Missing Airplane Flew On for Hours • Hacker News Board

Re: Missing Airplane Flew On for Hours

#111

Post by mootothemax » Thu, Mar 13, 2014, 9:21 AM UTC

hueving wrote: post #100

mootothemax wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Edit: deleted hostile, snarky content.

>Can you explain which one it is? Did it cross your mind that it could be a combination of them? Drop the accusatory tone when you don't understand the content. International flights have higher standards due to extended distances from emergency landing sites. An old plane is not exempt from the check standards, but the age certainly means that there is an increased probability of failures. >If so, at what airframe a…

Did it cross your mind that it could be a combination of them? Drop the accusatory tone when you don't understand the content.

Do you not see the irony in writing an accusatory reply to me? ;-)

To your main point, I understand the content; I do, however, resent people boldly stating "that can't happen, it's too unlikely," only to then say "Oh, right, yeah, if you exclude old planes, domestic flights and blah blah blah blah blah."

I do concede that it would be more helpful if I was less of an arse about it though.

Re: Missing Airplane Flew On for Hours

#112

Post by harshreality » Thu, Mar 13, 2014, 9:22 AM UTC

Can India, China, and Australia be confidently dismissed as destinations, given that they're going to have pretty good air defense radar that would notice a 777 at altitude, and a 777 flying at low altitude wouldn't have nearly as much range?

Re: Missing Airplane Flew On for Hours

#113

Post by mootothemax » Thu, Mar 13, 2014, 9:22 AM UTC

wilg wrote: post #88

mootothemax wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Edit: deleted hostile, snarky content.

I think you're being unfairly hostile and snarky here. This isn't a good way to get your point across.

I think you're being unfairly hostile and snarky here. This isn't a good way to get your point across.

Thanks for calling me out on that, you're right.

Re: Missing Airplane Flew On for Hours

#114

Post by mseebach » Thu, Mar 13, 2014, 9:23 AM UTC

brador wrote: post #62

They claim some of the cell phones are still active. Can't they just "traceroute" the call to find the nearest cell tower and search around it?

Yes. If the phone is "active", ie. registered on a tower, it's within a few miles of that tower. I think that tells us all we need to know about the relevancy of that claim.

Re: Missing Airplane Flew On for Hours

#115

Post by sentenza » Thu, Mar 13, 2014, 9:24 AM UTC

rz2k wrote: post #65

fosk wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is an interesting article. One of the comments also gives another plausible solution. Pasting it here for convenience: "There are a number of troubles with that theory Charles, one of which is that the plane should have followed its intended course and stayed on radar by passive reflection, but it is certainly also one of my favourite theories right now. The lack of debris near where it disappeared from the rada…

>It would be perfectly possible for co-conspirator plane to fly transponder-less up to the target plane, take over the transponder code, and fly decoy on the official route, while the MH370 goes elsewhere. Since we know nothing, a lot remains open, but that is some of the most bizarre conjecture I can imagine. A 777 flies at an altitude and velocity because it is optimal. Arrive at the right altitude and location, sp…

By method of elimination, the only nation-state that is insane enough to try something like this and has a non-zero chance to keep it under wraps is North Korea.

But, given the position that the plane disappeared, it is IMO impossible to fly to North Korea without being detected.

My conclusion is thus: No conspiracy.

Re: Missing Airplane Flew On for Hours

#116

Post by andr » Thu, Mar 13, 2014, 9:24 AM UTC

downandout wrote: post #102

This begs the question: why on earth is it even possible to turn off a transponder mid-flight on a commercial plane carrying hundreds of human beings? I also don't understand why, if we can send bursts of engine data every 30 minutes from the middle of the ocean, we can't send a GPS location every couple of minutes. Maybe even throw some GPS data in with the engine data - at least we would know where it was within a…

The simple answer is you have dozens of planes on the ground at airports, which you don't want to appear on all the radars. Yes, a technological fix would be trivial, but those systems were designed decades ago, when being a pilot was quite prestigious and well paid. The thought of a rogue pilot never occurred, I guess.

Locaiton data is sent by the ACARS system, which was apparently turned off.

Re: Missing Airplane Flew On for Hours

#117

Post by miratrix » Thu, Mar 13, 2014, 9:25 AM UTC

downandout wrote: post #102

This begs the question: why on earth is it even possible to turn off a transponder mid-flight on a commercial plane carrying hundreds of human beings? I also don't understand why, if we can send bursts of engine data every 30 minutes from the middle of the ocean, we can't send a GPS location every couple of minutes. Maybe even throw some GPS data in with the engine data - at least we would know where it was within a…

Transponders have to be turned off while you're at the airport and while the plane's being serviced on ground. I think 777 has 2 transponders, so you also need the ability switch from one to the other. Lastly, I believe all electronics on the plane must be on a breaker circuit in case of electrical shorts so that pilots can isolate and turn off faulty circuits.

But you're right, ACARS (the system through which the engine information was routed - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_Communications_Address...) probably should be updated to add more information...

Re: Missing Airplane Flew On for Hours

#118

Post by xux » Thu, Mar 13, 2014, 9:26 AM UTC

tn13 wrote: post #68

Why no one is paying attention to the fact that the plane was flying over South China see which China is trying to claim for itself. Could it be the case that China by mistake shot the plane down ?

I doubt anyone wants to entertain a 9/11 conspiracy

Re: Missing Airplane Flew On for Hours

#119

Post by sentenza » Thu, Mar 13, 2014, 9:29 AM UTC

ars wrote: post #31

melling wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is it transmitting to every 30 minutes (fixed: seconds)? If more than one satellite was involved, that might give direction. traceroute?

Minutes, not seconds.

Wait a minute. WTF?

If the system sends signals EXACTLY every 30 minutes, then a very careful reconstruction of signal running times (combined of course with the positions of the recieving antennae and the EXACT times the signals were recieved) can reveal information about the heading and position.

Re: Missing Airplane Flew On for Hours

#120

Post by mseebach » Thu, Mar 13, 2014, 9:36 AM UTC

justinzollars wrote: post #32

Reminds me of Lost, I never thought that was a plausible plot even in 2004. I thought our technology has made losing aircraft, impossible. Very strange that the transponders were turned off. Very strange that the Rolls-Royce data wasn't released days ago. Was this an oversight?

I did not find the disappearance of the aircraft to be the least plausible plot device in Lost.