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[Ovid]

Airplanes have been stolen before, like this one. Though it was under completely different circumstances.

Someone told me about this yesterday. I can't believe this actually happened.

 

[Incognito]

I posted this some pages back last night as well, but that's not how cell phones actually work. If your friend is standing next to you and calls your cell from his, he'll hear ringing long before your phone starts ringing. Carriers play the ring while the network is actually searching for a phone. Phones that are off or international will actually 'ring' for longer than phones that are on because the network searches for a good while.

You can even test this yourself if you have two different cell phones. Landline phone to landline phone doesn't really do this because there's no search to be done. People aren't used to the fake ring from cell phones though.

Ah, yes, I have experienced this yet never connected the dots. Thanks for the info.

 

[Chittagong]

Let’s see the current known facts

- All tracking of plane shut down at 1:21AM
- Last radio communication with pilots was around 1:30AM (not precise time, so could be also 1:21AM)
- Plane changed course and flew across and over Malaysia
- Plane lowered altitude
- Plane flew definitely for another hour
- Plane had fuel for a maximum of 6 more hours

From the known facts it's pretty easy to imagine two pretty different scenarios.

MECHANICAL FAILURE
1 – Technical failure renders plane completely unable to communicate
2 – Pilots change course of plane in an attempt to land it somewhere and lower altitude to ensure cabin pressure
3 – Pilots become unconscious or plane otherwise becomes uncontrollable
4 – Plane continues on its last trajectory for 1-7 hours
5 – Plane plunges to sea

MALICIOUS
1 – Someone purposefully shuts down all communications equipment in plane
2 – Someone changes the course of plane for unknown purpose and lowers to lower altitude for unknown purpose, possibly to avoid detection
4 – Someone flies the plane for another 1-7 hours
5 - ???
6 – Plane plunges to sea or is landed somewhere (highly unlikely)

 

[3N16MA]

Airplanes have been stolen before, like this one. Though it was under completely different circumstances.

Very weird. Steal a large plane and then completely vanish.

 

[MThanded]

So this plane was going in a completely incorrect direction for many miles with the transponder off and no communication.

I'm perplexed.

 

[lemmykoopa]

Very weird. Steal a large plane and then completely vanish.

Not that strange imo. Steal the plane, fly it to some off the grid small airport or runway owned by maffia. Plane lands and is then taken apart so that the parts can be sold on the black market, bam plane is gone.

Also the plane was stolen from some smallish airport in Angola which can't be compared to a highly enforced and secured European, American or Asian airport.

 

[Chittagong]

Not that strange imo. Steal the plane, fly it to some off the grid small airport or runway owned by maffia. Plane lands and is then taken apart so that the parts can be sold in the black market, bam plane is gone.

preventing 230 passengers tweeting a play-by-play as all that unfolded would probably be more work than stealing an empty plane, no?

 

[lemmykoopa]

preventing 230 passengers tweeting a play-by-play as all that unfolded would probably be more work than stealing an empty plane, no?

I wasn't talking about MH370 My reply was in response to the plane from Angola that was stolen some years back and was never found again.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Not that strange imo. Steal the plane, fly it to some off the grid small airport or runway owned by maffia. Plane lands and is then taken apart so that the parts can be sold on the black market, bam plane is gone.

Also the plane was stolen from some smallish airport in Angola which can't be compared to a highly enforced and secured European, American or Asian airport.

What the fuck are you going to do with commercial airline parts? Even if they are stripped they are likely going to need service at Boeing eventually. Send them in and go "oops seems they are from a missing 777".

The plane probably crashed. Hijacking angle seems incredibly unlikely.

 

[3N16MA]

Not that strange imo. Steal the plane, fly it to some off the grid small airport or runway owned by maffia. Plane lands and is then taken apart so that the parts can be sold on the black market, bam plane is gone.

Also the plane was stolen from some smallish airport in Angola which can't be compared to a highly enforced and secured European, American or Asian airport.

I never compared the two. Stealing a large plane like that and vanishing is not common in any country.

 

[GoodCoffeeJoey]

MECHANICAL FAILURE
1 – Technical failure renders plane completely unable to communicate
2 – Pilots change course of plane in an attempt to land it somewhere and lower altitude to ensure cabin pressure
3 – Pilots become unconscious or plane otherwise becomes uncontrollable
4 – Plane continues on its last trajectory for 1-7 hours
5 – Plane plunges to sea

This sounds most likely at this point. Similar situation to the 'ghost plane.'

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helios_Airways_Flight_522

 

[Anteo]

Yet what of the reports about the phones of people aboard the plane ringing, and still being online, when relatives attempted to contact them? If they are true (and I believe this is dubious), but if they are true then why wouldn't those same relatives, or anyone else for that matter, attempt to contact anyone on the ground? I guess this hijacking presupposes that all the passengers were incapacitated.

In a plane accident that happened a few years in my country, some phones were still working after the crash. It was really sad because there was a news team on the crash scene, and as they are walking around the remains of the plane, many phones are ringing as if the owner's family still had hope to see them alive.

 

[SoundofSilence]

This sounds most likely at this point. Similar situation to the 'ghost plane.'

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helios_Airways_Flight_522

So the plane plunges into the sea at incredible speed and velocity and yet there's no debris of any kind? Seems physically impossible. Debris from AF447 was spotted the day after the crash.

 

[Jarrod38]

CNN is still going for the terrorist angle.

 

[HK-47]

True

If there is ANY sort of serious accident on a plane that causes it to crash you are most likely 100% dead.

Not the case in a car

I don't think this is actually the truth

 

[Snkfanatic]

CNN is still going for the terrorist angle.

Gotta keep people watching....

 

[The_Inquisitor]

I don't think this is actually the truth

Correct. Mortality rate for plane crashes is somewhere less than 10% I think.

 

[MThanded]

This sounds most likely at this point. Similar situation to the 'ghost plane.'

http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Helios_Airways_Flight_522

This has to be the most horrible blood curling thing I have read in a long time. You basically end up trapped in a tube of death. No one is able to fly the plane and people may be still alive. It's not a sudden death its a long drawn out agonizing situation where you are waiting to meet your maker.

 

[Linkhero1]

This sounds most likely at this point. Similar situation to the 'ghost plane.'

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helios_Airways_Flight_522

It wouldn't explain why the airplane didn't appear on radars nearby, though, it's definitely a possibility.

 

[3N16MA]

This sounds most likely at this point. Similar situation to the 'ghost plane.'

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helios_Airways_Flight_522

It had around 6 hours of fuel left. If the autopilot really did just fly the plane with the crew and passengers unconscious it would have been a very long flight before the fuel ran out. Flight 552 flew until the fuel was depleted.

 

[GoodCoffeeJoey]

So the plane plunges into the sea at incredible speed and velocity and yet there's no debris of any kind? Seems physically impossible. Debris from AF447 was spotted the day after the crash.

It could have kept flying at it's last trajectory until fuel exhaustion. So it would have crashed way outside the current search zones.

 

[PK_man]

Here is a crazy idea: the plane was jacked and everyone was abducted to some secret island. Before takeoff, the emergency oxygen tank was replaced by sleep gas. Once the plane reaches altitude, communications were taken out in an instant, (probably by a small emp device?) Pilot turns around realizing communication was knocked out and goes for quick descent. He deploys oxygen mask and everyone passes out. Then hijacker take control over plane and flies to secret location.

yes sounds like a movie but at this point I've got nothing other hope they find the plane soon.

 

[Chittagong]

So the plane plunges into the sea at incredible speed and velocity and yet there's no debris of any kind? Seems physically impossible. Debris from AF447 was spotted the day after the crash.

No debris was incredibly bizarre when the plane was thought to have crashed in the sea between Malaysia and Vietnam, a very trafficked area. Now that we know that the plane might have flown 1-7 hours West from Malaysia where there is nothing but sea it makes more sense. That's up to 6000km in any direction.

It's no wonder the army kept this secret this long. Basically what they are admitting is that unidentified planes can whizz over their country without intervention.

 

[Blader]

Here is a crazy idea: the plane was jacked and everyone was abducted to some secret island. Before takeoff, the emergency oxygen tank was replaced by sleep gas. Once the plane reaches altitude, communications were taken out in an instant, (probably by a small emp device?) Pilot turns around realizing communication was knocked out and goes for quick descent. He deploys oxygen mask and everyone passes out. Then hijacker take control over plane and flies to secret location.

yes sounds like a movie but at this point I've got nothing other hope they find the plane soon.

You don't say

 

[3N16MA]

This has to be the most horrible blood curling thing I have read in a long time. You basically end up trapped in a tube of death. No one is able to fly the plane and people may be still alive. It's not a sudden death its a long drawn out agonizing situation where you are waiting to meet your maker.

I believe the crew and passengers were all unconscious during the flight. Pilots in the jets that were scrambled reported that the crew was slumped over and oxygen masks were dangling in the passenger area.

One crew member was awake and tried to takeover the plane but was too late.

 

[HoosTrax]

Correct. Mortality rate for plane crashes is somewhere less than 10% I think.

Probably only because the media calls anything a "crash", including gear up landings, malfunctioning nose gear etc.

I don't think that what most people consider a real "crash" (plowing into the ground from a decent height).

If you have a car accident at typical highway speeds in a modern vehicle while buckled in, I have a lot more confidence I'll survive that than a real crash at typical airspeed in a plane that's doing an uncontrolled crash.

 

[Mully]

Here is a crazy idea: the plane was jacked and everyone was abducted to some secret island. Before takeoff, the emergency oxygen tank was replaced by sleep gas. Once the plane reaches altitude, communications were taken out in an instant, (probably by a small emp device?) Pilot turns around realizing communication was knocked out and goes for quick descent. He deploys oxygen mask and everyone passes out. Then hijacker take control over plane and flies to secret location.

yes sounds like a movie but at this point I've got nothing other hope they find the plane soon.

This is stupid and adds nothing to the discussion except your hopes that people will think this is funny. It isn't.

 

[MThanded]

No debris was incredibly bizarre when the plane was thought to have crashed in the sea between Malaysia and Vietnam, a very trafficked area. Now that we know that the plane might have flown 1-7 hours West from Malaysia where there is nothing but sea it makes more sense. That's up to 6000km in any direction.

It's no wonder the army kept this secret this long. Basically what they are admitting is that unidentified planes can whizz over their country without intervention.

Yes. This is pretty ridiculous. Wonder if there is any possibility the plane was shot down.

I believe the crew and passengers were all unconscious during the flight. Pilots in the jets that were scrambled reported that the crew was slumped over and oxygen masks were dangling in the passenger area.

One crew member was awake and tried to takeover the plane but was too late.

Yeah well that person had one of the worst deaths imaginable.

 

[PK_man]

Sorry I wasn't trying to be funny.


it's just this incident has too many mysteries. No debris found. Plane basically vanished without a trace. No sign that pilots tried to radio for help. Whatever happened, it happened in a instant.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

so strange in these modern times it is still that easy to lose a plane that size

 

[teruterubozu]

so strange in these modern times it is still that easy to lose a plane that size

Honestly I don't know which is more strange - the time it takes to find a plane, or the little time it takes for people to demand answers in the internet age.

 

[Linkhero1]

No debris was incredibly bizarre when the plane was thought to have crashed in the sea between Malaysia and Vietnam, a very trafficked area. Now that we know that the plane might have flown 1-7 hours West from Malaysia where there is nothing but sea it makes more sense. That's up to 6000km in any direction.

It's no wonder the army kept this secret this long. Basically what they are admitting is that unidentified planes can whizz over their country without intervention.

So the expansion to search the Malacca Strait was recent I take, as in the past couple of hours? If they don't find anything there then it will be even more of a mystery...what still has me confused is what cause the plane to change directions. It could have been due to mechanical issues that lead to the pilots attempt to land the plane back at the airport they took off from.

Yes. This is pretty ridiculous. Wonder if there is any possibility the plane was shot down.

I actually thought about this being the case but I'm familiar with the military in the area.

 

[Amzin]

Probably only because the media calls anything a "crash", including gear up landings, malfunctioning nose gear etc.

I don't think that what most people consider a real "crash" (plowing into the ground from a decent height).

If you have a car accident at typical highway speeds in a modern vehicle while buckled in, I have a lot more confidence I'll survive that than a real crash at typical airspeed in a plane that's doing an uncontrolled crash.

That's comparing apples to rutabagas. Almost no airplane crashes are going to be uncontrolled or at typical air speeds, unless it's into the side of a mountain (which has happened and those ARE fatal). A car going at highway speeds head-on into a mountain doesn't have that excellent of a survival rate either.

 

[MThanded]

Honestly I don't know which is more strange - the time it takes to find a plane, or the little time it takes for people to demand answers in the internet age.

not sure why you find that strange. We live in an era where we get most things instantly. Real-time breaking news, free 2 day shipping and gps enabled phones. You have to realize its hard for most people to imagine how a plane can dissapear.

 

[Rentahamster]

Here is a crazy idea: the plane was jacked and everyone was abducted to some secret island. Before takeoff, the emergency oxygen tank was replaced by sleep gas. Once the plane reaches altitude, communications were taken out in an instant, (probably by a small emp device?) Pilot turns around realizing communication was knocked out and goes for quick descent. He deploys oxygen mask and everyone passes out. Then hijacker take control over plane and flies to secret location.

yes sounds like a movie but at this point I've got nothing other hope they find the plane soon.

That was in Mission Impossible 2

 

[teruterubozu]

not sure why you find that strange. We live in an era where we get most things instantly. Real-time breaking news, free 2 day shipping and gps enabled phones. You have to realize its hard for most people to imagine how a plane can dissapear.

It was just a quip. Of course I don't find the internet strange.

 

[3N16MA]

If the pilots realized there was a mechanical problem and changed course to in order to land the plane would they not make some kind of contact? What would cause all communication to go out?

 

[Betta Lines]

Could a direct lightning strike destroy all the electronics on board?

 

[GashPrex]

If the pilots realized there was a mechanical problem and changed course to in order to land the plane would they not make some kind of contact? What would cause all communication to go out?

There are also like 20 airports in that area of varying sizes...so I can't understand if they had control of the plane why they wouldn't land at one of them. Something could have blown up that caused them to lose their transponder and communication capabilities.

 

[KHarvey16]

I'm trying to figure out why the pilot would quickly descend if comms were knocked out and why he would deploy oxygen to change to a lower altitude. Or, granting it would work at all, why this magic EMP device only kills the communications equipment. It's fun to speculate wildly but...c'mon now.

 

[Twilight Gap]

This sounds most likely at this point. Similar situation to the 'ghost plane.'

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helios_Airways_Flight_522

Just watched this on it. Quite chilling to think about...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-iePFo5QrA

 

[Doctor Ninja]

Could a direct lightning strike destroy all the electronics on board?

If the plane was badly bonded yeah it could severely affect antennas and whatnot, but these things are usually checked on a regular basis so it's unlikely .

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Could a direct lightning strike destroy all the electronics on board?

Nah. Electronics in plane are protected for events like this. Plane acts as giant faraday cage anyways.

 

[KHarvey16]

Could a direct lightning strike destroy all the electronics on board?

Electronics used on aircraft are designed to withstand lightning strikes, so the probability that a lightning strike would destroy all of the equipment is incredibly small. It would require multiple individual failures.

 

[ChainedMaster]

Could a direct lightning strike destroy all the electronics on board?

No

 

[syllogism]

I'm trying to figure out why the pilot would quickly descend if comms were knocked out and why he would deploy oxygen to change to a lower altitude. Or, granting it would work at all, why this magic EMP device only kills the communications equipment. It's fun to speculate wildly but...c'mon now.

SATCOM antenna adapter failing would disable all satellite based communications (transponder, ACARS). The pilots would likely still have to be incapacitated in some manner to explain the lack of radio communications, however.

 

[SwiftDeath]

Let’s see the current known facts

- All tracking of plane shut down at 1:21AM
- Last radio communication with pilots was around 1:30AM (not precise time, so could be also 1:21AM)
- Plane changed course and flew across and over Malaysia
- Plane lowered altitude
- Plane flew definitely for another hour
- Plane had fuel for a maximum of 6 more hours

From the known facts it's pretty easy to imagine two pretty different scenarios.

MECHANICAL FAILURE
1 – Technical failure renders plane completely unable to communicate
2 – Pilots change course of plane in an attempt to land it somewhere and lower altitude to ensure cabin pressure
3 – Pilots become unconscious or plane otherwise becomes uncontrollable
4 – Plane continues on its last trajectory for 1-7 hours
5 – Plane plunges to sea

MALICIOUS
1 – Someone purposefully shuts down all communications equipment in plane
2 – Someone changes the course of plane for unknown purpose and lowers to lower altitude for unknown purpose, possibly to avoid detection
4 – Someone flies the plane for another 1-7 hours
5 - ???
6 – Plane plunges to sea or is landed somewhere (highly unlikely)

I'm of the mind that the most likely scenario is a catastrophic electronics failure that compromised the tracking and radio systems as well as directly leading to the crash itself. Perhaps an electrical fire within those systems that had yet to spread to flight control systems until later.

 

[3N16MA]

Air France Flight 447 entered a type of dead zone for communications during it's flight but I do not believe that was ever the case here.

 

[toxicgonzo]

Let’s see the current known facts

- All tracking of plane shut down at 1:21AM
- Last radio communication with pilots was around 1:30AM (not precise time, so could be also 1:21AM)
- Plane changed course and flew across and over Malaysia
- Plane lowered altitude
- Plane flew definitely for another hour
- Plane had fuel for a maximum of 6 more hours

From the known facts it's pretty easy to imagine two pretty different scenarios.

MECHANICAL FAILURE
1 – Technical failure renders plane completely unable to communicate
2 – Pilots change course of plane in an attempt to land it somewhere and lower altitude to ensure cabin pressure
3 – Pilots become unconscious or plane otherwise becomes uncontrollable
4 – Plane continues on its last trajectory for 1-7 hours
5 – Plane plunges to sea

MALICIOUS
1 – Someone purposefully shuts down all communications equipment in plane
2 – Someone changes the course of plane for unknown purpose and lowers to lower altitude for unknown purpose, possibly to avoid detection
4 – Someone flies the plane for another 1-7 hours
5 - ???
6 – Plane plunges to sea or is landed somewhere (highly unlikely)

Yup, a change of direction does not add anything to the narrative except to add another layer of mystery.

It could have meant a change by the pilot, but due to hydraulic issues were never able to re-correct their course (see the 747 Japan flight crash) or simply that there was enough time to change the course before losing consciousness (because the plane was slowly disintegrating?).
On the other hand, if the plane was hijacked, it could mean the hijackers flew low to avoid radar but accidentally crashed or that the passengers tried to fight back and the hijackers crashed purposefully.

 

[Insane Metal]

So now it's pretty obvious that the plane is indeed at the other side of Malaysia... to the west/northwest. Last contact from radar made there, and from the same place, 8 villagers heard a 'jet' noise by 01:30am.

I just don't understand why the military didn't release this info before... they wasted 3 days worth of search in the wrong place.