MH307: the plot thickens..

[Sternjaeger]

I don't know how many of you are still following this (as usual the big internet monster swallows all news to feed you new crap every day), but the whole hijacking scenario is getting more and more credible. 

 

It'd be interesting to hear the impressions of real airline pilots here, what do you guys think happened there? Such an early in the flight and "knowledgeable" hijack (they switched off the transponder at the right time) might suggest one or both pilots premeditated the thing..

Edited March 16, 2014 by Sternjaeger

[Gort]

I think there is so much unmitigated BS surrounding the media reporting on this mishap that it isn't worth watching. I understand media looking for ratings, but some of the people going on air and speculating when they know they have no clue is disgusting. This includes government officials and even former airline or military pilots who are not familiar with the procedures, equipment or airspace surrounding the aircraft in question.

 

Look at the reports citing un-named "sources" or "experts" who constantly take a little knowledge and extrapolate it to bizarre outcomes. I'm not sure any of the reporters understand ACARS engine reporting and what onboard systems it uses. Some of the statements demonstrate information that comes from reading online information out of product brochures, not normal airline operations. Some could have been refuted as false by simply making a phone call.

 

In short, no one knows what happened, and the current mindset that technology must solve all problems in a matter of hours is feeding much of this. The more technical an issue, the worse the reporting.

[DD_bongodriver]

You should read what's going on on PPRuNe, some very elaborate speculation going on there.

[johncage]

A lot of whacked out theories. In the end, it's probably going to be a mundane explanation rather than Jack Bauer hijacked the plane.

[ATAG_Slipstream]

What  reason is there to be able to turn the transponder off in flight? 

[DD_bongodriver]

What  reason is there to be able to turn the transponder off in flight? 

 

I loved the typical media hype about that one with elaborate theories on cb's being pulled to disable it, completely ignoring the fact it actually has an on/off switch.

 

there is 1 legit reason to switch it off, same as most other electronic systems, to reboot it, I bet there is a procedure in the QRH for it.

[DD_bongodriver]

An interesting outcome to this situation would be to find out what the captains home simulator holds, if he planned this and acted it out on his sim pit there might still be evidence held in memory, it would make the search much easier.

[ATAG_Slipstream]

I love the fact that the media think 'sim pit = weirdo'.  Of course its true but still...

[DD_bongodriver]

I love the fact that the media think 'sim pit = weirdo'.  Of course its true but still...

 

Imagine how us real pilots on this forum are feeling, now the WAG's have extra ammunition in arguments to get rid of our childish gear.......sigh!

[MiloMorai]

Why would Wireless Air Gunners want to get rid of childish gear?

[Gort]

Transponders malfunction and need to be disabled. Every commercial jet I've flown has two. They don't ward off evil spirits, just enable data tagging and enhancing position by the addition of a beacon feature.

 

I want to know how the new "turn to the west" positioning was derived. Some sort of secondary position information based on engine reporting, a strong primary radar return that wasn't coasting or extrapolating or made by a marginal radar environment? In other words, exactly how strong is the data. Everything else, the loss of various systems could be explained by the catastrophic loss of the jet itself. 

 

The Captain owning a sim rig is completely irrelevant. Media looking for eyeball views. Shows the guy was an enthusiast and loved aviation, not that he was nefarious. Obvious to anyone but the media, or the attention seeking human debris that populate comment's sections and Facebook/Twitter.

 

At the core of all of this is a public that has an expectation that every problem can and should be solved by technology that doesn't exit. They are used to two hour dramas and think that the world works like movies, while having a sort of arrogance about their favorite technology trumping natural forces. They're stunned that Twitter hasn't prevent wars, and that there are vast swaths of the planet that are still wild and don't bend to their expectation of safety. 

 

Did you see the USAirways aborted takeoff? There was a young girl who made a selfie video, screaming about her plane crashing as see breathlessly ran away from the fireball. The plane wasn't on fire, she wasn't in danger (she was fifty meters from a static airplane that had fire crews who had been obviously surrounding it for some time), the accident was long over. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to learn than she made several "takes" of herself in order to get a good video segment for her Facebook friends.

 

You can be that right now, passengers are boarding flights schedule to fly across vast oceans, while wearing flip flops and T-Shirts, with no thought that they might have to run through jagged metal or worse, or deal with something more than finding baggage claim when they arrive.