Missing Plane

[The Year Of The Fox]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26496673

Sad news this. I'm guessing it would've broke up at altitude scattering debris over possibly hundreds of miles which is why they've found nothing yet.

A bomb perhaps?

[Fox92]

Read this earlier. Very strange. Perhaps a bomb/hijacked, who knows. 

[The Year Of The Fox]

Read this earlier. Very strange. Perfhaps a bomb/hijacked, who knows.

If hijackers were in control still it'd be on radar?

[marko]

They've found a long oil slick which they say is consistent with a plane crashing into the sea.

 

Very sad news.

[Fox92]

If hijackers were in control still it'd be on radar?

 

True. But can't they turn something off? I thought that's what happened to one of them during 9/11?

[Unabomber]

It's like lost.

[whoareyaaa]

Could be a bomb, considering the pilot didn't report anything before hand.

[purpleronnie]

If hijackers were in control still it'd be on radar?

Not if it was a suicide mission...like 9/11...if 9/11 really happend that is.

[leicsmac]

Would have to been something either extremely fast or a situation where the crew didn't see fit to send a Mayday signal until too late (ala AF447 in 2009)

 

The question is how and why it happened to such a plane with an peerless safety record, pretty close to a coastline without time/reason to send a distress signal.

 

Edit: I would have thought a bomb attack would have resulted in a claim of responsibility by now.

Edited 8 March 2014 by leicsmac

[purpleronnie]

So rare thesedays for a bomb to be smuggled on, wouldnt a bomb disperse the wreckage?  Sounds like a high speed crash into the sea, just extremely sad whatever happend.

[The Year Of The Fox]

True. But can't they t

urn something off? I thought that's what happened to one of them during 9/11?

The transponder?

Thought that was only for communications?

If turning off a transponder was all that was required for a plane to become invisible we'd not have stealth bombers etc?

[maynefox]

The hunt for the Black Box begins....very sad news.

[Hollism]

Would have to been something either extremely fast or a situation where the crew didn't see fit to send a Mayday signal until too late (ala AF447 in 2009)

The question is how and why it happened to such a plane with an peerless safety record, pretty close to a coastline without time/reason to send a distress signal.

I don't imagine we'll find out for a few years, but I was amazed it was a 777. I don't know a lot about planes, but I knew that it's one of the safest on the market today.

Very sad news anyway.

[Fox92]

The transponder?

Thought that was only for communications?

If turning off a transponder was all that was required for a plane to become invisible we'd not have stealth bombers etc?

 

Ahh yeah, good point! Dunno then.

[leicsmac]

If it was a high speed crash into the sea, why no Mayday call?

[Beliall]

It's like lost.

 

 

dont be ridiculous

 

 

 

 

that was oceanic

[The Year Of The Fox]

So rare thesedays for a bomb to be smuggled on, wouldnt a bomb disperse the wreckage?  Sounds like a high speed crash into the sea, just extremely sad whatever happend.

I read it that it was last seen at 35000ft though? (Not decesending)

[purpleronnie]

I read it that it was last seen at 35000ft though? (Not decesending)

Oh ok, guess we'll find out in time.

[leicsmac]

I don't imagine we'll find out for a few years, but I was amazed it was a 777. I don't know a lot about planes, but I knew that it's one of the safest on the market today.

Very sad news anyway.

 

It is possible THE safest, which is why this is really, really odd.

 

If it was a mechanical failure/pilot error, why no Mayday?

 

If it was a terrorist act, why no sighting of wreckage over a wide area/sighting of explosion/claim of responsibility?

[Voll Blau]

If it was a terrorist attack surely someone would've come forward to claim repsonsibility?

[bovril]

Horrible. Being terrified of flying I always tell myself "planes don't just fall out of the sky". And then one falls out of the sky. My absolute worst nightmare.

[Facecloth]

Could it be possible the whole plane lost power. It would explain the loss of communication at 35000 feet and the high speed crash into the sea.

[separator]

Another possibility is pilot suicide, he takes control of the flight deck so no mayday call, and ditches it in the sea. Happened before...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EgyptAir_Flight_990

[The Year Of The Fox]

Could it be possible the whole plane lost power. It would explain the loss of communication at 35000 feet and the high speed crash into the sea.

It should still show up on primary radar though depending on terrain

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

[leicsmac]

Horrible. Being terrified of flying I always tell myself "planes don't just fall out of the sky". And then one falls out of the sky. My absolute worst nightmare.

 

I'm with you on that. Flying scares me. 

 

But there are so many redundant systems on modern aircraft. Even if all engines fail and the aircraft loses power it is still possible to glide it, especially so close to a coast.

 

Could it be possible the whole plane lost power. It would explain the loss of communication at 35000 feet and the high speed crash into the sea.

 

 

There's a redundant system in place for incidents like that - the Ram Air Turbine. 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_air_turbine

 

Draws power from the speed of the aircraft, powers redundant systems even if there is no other power available on the aircraft. Would last long enough to at least attempt an emergency landing at an airstrip within a reasonable distance.

 

This is all very tragic, and odd.