Malaysia Airlines 'loses contact with plane' (and search effort updates)

[ANON86364]

Well, wouldn't you know .......

 

 

... and I thought it was Bigfoot that was responsible ;)

Too soon. Well it has been a few weeks...

[Noir Angel]

I understand the families are unhappy but they just don't realise how technically complex an operation like this is. I really hope they find this plane before the FDR pingers die otherwise it will take a very long time to find. They had a reasonable idea where the Titanic went down and it still took a long time to locate the wreckage.

[DocM]

And to make life more interesting, a Falcon 9 rockets upper stage will be re-entering, and possibly splashing down, south of the search area on the 14th.

[Krome]

lol@Godzilla

[peacemf]

would a submarine not be easier??

[mudslag]

would a submarine not be easier??

 

 

No, this is why

 

http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/the-depth-of-the-problem/931/

[peacemf]

No, this is why

 

http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/the-depth-of-the-problem/931/

 

dang.....thats just awful for the families more than anyone else.

 

an interesting engineering task though, if it is down there.

[Hum]

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Investigators probing the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 suspect that the co-pilot of the jetliner tried to make a call with his cellphone after the plane was diverted from its scheduled route, Malaysia's New Straits Times reported sources as saying on Saturday.

The newspaper cited unidentified investigative sources as saying the attempted call from co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid's phone was picked up by a cellphone tower as the plane was about 200 nautical miles northwest of the west coast state of Penang. That was around where military radar made its last sighting of the missing jet at 2:15 a.m. local time on March 8.

"The telco's (telecommunications company's) tower established the call that he was trying to make. On why the call was cut off, it was likely because the aircraft was fast moving away from the tower and had not come under the coverage of the next one," the New Straits Times cited a source as saying.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/malaysia-flights-co-pilot-tried-cellphone-call-report-141056213--sector.html

[123456789A]

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Investigators probing the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 suspect that the co-pilot of the jetliner tried to make a call with his cellphone after the plane was diverted from its scheduled route, Malaysia's New Straits Times reported sources as saying on Saturday.

The newspaper cited unidentified investigative sources as saying the attempted call from co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid's phone was picked up by a cellphone tower as the plane was about 200 nautical miles northwest of the west coast state of Penang. That was around where military radar made its last sighting of the missing jet at 2:15 a.m. local time on March 8.

"The telco's (telecommunications company's) tower established the call that he was trying to make. On why the call was cut off, it was likely because the aircraft was fast moving away from the tower and had not come under the coverage of the next one," the New Straits Times cited a source as saying.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/malaysia-flights-co-pilot-tried-cellphone-call-report-141056213--sector.html

 

It's possible that a flight attendant told him to put his phone on airplane mode.

[rr_dRock]

"The telco's (telecommunications company's) tower established the call that he was trying to make. On why the call was cut off, it was likely because the aircraft was fast moving away from the tower and had not come under the coverage of the next one," the New Straits Times cited a source as saying.

http://news.yahoo.com/malaysia-flights-co-pilot-tried-cellphone-call-report-141056213--sector.html

I'm waiting for someone to suggest we stick mobile towers in the middle of the ocean to avert crises like these...

[Hum]

Attempted cell call seems to suggest either the Captain went beserk, or the jump seat guy.

[Raa]

Attempted cell call seems to suggest either the Captain went beserk, or the jump seat guy.

Or the fact the communication systems of the jet had failed and he was trying other options...

[blerk]

I'm waiting for someone to suggest we stick mobile towers in the middle of the ocean to avert crises like these...

 

Pop them on buoys :D

[DocM]

Pop them on buoys :D

There are serious proposals for communications over large areas or in remote regions to be augmented with solar-electric high altitude long operations (HALO) aircraft with ground and satellite comm gear. They could stay aloft for years over their assigned zones. Think of them as atmospheric geosynchronous commsats.

[Crimson Rain]

I'm waiting for someone to suggest we stick mobile towers in the middle of the ocean to avert crises like these...

What we need is uninterruptable constant GPS lock-on all such airplanes.

[Hum]

I would think a 5 minute burst of microwave signal to a satellite would be better than a 30-40 day pinger.

I would also have it go off when there is a sudden jolt, or contact with surface water.

[FloatingFatMan]

Unless the plane's cell phone relay system was active, making a call from the plane would be impossible.  Does no-one know what a faraday cage is these days?

[Dinggus]

My question is why did no one do anything when they noticed the plane was off course? The plane basically did a 360 and flew for 7hrs....

[FloatingFatMan]

My question is why did no one do anything when they noticed the plane was off course? The plane basically did a 360 and flew for 7hrs....

 

Most of the passengers wouldn't have noticed until the flight lasted longer than it should have.  By then, clearly it was too late.

[Dinggus]

Most of the passengers wouldn't have noticed until the flight lasted longer than it should have.  By then, clearly it was too late.

 

Isn't that what air control towers are for?

 

I've seen big screens with planes all on them, giving their speed, altitude along with how far out.

[FloatingFatMan]

Isn't that what air control towers are for?

 

I've seen big screens with planes all on them, giving their speed, altitude along with how far out.

 

Have you actually been following this story? At all?

[Dinggus]

Have you actually been following this story? At all?

 

Yeah. Look at number 2, that should have been a sign something could be wrong.

 

 

But, not much because I don't really care if they find a plane or not.

[FloatingFatMan]

Yeah. Look at number 2, that should have been a sign something could be wrong.

 

 

But, not much because I don't really care if they find a plane or not.

 

And what makes you think the passengers knew anything about the comms system being shut off or the plane turning off course?  

[Dinggus]

And what makes you think the passengers knew anything about the comms system being shut off or the plane turning off course?  

 

Where did I say anything about passengers knowing anything?

 

I'm asking why didn't the airline company do anything right then and there? Is comms system being shut off normal? I truly doubt that.

[FloatingFatMan]

Where did I say anything about passengers knowing anything?

 

I'm asking why didn't the airline company do anything right then and there? Is comms system being shut off normal? I truly doubt that.

 

Umm... They did?  I guess you just haven't actually been following events.