The problem is that the slides are all independent and are integrated into the doors. So I can't believe that a plane full of people would watch the water rise and nobody would deploy even a single slide.

 

[ls99]

Or They were offered some irresistible honeypot.

At least one of the pilots seems to have been easily charmed. So much so that ladies were in the cockpit during takeoffs and landigs. While enjoying them, some trained operatives moved into the cookpit.

Where they would want to go, I could not venture a guess. From what I recall, the Seychelles was an enchanting place. Though it has become too commercial lately.

As good of a BS theory as I can come up with. Be funny if turned out correct.

Once again several reports claim the engine performance transponders were not turned off. Even if no performance data was transmitted to the satellite, the pings did include location and altitude data. So those who have inside info, do know where the craft was at time of the last ping. Well past transponder shutoff.

 

[robnplunder]

I must question any theory that suggests a water landing that was gentle enough not to have anything break off and then have the whole thing sink without a trace.

+1.

Hijack -> eventual crash seems to make the most sense to me now.

 

[Sue J]

Early on, some news sources described one of the pilots as being so devoted to flying that he had a flight simulator in his home. He used it for practice and fun, he was described as "a pilot's pilot".

Since this is starting to sound like someone turned off transponders and the plane continued to fly have there been any reports of investigators reviewing the data on this pilot's own simulator? Wouldn't there be saved files showing what flight paths he was simulating?

This is all so mysterious. If someone stole this plane, what would you do with all the people, keep them kidnapped and hidden?