MAS B772 9M-MRO Flight MH370 KUL-PEK Missing with All 239 POB Presumed Killed

[Cire 0]

Wondering how are the crews and passengers are now (if they are captured). It must be terrifying.

I am sure our pilots and cabin crew will do their best to negotiate with the captors.

 

Wondered also whether the spy satelites are doing a visual sweep now over the suspected areas. However, it the captors could pull off such a feat, they would have prepared some sort of a hangar or bunker to hide the plane.

 

I am sure someone would have asked this question.

Why is the aircraft's transponders can be easily switched off by anyone in the cockpit if it is an important device for traffic control and security?

Why would the airplane maker put such an important device within reach of anyone with aviation knowledge would tampered with it?

If such devices are so important, won't it be ideal to put it where only ground technicians could reach it?

[SS Lee 0]

Wondered also whether the spy satelites are doing a visual sweep now over the suspected areas. However, it the captors could pull off such a feat, they would have prepared some sort of a hangar or bunker to hide the plane.

 

Had been thinking about the same thing, since satellite images would only show an aerial view of the area. Only a ground/low altitude search could detect such structure if that was true.

 

Just a thought, IF the main idea was to get the people / cargo, would it really matter if the aircraft was still airworthy after landing ? There is a large number of possible landing sites for the 777, but what if the plane did not make a landing at an airfield but rather at an open area. Sure the gears/engines would be damaged but if the cargo is more important then............

[Phil M. 0]

Too much info/breaking news is coming thru our beloved "SSN" long before the local press conferences .Usually denied by our local guys only to be proven true a few days later.Its time the Malaysian Government appoint a Neutral Russian expert as observer to better understand the situation from a different angle but same expertise.Too much .information is coming thru from one source in a very systematic manner.

[iwan 3]

Wondering how are the crews and passengers are now (if they are captured). It must be terrifying.

I am sure our pilots and cabin crew will do their best to negotiate with the captors.

 

Wondered also whether the spy satelites are doing a visual sweep now over the suspected areas. However, it the captors could pull off such a feat, they would have prepared some sort of a hangar or bunker to hide the plane.

 

I am sure someone would have asked this question.

Why is the aircraft's transponders can be easily switched off by anyone in the cockpit if it is an important device for traffic control and security?

Why would the airplane maker put such an important device within reach of anyone with aviation knowledge would tampered with it?

If such devices are so important, won't it be ideal to put it where only ground technicians could reach it?

Got this from pprune earlier. Might need actual pilots to verify

 

 

There are several particular reasons that the transponder can be turned off.

 

If the transponder malfunctions, it may cause interruptions to all ATC surveillance in an area. There have been instances in the past that due to a fault in the transponder it was basically acting as a jammer.

 

In one particular incident it took a while before the aircraft that caused it was identified and after requesting the pilot to switch of the transponder, secondary surveillance was restored.

 

Another reason is that when the aircraft is at the gate, the transponder is switched of to reduce the amount of radio transmissions. 100 aircraft on the surface of a large airport can produce a massive Radio Frequency noise, which negatively affect radar systems. When taxiing, radar replies are useful for aircraft identification, hence the transponder is switched on at pushback or engine start.

[Cire 0]

Got this from pprune earlier. Might need actual pilots to verify

 

 

There are several particular reasons that the transponder can be turned off.

 

If the transponder malfunctions, it may cause interruptions to all ATC surveillance in an area. There have been instances in the past that due to a fault in the transponder it was basically acting as a jammer.

 

In one particular incident it took a while before the aircraft that caused it was identified and after requesting the pilot to switch of the transponder, secondary surveillance was restored.

 

Another reason is that when the aircraft is at the gate, the transponder is switched of to reduce the amount of radio transmissions. 100 aircraft on the surface of a large airport can produce a massive Radio Frequency noise, which negatively affect radar systems. When taxiing, radar replies are useful for aircraft identification, hence the transponder is switched on at pushback or engine start.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Now it make sense why the switch is within reach of the pilots. It got to be manually switched off during taxing, and then switched On when in flight, and Off when there's error in the transponders during flight. Looks like there is no other way to have the system sabotage-proofed.

 

However, UI think there should be an intermediate / secondary aircraft identification system built in place (future). A constant transmission of coded signals that is independent of the transponders that will be activated automatically when the transponders are off, and cannot be switched off until the transponders come back on again, or when the ground control / base remotely switched it off.

This will ensure that the plane is always visible on the radar. Owners of the planes will surely want this system to be on board, now.

Edited March 18, 2014 by Cire

[flee 5]

If you ask me, I think that the aircraft manufacturers should make it impossible for the pilots to turn off transponders if the aircraft is flying above 100 ft. So, they can turn it off on the ground. Once it is in the air, if will broadcast continuously.

[KK Lee 5]

Given MH370 ping inmarsat hourly, what happen to ping from 01:21 hour to 08:11 hour? If an arc could be drawn from last ping at 08:11 hour, a possible track could be estimate or search area could narrow from arcs/pings since 01:21 hour.

 

It seems the gomen is not forthcoming with information.

Edited March 18, 2014 by KK Lee

[Cire 0]

Either they have forgotten to mention it or they just want to hide it. Its not a wonder why both local and international watchers are saying Malaysia is hiding something from the world. Perhaps deliberately or perhaps its just plain old sloppiness of the team.

 

 

I hope to hear from the PC today a conclusive "ping" reading from Imarset; and that the allies's satelites are sweeping the landed areas on the northern corridor; and that the Australian leading the SAR on the Southern corridor including the alleged mysterious US base island.

Other than that, the IGP have to disclose their findings on the Capt's flight simulator, and while at it, provide a report on the investigation status of the two Iranians, the Malaysian passengers' background screening by the police.

This especially focused on the electronic technicians of Freescales. What was their last project and its potential military usage.

 

PC can be led on by the host. It depends on how much information the host is willing to divulge and have the answers for every possible questions.

They should review what was spoken, the facts, and opinions each time they go on stage to meet the press. This will ensure their statements are consistent. If there's an error, admit it or put it in a different way that will soften the impact for the host.

 

T minus 2hrs for the day's PC.

[Aaron Goh 1]

If you ask me, I think that the aircraft manufacturers should make it impossible for the pilots to turn off transponders if the aircraft is flying above 100 ft. So, they can turn it off on the ground. Once it is in the air, if will broadcast continuously.

How about different modes of transponder? TA, alt, TARA? Come on you cant just bcos of this to make the whole system change, sounds like limiting all car max speed to 90 km/h

[Raja Umar 0]

From Astro Awani

 

MH370: Diego Garcia runway found in Captain Zaharie's flight simulator

 

KUALA LUMPUR: The airport runway of Diego Garcia is among the top five locations the investigative team discovered on the simulator programme in Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah’sresidence in Shah Alamlast Saturday, as reported by Berita Harian.

 

The newspaper cited a source which said that the investigative team took this discovery as an investigative element in the disappearance of MH370 flown by Zaharie.

“So far from the software, we have investigated Male International Airport in Maldives, an airport owned by the United States (Diego Garcia) and three more landing tracks in India and Sri Lanka, all which have a distance of 1,000 meters of runway.

Read more at:http://english.astroawani.com/news/show/mh370-diego-garcia-runway-found-in-captain-zaharies-flight-simulator-32034?cp

[V Wong 0]

Either they have forgotten to mention it or they just want to hide it. Its not a wonder why both local and international watchers are saying Malaysia is hiding something from the world. Perhaps deliberately or perhaps its just plain old sloppiness of the team.

 

The first few days, when I ranted about this to a friend, his reply was : "You give them much credit ! You overestimated their abilities - they are also clueless." Looking at how things panned out the last few days, I tend to agree with him now.

 

Sad it may sound, I agree with acting MOT's defense yesterday - "afterall, Malaysia is missing 50 of its sons and daughters" he said. The press kept playing up on 'angry Chinese families demanding action, blah blah blah' while conveniently forgetting about our own anak Malaysia! In this event, even one missing person is one person too much to lose. Numbers alone cannot be used to compare the magnitude of the problem faced by affected individual family.

 

 

From Astro Awani

 

MH370: Diego Garcia runway found in Captain Zaharie's flight simulator

 

KUALA LUMPUR: The airport runway of Diego Garcia is among the top five locations the investigative team discovered on the simulator programme in Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah’sresidence in Shah Alamlast Saturday, as reported by Berita Harian.

 

The newspaper cited a source which said that the investigative team took this discovery as an investigative element in the disappearance of MH370 flown by Zaharie.

 

“So far from the software, we have investigated Male International Airport in Maldives, an airport owned by the United States (Diego Garcia) and three more landing tracks in India and Sri Lanka, all which have a distance of 1,000 meters of runway.

 

Read more at:http://english.astroawani.com/news/show/mh370-diego-garcia-runway-found-in-captain-zaharies-flight-simulator-32034?cp

 

I am perplexed with the press' obsession with Diego Garcia. Also bear in mind the 'cited a source' (the source could well be anyone, as we have seen the last 11 days) and Berita Harian reporting this piece of news.

 

I may seem unabashedly defending the pilot here and in previous posts - I am. I am waiting for someone to prove me wrong!

Edited March 18, 2014 by V Wong

[Cire 0]

 

From Astro Awani

 

MH370: Diego Garcia runway found in Captain Zaharie's flight simulator

 

KUALA LUMPUR: The airport runway of Diego Garcia is among the top five locations the investigative team discovered on the simulator programme in Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah’sresidence in Shah Alamlast Saturday, as reported by Berita Harian.

 

The newspaper cited a source which said that the investigative team took this discovery as an investigative element in the disappearance of MH370 flown by Zaharie.

 

“So far from the software, we have investigated Male International Airport in Maldives, an airport owned by the United States (Diego Garcia) and three more landing tracks in India and Sri Lanka, all which have a distance of 1,000 meters of runway.

 

Read more at:http://english.astroawani.com/news/show/mh370-diego-garcia-runway-found-in-captain-zaharies-flight-simulator-32034?cp

 

 

Oh my....

Plot really thickens now.. So, should the Australian navy head to this island now?

 

The issue is, why Diego Garcia? Why not choose a much more used civilian airports than this pleasure island for one's flight training?

DG is owned by the British, and rumored to the CIA's black site. Hm..

 

Edited March 18, 2014 by Cire

[Najib Ramli 0]

 

From Astro Awani

 

MH370: Diego Garcia runway found in Captain Zaharie's flight simulator

 

KUALA LUMPUR: The airport runway of Diego Garcia is among the top five locations the investigative team discovered on the simulator programme in Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah’sresidence in Shah Alamlast Saturday, as reported by Berita Harian.

 

The newspaper cited a source which said that the investigative team took this discovery as an investigative element in the disappearance of MH370 flown by Zaharie.

 

“So far from the software, we have investigated Male International Airport in Maldives, an airport owned by the United States (Diego Garcia) and three more landing tracks in India and Sri Lanka, all which have a distance of 1,000 meters of runway.

 

Read more at:http://english.astroawani.com/news/show/mh370-diego-garcia-runway-found-in-captain-zaharies-flight-simulator-32034?cp

 

 

 

i see nothing wrong with having Diego Garcia on the simulator.....it's a mysterious place so I guess people would be interested in it even more....for the captain, being a pilot he would definitely want to "land" a plane there (in the simulator of course)

 

for the other airpoirts i have no comments but probably he's practicing emergency landings or just out of interest......

 

let's just see where the investigation leades us though...

 

i'm actually more interested in the Australian search...they do have powerful radar around that are so perhaps they know somethingt hat we don't know...(not to discount the Indonesian as well since the plane would cross their territory going to the southern part of Indian ocean)

 

like i said earlier...it's from Berita Harian so please do take it with a table spoon of salt (a grain is just not enough)

Edited March 18, 2014 by Najib Ramli

[alberttky 0]

Berita Harian??? Trustworthy???

[Waiping 12]

If indeed they have landed at Diego Garcia then nothing can be done by any country. It's a British territory with a heavy presence of American forces. You expect the Aussies to turn up at the door and say "Aha! There is your MRO."?

[JuliusWong 0]

Recently I got in touch with my ABC friend working in the US Army. We were talking about MH370, as I approached the topic of America's role in helping to locate the plane and Diego Garcia, he stated he 'cannot tell me much' and America has many roles to play 'pre- and post event'.

[KK Lee 5]

 

Given close working relationship between our gomen and the U.S, the U.S could just pickup anyone or anything at Kul, have atc order mh370 return to base and need not stage such event.

[JuliusWong 0]

Given close working relationship between our gomen and the U.S, the U.S could just pickup anyone or anything at Kul, have atc order mh370 return to base and need not stage such event.

The world 'friendship' network is much more 'friendlier' than you think.

 

Thinking they are trying to shove all the blame to the pilot now. Pity the family...........

[Cire 0]

PC just concluded.

The press media is out of focus.

One even took up valuable time to ask whether Hishamuddin can confirm whether he is the cousin of Najib !? And that he is protected, or not !? What?! Which press is she from ? The Dark-age Times?

No one from the press have any new / fresh questions to ask. Everyone seems to have lost focus and perhaps due to them being non-technical inclined, they preferred to ask deviated questions and rather focus on repeated questions like the country's radar system, and why it takes so long for Malaysia to confirm the lost of the plane, question about the ping, and of course the Chinese kins who threaten to start a hunger strike.

Silly questions like, on how do we determine that they are two possible corridors that the plane could fly to. If this press fella have read the news on Najib's revelations, this question would not have crop up.

One even asked whether Annuar (Ibrahim) is being investigated since Capt.Zaharie was reported to have attended one of the politician's speech. Again, what !?

Hishamuddin rightfully dismissed this question.

 

Mind, the waiting have gone to the heads of the press men and women ! They should have sit together, get their facts and details right, research and trawl the net for leads, and split the questions to get equal credits etc.

 

I think the questions asked by the folks here in this thread are of more relevant and quality than the press media there, agreed?

 

 

The Minister of Foreign affairs was on board today. In his opening speech, it was all praise to the country and how Najib's goodwill calls have enabled many doors to be opened with countries in the northern and 2 southern corridors offering vast assistance.

Sigh.. jual minyak. When asked why some countries actually criticizes Malaysia for its lateness in respond, FM said its a complex situation that was unprecedented. Okay, tell us something we don't know already.

One would thought he would say that - these good countries have offered to carry out their own territorial investigations and at the same time provide SAR teams to assist etc.

And that Malaysia have called upon its embassies to open up special line to relay information needed to help in the SAR.

Another PC carried out, stress for the day have concluded, now Hishamuddin to kick back and laugh on the question on whether he confirm himself as Najib's cousin, and whether he is protected or not? Hm...does sound a bit threatening thou...anyways... does the DCA Dir. sounded and even gestured like the Selangor MB.

 

 

Well, no news is good news, perhaps?

Edited March 18, 2014 by Cire

[Waiping 12]

I don't recall "a vote for ***** is a vote for U.S." being a friendly statement. Our politicians have always try to project a anti-American approach.

I believe that the PC would be a dull affair from now on until the plane is found or there is a credible lead. Was driving and listened to the 4.30pm news over the radio and they were still repeating yesterday's PC finding, which is pretty much the same as the day before.

 

Even Astro Awani is reducing coverage for the missing jet already.

[flee 5]

As long as politicians helm the PC, there will be no straight answers. We do not have a NTSB/AAIB/BEA... So all we see are incompetent people waffling along in the world's limelight!

[Cire 0]

Just wondering, why not have the press submit their questions to the PC team like 2 hours before, and get it answered in the actual conference then? Won't it be more effective that way?

Repeated and irrelevant questions can be screened out and this also provide the PC team to do their homework and provide a more quality answers than the usual "I am not aware, I need to check, I can't disclose it as it is under investigation, I can't tell at this moment, etc etc.."

 

Any follow-up questions can then be taken up later. Anyone thought of this? It is actually not an impromptu PC. Its scheduled one and as such, a more structured Q&A should be available. hm..

[JuliusWong 0]

(SOS) YAHOO UPDATE 6.32pm : Highlights from this evening’s press conference:

- MAS says aircraft transponder switched off at 1.21am

- Search area is now 2.2 mil square nautical miles, all countries requested to relook at radar and satellite data to narrow search area.

- Hishamuddin Hussein confirmed that primary radar data from other countries shared but did not mention which countries.

- Malaysian military radar to be upgraded later. We need to relook how to upgrade our radar system because we have put the interest of the passengers and plane above national security.

- MAS says it has given sufficient information and care to all the family members in Beijing and will look into any threat of a ‘hunger strike’ among them immediately.

- Hishamuddin rejected claims that Malaysia was a ‘den for terrorists’, calling it baseless allegations.

- Foreign Minister Anifah Aman says there is no need to contact Iran, as thorough investigation has already been conducted by Malaysia.

- On whether Anwar Ibrahim will be called in for investigations, Hishamuddin said ‘we did not bring this up’ and names the UK’s Daily Mail and CNN for bringing up the issue of politics. ‘This issue is above politics,” he said.

[Waiping 12]

Just wondering, why not have the press submit their questions to the PC team like 2 hours before, and get it answered in the actual conference then? Won't it be more effective that way?

Repeated and irrelevant questions can be screened out and this also provide the PC team to do their homework and provide a more quality answers than the usual "I am not aware, I need to check, I can't disclose it as it is under investigation, I can't tell at this moment, etc etc.."

 

Any follow-up questions can then be taken up later. Anyone thought of this? It is actually not an impromptu PC. Its scheduled one and as such, a more structured Q&A should be available. hm..

 

The last time they were requested to write down their questions and get answered during press conference was last Saturday after the PM delivered his "notes", and then the PC was cancelled.

 

I think they could have recorded all the questions for PC for the day, and reproduce them in written format just to enforce their answers. This could point out discrepancies between what was reported the day before.

 

(SOS) YAHOO UPDATE 6.32pm : Highlights from this evening’s press conference:

- Malaysian military radar to be upgraded later. We need to relook how to upgrade our radar system because we have put the interest of the passengers and plane above national security.

 

Untimely considering we might rent jets to protect our skies since no money to buy?

[leon t 0]

not only that - even having the new radar system is of no use - if they dont even see any unidentified plane flying over the airspace - or not bothered to even try and contact any unidentified plane. Even in this case, its only after 3 days later did the govt announce that the RMAF primary radar detected a unidentified plane which was bleieved to he MH370 BUT CANNOT CONFIRM. The govt never answered as to why the RMAF did not contact the plane- except the excuse being it was not "hostile" - and no explanation of how they even know if its not hostile and allow it to fly more than an hour across from east to west? Think if they just didnt do their job and really just assume not hostile - then for example if all of the sudden the plane just turn and slam into Penang - then it would be too late to know that it is then hostile! Even if it is not - for its own territorial and airspace concerns and defence - how can the RMAF just allow any unidentifiedplane - which likely is not the first time to fly without taking any action.