Malaysia Airlines Loses Contact With 777 en Route to Beijing

[Peter Kesternich]

What's about this theory:

http://www.smh.com.au/world/missing-...#ixzz2vjjOovYW

See my post #431

[Peter Kesternich]

I suppose one other possibility is that MH-370 collided with crossing traffic that had been flying dark, without transponders (perhaps illicit activity) and broke up midair, a la Gol 1907, and the 'blip' they tracked, sans transponder was the surviving aircraft hightailing it out of there. There would, or course be wreckage near the intended flight path, but over the past few days I have become wary of the SAR's ability to find or report anything.

Or if you want to go into conspiracy land, that crossing traffic might have been military or vip and the whole thing is a cover up now.

Far-fetched?

Yeah.

Evan - if there was a second aircraft involved, I assume there would be two returns from primary radar and after the collision, one would have continued and the other dropped out of the sky.
Also, I think it should be pointed out that a midair collision with one aircraft surviving and landing successfully is very rare (although the GOL crash is not the only precedent -> 5 March 1973 - Spantax Convair 990 and Iberia DC-9 over Nantes, France). However, with two aircraft colliding at 35,000ft it is much more likely both are damaged beyond being controllable. And as fas as we know, there is only one plane missing.
Furthermore, if the other plane WAS involved in illicit activities, why did it fly at FL350 and not under the radar, where it would have been completely invisible?

[Timmerich]

See my post #431

Read this:

‘‘If the decompression was slow enough, it’s possible the pilots did not realize to put on oxygen masks until it was too late. [It] also explains why another pilot thirty minutes ahead heard “mumbling” from MH370 pilots. (VHF comms would be unaffected by SATCOM equipment failure.).’’

[zz28zz]

dude on sky TV was just theorising....he said there was an airworth directive 5 weeks ago that 'suggested' the 'skin' under the primary antenna which is above the cockpit needed attention to check for corrosion.
to me that sounds like a recall on a car...it probably wont happen but just in case etc.....however...he then said this could have failed....cabin decompressed...everybody fainted and it flew on for 3000 miles....and this 'antenna then detached so they lost all comms??

At my former employer, I was a line maint mech (A&P) for a major airline.
I left the airline just abt the time the 777's were coming on board so I have no 777 experience.
However, every other Boeing A/C we operated (727,737,747,757,767), all had at least 2 VHF antennas. One on the top and one or 2 on the bottom. VHF1 was on the bottom and considered the primary inflight antenna.
A lot of times, VHF2 (antenna on top) would be used to contact the tower since it would get out better at the gate when surrounded by ground equip.

Considering the absence of any crash debris and all comms terminated simultaneously, I'm beginning to suspect the plane was taken over by some well-trained individuals (or possibly the pilots were involved) and is on the ground somewhere.

[Peter Kesternich]

Read this:

‘‘If the decompression was slow enough, it’s possible the pilots did not realize to put on oxygen masks until it was too late. [It] also explains why another pilot thirty minutes ahead heard “mumbling” from MH370 pilots. (VHF comms would be unaffected by SATCOM equipment failure.).’’

On that, I would like to hear input from our resident airline pilots. As far as I understand it, decompression warning is not triggered by the rate of decompression but if pressure in the cabin drops below a certain limit, which is based on when the human body will need oxygen. It shouldn't be possible for cabin pressure to slowly drop below safe limits without the pilots being warned about it in no uncertain terms.

[Timmerich]

Considering the absence of any crash debris and all comms terminated simultaneously, I'm beginning to suspect the plane was taken over by some well-trained individuals (or possibly the pilots were involved) and is on the ground somewhere.

Ok, but is it possible to switch off the ACARS and the Transponder at the same time (switch off the transponder should not be a problem)?

Send the ACARS a shutdown message when it will turned off?

[zz28zz]

On that, I would like to hear input from our resident airline pilots. As far as I understand it, decompression warning is not triggered by the rate of decompression but if pressure in the cabin drops below a certain limit, which is based on when the human body will need oxygen. It shouldn't be possible for cabin pressure to slowly drop below safe limits without the pilots being warned about it in no uncertain terms.

It's been many years ago since I worked on planes but I believe the pass 02 masks drop when cabin press reaches ~11,000ft. Normal cabin press at cruise alt equals abt 7,500ft msl.
.

[zz28zz]

Ok, but is it possible to switch off the ACARS and the Transponder at the same time (switch off the transponder should not be a problem)?

Send the ACARS a shutdown message when it will turned off?

not sure what you mean abt sending the ACARS a shutdown msg.
You can pull the breaker for just abt any sys from the cockpit.

[Evan]

On that, I would like to hear input from our resident airline pilots. As far as I understand it, decompression warning is not triggered by the rate of decompression but if pressure in the cabin drops below a certain limit, which is based on when the human body will need oxygen. It shouldn't be possible for cabin pressure to slowly drop below safe limits without the pilots being warned about it in no uncertain terms.

EICAS would catch it. It also makes a big noise (siren) when pressure differential surpasses a safe margin. This is no 737-300.

[Evan]

Furthermore, if the other plane WAS involved in illicit activities, why did it fly at FL350 and not under the radar, where it would have been completely invisible?

Range. And apparently nobody is watching anything on primary radar out there.

[Timmerich]

not sure what you mean abt sending the ACARS a shutdown msg.
You can pull the breaker for just abt any sys from the cockpit.

So it is possible to be "invisible" in a short time. If the plane have been hijacked (eventually by the pilots self) so they have only to know what breaker pulling down. That was my question

[James Bond]

Via AVHerald

Late Mar 12th 2014 China's State Administration of Science (SASTIND) reported, they discovered three large objects sized 13x18, 14x19 and 24x22 meters at position N6.7 E105.63 (121nm eastsoutheast of the last known secondary radar position), all three objects within a radius of 20km (11nm) and published the satellite images, taken on Mar 9th 2014 at 11:00 Beijing time (03:00Z), see below. SASTIND stated they are committed to provide further search services to locate flight MH-370.

[James Bond]

http://www.sastind.gov.cn/n112/n117/c303244/content.html

[zz28zz]

So it is possible to be "invisible" in a short time. If the plane have been hijacked (eventually by the pilots self) so they have only to know what breaker pulling down. That was my question

I don't know the max emergency rate-of-descent for a 777 but it would take a few mins to get below radar from that altitude.

For reference, I was told from a test crew member that our old DC-8's could descend at 11,000 ft/min in an emergency but was a wild ride.

The breakers are all labeled. Just a matter of knowing the right ones to pull and not pull.
BTW, the breakers are pushed in or pulled out. No up/down.

[James Bond]

I think AVHerald is crashing. Here are those shots again: