5 ms·

Good theory. Yours is as good as anyone's at this point in time. Incredible, how we think that our tech is so advanced yet a commercial jet can go completely mi

by akumen 13y ago

Good theory. Yours is as good as anyone's at this point in time. Incredible, how we think that our tech is so advanced yet a commercial jet can go completely missing. MH370 makes for an incredible setup to 'Lost'.

yaeger 13y ago
I think this whole thing could have been prevented if only the tracking systems could not have been turned off manually. Why is that even possible? An oversight? If you think about just how many liberties we passengers had to give up after 9/11 worldwide, why was this still there? We can't take any liquids on board anymore but if the pilot wants, he can make the plane disappear at will? Yeah, the liquid thing was really the only security risk here... Imho, tracking of planes should never be able to be turned off. Why should it? Could there ever be a situation were it would be vital to have these systems not running?
- ekianjo 13y ago
  > I think this whole thing could have been prevented if only the tracking systems could not have been turned off manually. This was already answered several days ago. All electrical equipment has to be able to be switched off - there were cases where fires started in planes because electrical circuits could not be cut.
- caf 13y ago
  In the case of the radar transponder there is the very prosaic reason that ATC doesn't want their screen filled with all the aircraft sitting at gates.
- gambiting 13y ago
  >>but if the pilot wants, he can make the plane disappear at will? The pilot is the captain of the airship and can take any decision deemed necessary for the safety of the aircraft and its passengers and that decision is final(this is actually defined in the airspace law, would need to look for a quote). That means that the pilot has to have the ability to turn off any and all electrical parts of the aircraft if that would ensure its safety(in case of a fire). That power cannot and should not be taken away from the pilot - you don't want a plane crash due to a fire which couldn't have been put out because the burning thing was always-on due to some regulations.
  - imodgames 13y ago
    I don't know about international aviation law, but in the U.S. the text is: 91.3 Responsibility and authority of the pilot in command. (a) The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft. (b) In an in-flight emergency requiring immediate action, the pilot in command may deviate from any rule of this part to the extent required to meet that emergency. This does not mean pilots can break rules as long as they make sure to do so safely, but if a situation is unsafe they may break all rules necessary to make it safe again. Furthermore, pilots are required to inform ATC of any deviations they made from the regs or ATC instructions (of course this is one of the rules they're allowed to break if making such a radio call would be unsafe). Again, this is only for the U.S., but other countries do tend to look us for how to do aviation safety.
- josephlord 13y ago
  Could missiles ever be targeted on the transponder beacon? I could imagine that it is preferable to turn off such beacons when landing/taking off from near war zones or when the terrorist threat is very high.
- akumen 13y ago
  There are legitimate reasons to have a manual on/off switch: 1. In case of electrical failure to extend battery charges for 2-way communication. 2. If the device goes nuts and is better off. 3. To be turned off so that it doesn't interfere with a backup transponder.
jpalomaki 13y ago
I guess it is also a little bit uncertain if the plane is actually totally missing or if those who know just don't want to share their information with public.
msantos 13y ago
> MH370 makes for an incredible setup to 'Lost'. I believe it's more like Timtim's Flight 714 http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_714 http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_714
- brc 13y ago
  Tintin
  - mkempe 13y ago
    also known as Tim in German and Tintim in Portuguese... [1] [1] http://www.tintinologist.org/guides/characters/names.html http://www.tintinologist.org/guides/characters/names.html
- akumen 13y ago
  You sir, won the internet for me today :)
jdimov 13y ago
Yes, it would indeed be totally incredible if the plane was actually lost... However, it is already evident that there is much more going on - that the forces involved are far from benign, that the events are far from random and that whatever is at stake is of a Very High Value to someone.

by akumen 13y ago

yaeger 13y ago

I think this whole thing could have been prevented if only the tracking systems could not have been turned off manually. Why is that even possible? An oversight? If you think about just how many liberties we passengers had to give up after 9/11 worldwide, why was this still there? We can't take any liquids on board anymore but if the pilot wants, he can make the plane disappear at will? Yeah, the liquid thing was really the only security risk here... Imho, tracking of planes should never be able to be turned off. Why should it? Could there ever be a situation were it would be vital to have these systems not running?

ekianjo 13y ago
> I think this whole thing could have been prevented if only the tracking systems could not have been turned off manually. This was already answered several days ago. All electrical equipment has to be able to be switched off - there were cases where fires started in planes because electrical circuits could not be cut.
caf 13y ago
In the case of the radar transponder there is the very prosaic reason that ATC doesn't want their screen filled with all the aircraft sitting at gates.
gambiting 13y ago
>>but if the pilot wants, he can make the plane disappear at will? The pilot is the captain of the airship and can take any decision deemed necessary for the safety of the aircraft and its passengers and that decision is final(this is actually defined in the airspace law, would need to look for a quote). That means that the pilot has to have the ability to turn off any and all electrical parts of the aircraft if that would ensure its safety(in case of a fire). That power cannot and should not be taken away from the pilot - you don't want a plane crash due to a fire which couldn't have been put out because the burning thing was always-on due to some regulations.
- imodgames 13y ago
  I don't know about international aviation law, but in the U.S. the text is: 91.3 Responsibility and authority of the pilot in command. (a) The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft. (b) In an in-flight emergency requiring immediate action, the pilot in command may deviate from any rule of this part to the extent required to meet that emergency. This does not mean pilots can break rules as long as they make sure to do so safely, but if a situation is unsafe they may break all rules necessary to make it safe again. Furthermore, pilots are required to inform ATC of any deviations they made from the regs or ATC instructions (of course this is one of the rules they're allowed to break if making such a radio call would be unsafe). Again, this is only for the U.S., but other countries do tend to look us for how to do aviation safety.
josephlord 13y ago
Could missiles ever be targeted on the transponder beacon? I could imagine that it is preferable to turn off such beacons when landing/taking off from near war zones or when the terrorist threat is very high.
akumen 13y ago
There are legitimate reasons to have a manual on/off switch: 1. In case of electrical failure to extend battery charges for 2-way communication. 2. If the device goes nuts and is better off. 3. To be turned off so that it doesn't interfere with a backup transponder.

jpalomaki 13y ago

I guess it is also a little bit uncertain if the plane is actually totally missing or if those who know just don't want to share their information with public.

msantos 13y ago

> MH370 makes for an incredible setup to 'Lost'. I believe it's more like Timtim's Flight 714 http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_714 http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_714

brc 13y ago
Tintin
- mkempe 13y ago
  also known as Tim in German and Tintim in Portuguese... [1] [1] http://www.tintinologist.org/guides/characters/names.html http://www.tintinologist.org/guides/characters/names.html
akumen 13y ago
You sir, won the internet for me today :)

jdimov 13y ago

Yes, it would indeed be totally incredible if the plane was actually lost... However, it is already evident that there is much more going on - that the forces involved are far from benign, that the events are far from random and that whatever is at stake is of a Very High Value to someone.