Help out in the search for Flight 370..

Because you can't make phonecalls in the air?


I think it must have been a hijacking or a pilot suicide at this point. There's no way for the 5? ways of power generation to fail or the 3 means of communication all at the same time. The 2 stolen pass ports are sketchy as hell too. Apparently the people using them were identified as Iranians as well. Kinda sketchy.

 

There were several phone calls made on several of the planes during the 9/11 attack.

 

Every time i blink this story has a new twist to it. I normally like reading news articles and stuff just because im bored at work or have nothing to do, but this has too much to keep up with.
While working my second job the other day aan older gentlemen who claimed to be a retired pilot started bullshitting with me. He claimed all of the flight data is pre loaded into the plane and autopilot does everything. So for the plane togo that far off was pilot interaction. With all the buzz about the transponders being turned off it sounds like terrorism. If the pilot or crew wanted to commit suicide that doesnt explain why the transponders were turned off.

I do have a question, why is it so "easy" to turn off the transponders? Reading stuff in the news it sounds like a simple flick of a switch. It makes sense to me that something that important would have secured controlled access that could only be touched when the plane leave or enters a airport.

 

Look at the map at the bottom of this article. This plane could have traveled to a lot of countries


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...res-how-we-know-mh-370-kept-flying-for-hours/

 

Incorrect.

We don't 'put people to sleep'. The ECS is programmed to maintain cabin pressure according to the OA altitude. Pressures will be maintained at close to 7,000 feet @ a 40,000 cruise. Every pressure system is different, some business jets will maintain cabin pressures to sea level at 40,000 cruise.

You seem to know a little bit about aviation, but can tell you're not a Comm/ATP turbojet airman.

 

While the pressurization system of the 777 is not usually controlled by the pilots there are all those switches plus the knob on the bleed air/pressurization control panel above the copilot's head that can be manually adjusted

 

Gotta go with you on this on Mike. I've flown jump seat more times than I can count both commercial passenger & with freight companies and have NEVER seen a cabin altitude higher than 8,000 feet except once (more on that in a second). In fact, a big marketing tool on the Dreamliner 787 is it's ability to sustain larger pressure differential giving a lower cabin altitude. That combined with more moisture & more fresh air improves passenger comfort both during and after the flight.

Now my fun experience flying at a cabin altitude higher than 8,000 and not in my own plane. I was flying on one of the company aircraft years ago from RSW to IND when at about FL320 we had a rapid decompression. Turns out one PACK was on MEL and the other ruptured. The 757 will cruise all day at FL350 on one PACK but not no PACK (well the aircraft will the the pax won't like it). Anyway, O2 masks drop and we make a rapid decent into someplace in South Georgia (Augusta...maybe) as a fellow company person with an A&P I was asked to repack the O2 masks, block open the outflow valves and empty the cargo pits (MEL for no PACKS for that carrier at the time). We flew non-pressurized with 156 passengers to IND at FL100 at well over 250 knots. It was the best jump seat ride I've had.

 

We used to adjust the cabin altitude up to 13,300 feet prior to landing at La Paz, Bolivia which is the field elevation

Maybe you didn't see it ... maybe you weren't paying attention either

Once everyone gets groggy the cabin altitude is returned to normal altitude between to around 7000 feet

First time I heard of this was in 1991 on an 8 hour British Airways flight to Islamabad from Manchester in a packed 747 - complete with goats and chickens in the rear galley ... It happens and the pilots can control the cabin altitude manually.

 

Low and fast

 

GreyRider, what aircraft/ part rule do/did you fly?

 

BTW, I hear the longest a commercial airliner has gone missing was for 9 days... this one is at day 7.

 

You're making summations without specific knowledge (at least when it comes to what I have, haven't seen or "missed").

I am very familiar with cabin pressurization & pressurization control on several fleet types.

I've worked at several US domestic flag carries (a few of the largest at one time or another but, while I was in their employment) either through contract/consulting or as a direct/core employee in a wide range of tasks from global/systems operations control management, maintenance control, mechanic, airline planning, aircraft routing & scheduling and more. I've also owned and operated my own aircraft for years. I promise you, I didn't miss it...it hasn't happened at the carries I was either being payed by or just jump seating on while I was on board....I'd guess I've been on thousands of flight legs.

I have several ATP buddies flying everything from turbo props to 777s, never once has any of them talked about putting the pax asleep with pressurization.

You note BA & use terms like "we", can I ask if you're a commercial or ATP rated pilot? Just trying to get a sense of your operating background to better understand where you're coming from without asking you to specifically disclose your employment history on line.

 

This thread isn't about my resume

You both seem to have a better handle on this subject than I do

keep us posted

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malays...nications-were-switched-off-pm-says-1.2574012

"The prime minister said the last confirmed signal between the plane and a satellite came at 8:11 a.m. — 7 hours and 31 minutes after takeoff."

 

:tinfoil:

 

I'd find it impossible to smuggle 260+ rounds of ammunition into the cabin.... then serve one round per passenger.... including the Air Mashall if onboard.


I'm going with pilot piracy/ mutiny.

 

cell phones don't work at 30,000 ft.

 

I agree. Ive been working on aircraft pressurization systems for 13 years. Incase of a pressure loss the system is designed to automatically drop the passenger O2 masks when it senses the cabin pressure is to high (less oxygen). The pilot has the capability of manually depressurizing the cabin, but the passenger masks will still drop down to provide emergency oxygen. TMK this cannot be bypassed.

My theory on this whole situation is this was a "dry run" for a mass hijacking similar to 9/11. Something went wrong and the so called hijackers forced the plane down or the pilots did this to prevent another 9/11 type scenario. But my big question is why has no terrorist group claimed responsibility? Is it because they don't want to be known and are still working on a bigger 9/11 type multiple hijacking?

 

It can in military planes! But I agree. It cannot be bypassed in commercial airliners.

 

Yes, technically on a cargo/tanker military aircraft the pilot can turn off the supply oxygen to the passenger system.

So who ever hijacked the Malaysian 777 had to have extensive knowledge about how the systems work and how to disable them.