Malaysia Airlines loses contact with B777-200 enroute from KUL to PEK

this is probably legit, this story gets weirder


MH370 detected above Malacca Straits at 2.40am - Yahoo News Malaysia


from reddit:


[–]Funkliford 37 points 4 hours ago

That makes even less sense. The plane would've had to flown back over the mainland, no? In which case 1.) How were they not detected 2.) If they were experiencing difficulties why would they continue into the Indian ocean instead of trying to land.

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[–]nubijoe 23 points 3 hours ago

it says in another link that "some east coast residents, who claimed that they have seen huge lights and a plane flying at some 1000 metres above sea level off Kota Baru, Kelantan."

This just gets stranger and stranger.

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[–]oxbowlake 16 points 2 hours ago*

a plane flying at some 1000 metres above sea level off Kota Baru, Kelantan

Rather inconsistent stories emerging.

35000 feet when vanished

3000 feet above Kota Baru

then back to 29500 feet a few minutes later in the Malacca straights.

 

So, how many cell towers do you think there are in the middle of the South China Sea???

How would they make a call?

How would the locater triangulate from cell towers?

 

Based on these later reports, it appears that the aircraft either came down in Sumatra or in the adjacent waters.

 

You took a small portion of my post to reply too. If you reread the part you commented on it says, "With the chance the plane DID NOT CRASH INTO THE WATER," would be interpreted for you that it made it, in some way, shape, or form to a land mass. My entire post was basically a question asking if that could be done to help assist in a search. If they can't track the plane, track another form of technology. My phone has a GPS feature (app) that can zoom into any part of the world and track my moments as I go, on or off road. I did not realize, as you mention that GPS's use cell towers.

 

I think the Malaysians know a lot more than they're admitting to.

My personal theory at the moment, pure speculation, is a total electrical failure, resulting in the crew turning around to try to return, and inadvertently flying into terrain, or possibly losing control.

A dark night with nothing but a standby gyro and a new FO is not a place I'd like to be...

 

There's been lots of talk about why some one hasn't used their cell phone. In Asia, and Europe, GSM technology is used, and the transmission is limited to a range of 35 KM, in the most ideal, straight "line of sight" transmissions. If the aircraft is further away that 35 KM from a cell tower, there's no reception.
Gary Bobileff

 

Donv, I agree with your reality, real life scenario, speculation. I feel the plane didn't drop out of the sky as soon as radar contact was lost, but what I can't wrap my head around is if this plane did make it to land, and then crashed, where is the visible smoke? There would be smoldering wreckage. I suppose 'smoldering' may not produce enough smoke to see from a distance, and depending on the topography...

Interesting, thankyou.

 

At typical 777 ground speed Doppler shift blockage make GSM phone unable to communicate with a cell tower.

Because of many antenna are slanted down by up to 15º and because of their radiation pattern, there are limited communications above 2,000 feet AGL (above ground level) and essentially no communications at 8000 feet AGL and above, even with a slow (130 kt) a/c .

The only time you can really use your cell in a flying 777 would be during the final approach and landing.

 

I've texted (send and recv) at 8-10000 AGL in my Mooney (145-150kt ), but voice is definitely a no-go above a couple thousand AGL. This has been my experience in areas with good cell coverage.

 

I very briefly got 3G data on my CDMA cell at cruising altitude last month on my way to New York from Seattle. I got the signal and actually was able to send out a Google Hangout IM. I turned on my phone because I was trapped in the back of the plane by the drink cart after coming out of the bathroom.

 

If the plane crashed at night in a remote area, by the time any aircraft got close enough during daylight the fires could have been out...especially in a wet jungle.

 

Initially I meant is there a way to track or locate a passengers phone via the GPS features. I didn't mean can a call be placed to or from the phone.
There are family apps that allow a phone to be followed or tracked by another phone, in real time. Both phones need to agree, but I was thinking anything could be hacked and most phones have the 'my location feature' turned on to allow for 9-11 calls and other reasons. I have heard there are many ways to spy on phones but I'm not familiar how it all works.

 

Yes, true.

 

You may get a location from the phone's GPS, but you still need a signal in order to broadcast that location off the phone.

 

I would think if they crashed somewhere with cell service, the cell provider would be able to get an approximate location.

However, given the way the Malaysians have been behaving (sending SAR off on a wild goose chase for days, for example), anything is possible.

 

Don't commercial aircraft have a battery operated ELT like GA aircraft ??

Everyone talking about phones and GPS etc, but I highly doubt anyone on board would have the wherewithal to find, their phone and make a call if the plane was in a dive/stalled condition, let alone if a big hole had been blown in the side, even if they could get reception.

 

Mystery Malaysia flight may have been hundreds of miles off course - CNN.com

Pretty strange, if something happened and they tried to turn around and go back, you'd think their course would be more accurate...even in total electrical failure you still have an analog compass to reverse course 180 degrees, which it appears they were not even close to that. Kind of supports the theory that maybe there was a rogue pilot who turned off the transponder, or a hijacking.

Also, I saw this brought up in a thread on facebook, but is there a reason why the black box doesn't transmit any real-time or semi-realtime data via satellite uplink ? Is it expected that the transponder provides all the useful info that they would need to transmit in real time ?

 

The reason is because Malaysian Airlines didn't check that box on the Boeing options list, when they ordered it.

 

Thanks. sucks someone would do that as a "joke"

 

just because one has a cell phone does not mean it is capable of functioning away from home, cell phones are sensitive to the frequencies used, there is NO one frequency or protocol that is universal world wide, and there are other restrictive devices that cell phone vendors use to generate more revenue... cell phones are just about worthless except on "home turf" or in the movies...

 

From my observation of people in airport international terminals on various continents most people seem to have working phones.

 

Yes.

 

Could someone on board disconnect it ? I cant remember what perameters set them off automatically but I believe impact or high G load- shock and or water ingress should do it

 

Good question, I don't think it's readily accessible to be disconnected. And I believe there are two on board but I could be wrong. It would likely have to be done in advance (inside job) not during flight.

 

I always set Comm 2 or 3 to 121.5 during any flight and monitor it. I can say, that every third or or so flight cross country, you will hear the distress signal, not on the hour, but at random. There are lots of hard landings on a runway that will automatically activate the ELT. Happens more often than not.
Gary Bobileff