Malaysian Airlines Flight MH-370 goes missing

vsunder · Post by **vsunder** » 19 Mar 2014 21:37

This is getting weirder and weirder, but so much tamasha. The Maldives report is such tamasha.
Flight is seen at 6.11am-6.30am local time. That is 9.11-9.30am in Kuala Lumpur. Last bong
was heard from the plane at 8.11am, and bings take place every hour so plane is seen
in Maldives, one hour after last bong. What gives?

Sooner or later with all the searching some search aircraft may also go down
and no sailor or airman's life is worth the rubbish emanating from the Malaysians.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 19 Mar 2014 21:38

He could have fed flight data for various flights and run his flight along their flight path. He could be using x-plane FAA certified which unlocks features conforming to FAA requirements , meaning actual flight experience and trying to practice how to camouflage , if he want to hide before safe landing. Timings radar pattern, ATC, military radars , way points, obscure airports, and he could have run mission on x-plane. All it depends what type of software he got. Obviously it was not Desktop version going by gig he had setup short of flight Simulation machines he had the best going not less than $50000 with $5000+ for software FAA certified.

Jarita · Post by **Jarita** » 19 Mar 2014 21:43

The hijack theory should be dismissed because it would have been publicised by the hijackers for benefits. There is no benefit to the Jihadi crew of keeping quiet about hijackings and hostage situations. Countries like China would rather lose their people than negotiate if this was not brought into public view.
The only other theory is that the plane has gone down somewhere or by someone due to an accident. Perhaps most of the countries who are choosing not to participate know that Malaysia is talking nonsense and that the plane is down. Perhaps it is an attempt to protect the dying Malaysian airline - afterall a hijacking is better that Lithium batteries and god knows what cargo to make more money.

Rajiv Lather · Post by **Rajiv Lather** » 19 Mar 2014 21:51

ramana wrote:I want the jihadi link if at all to be found.

The jihadi link, if any, will be connected to the Uighurs, Pakistani government seems to be out of the picture from the data available so far.

Yayavar · Post by **Yayavar** » 19 Mar 2014 21:56

How old is the pilot's child/sibling/relative? Aspiring pilot? any side-business teaching/training others? There could be other reasons to have a simulator I guess, in addition to play and fun; or the more sinister plan of practicing for a hijack.

Jarita · Post by **Jarita** » 19 Mar 2014 22:07

Rajiv Lather wrote:
ramana wrote:I want the jihadi link if at all to be found.
The jihadi link, if any, will be connected to the Uighurs, Pakistani government seems to be out of the picture from the data available so far.

The Uighurs would have publicized it. This would have made their cause public.

One more CT - were there persons of interest in the flight that it would have been valuable to kidnap for certain world governments - scientists, Humint folks etc

member_26011 · Post by **member_26011** » 19 Mar 2014 22:20

One theory...
One of the pilots has gone nuts, changes flight plan on his FMS terminal, the other figures out when the turn starts, a struggle for the controls, the winner knocks the other cold, possibly crazy maneuver, the crew is stunned, the pic freaks, keeps going west, then northwest, then south to get to one of the several airports he loves to fly to on the sim, may be talking to malaysia, may be not, runs out of gas, bangs keyboard in cockpit, aoa aoa...the end.

sohamn · Post by **sohamn** » 19 Mar 2014 22:29

See this pic, There are totally 5 screens on this flight simulator. This is some serious stuff which would take a lot of money and time. Also if you are a pilot - then you fly aircraft at work & simulators regularly during training - then why would you setup another simulator at home for timepass? It defies explanation.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 19 Mar 2014 22:30

if you're a concert pianist, would you have a piano at home?

Rajiv Lather · Post by **Rajiv Lather** » 19 Mar 2014 22:33

Actually there are six screens; one got cut off in the lower right corner.

Someone should check if a $ 1,00,000 money transfer took place from the ISI chief to the Chief Pilot. I wonder what he did with the remaining $ 50,000.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 19 Mar 2014 22:36

sohamn wrote:See this pic, There are totally 5 screens on this flight simulator. This is some serious stuff which would take a lot of money and time. Also if you are a pilot - then you fly aircraft at work & simulators regularly during training - then why would you setup another simulator at home for timepass? It defies explanation.
...

Work and hobbies are different beasts. Can he try everything that he wanted at work? No, the company would control the amount of time at the simulator (it is expensive) and they would practice the standard processes on that simulator as specified by the manufacturer.

If a software engineer has programming tools on his home computer to write programs for say mobiles or something else, would one ask why he has it at home as his company provides same at work?

I think the pilot's home simulator setup is just blown up. I know quite a few serious gamers who have high performance machines setup that even companies won't provide their employees unless absolutely required!

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 19 Mar 2014 22:42

as a senior captain at MAS, he would be on the high end of the earnings scale in malaysia - and he would get many perks and allowances. he can afford these toys quite easily. its not that expensive

ManuJ · Post by **ManuJ** » 19 Mar 2014 22:46

On April 1, MH370 will be revealed as the biggest hoax every played.
Fooled the whole world.
All passengers were part of the game, and will come out smiling and holding the $1 million reward for participation.

Actually, I shouldn't joke about something so tragic, but this is getting ridiculous.

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 19 Mar 2014 22:52

Lalmohan wrote:if you're a concert pianist, would you have a piano at home?

the question should be - how many commercial pilots have flight simulator at home. that way, we know if it is unusual or not. but even that does not tell anything more than 'this is unusual'...

harbans · Post by **harbans** » 19 Mar 2014 23:06

Sohamn ji, that is not expensive stuff. All that comes for less than 3000 USD. Any pilot to keep himself updated on different aircraft and airports/ routes should have this basic setup in some corner to keep his skill levels upto date.

Comer · Post by **Comer** » 19 Mar 2014 23:07

Flight simulators could be something like this too:

http://flight4fantasy.com/boeing-737-commercial-jet/

Not just plain vanilla controls but faithful reproduction of the type of aircraft you are flying. I have seen this in Bangalore, don't remember if they the hydraulic controls but it has the cockpit bells and whistles. The space taken would be perhaps 15'*15' approx.
EDIT:
Got the MS FS-X Deluxe on sale in a moment of weakness. It can run on a fairly decent laptop and barely playable with keyboard and mouse. Hence lost interest. The software doesn't require amazing processor. But the addons and the immersion can be quite expensive. When I was exploring websites after buying that lemon, I found people say that is quite an acceptable software for simulation and amateur pilots do get some training out of it.

nachiket · Post by **nachiket** » 19 Mar 2014 23:13

harbans wrote:Sohamn ji, that is not expensive stuff. All that comes for less than 3000 USD.

+400. Articles quoting $50k for that rig are pulling that number from their musharrafs.

As for GPU and RAM, FSX runs well even on old laptops with half-decent NVidia/AMD cards. X-plane may require better stuff but it is nowhere near that expensive. You can get the joystick/control yoke + throttle (with HOTAS controls) for ~$200....less if you are ok with the cheaper stuff. Too much is being made of this simulator business according to me.

Comer · Post by **Comer** » 19 Mar 2014 23:16

^^ It doesn't even need those external graphics cards. It can even run on integrated stuff like Intel HD 3000/4000.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 19 Mar 2014 23:20

So we can debunk the expensive flight simulator theory?

Comer · Post by **Comer** » 19 Mar 2014 23:24

He could have had expensive rig, check the video above. That thing could be expensive, especially if it has hydraulics.
EDIT: To clarify, the software (FSX) can run from creaking laptops to expensive immersive environments.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 19 Mar 2014 23:32

Philip wrote:Even more curiouser and curiouser! The Thais now reveal that their mil. radar might've picked up the track of the MH flight as it passed across their territory.Their excuse is that the Malaysians did not ask them and that their military are on the look out only for threats against them! If the Maldivian report is right,the aircraft was heading out towards DG and would've been short down without any compunction by Uncle Sam,a wild goose chase then conducted in the Indo-China Sea and after the debris,etc., was cleared up in the IOR,the true news leaked out drop by drop.

This was my theory several pages back.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 19 Mar 2014 23:39

Harpal Bector wrote:In aviation security matters, Uncle Sam gets involved if the either there is a threat to CONUS airspace, a USMIL asset or if the interests of a major US corporation are threatened.

If the Malays shot the airliner down, none of those seem possible.

Threat to Israel (if hijacked to e. Iran), DG (USMIL asset), or interests of Boeing are threatened.

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 19 Mar 2014 23:44

Here's your answer:

Rajnikant's mother: Sonny, are you done playing?
Rajnikant: Yes, mom.
Mother: Then come inside and return the plane...everyone is searching for it.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 19 Mar 2014 23:54

I have a pooch.

There is a gadget called "LoJack" developed to attach under a car, so that if it is stolen, it can be traced quickly. Not v. expensive I think and has a subscription service. Uses GPS and sends a signal which can be picked up, giving GPS coordinates. Come to think of it, these days most GM cars, even rental cars, have a smart link. One day in the middle of the Great Gobi dejert in Dera Arizona Khan, I fiddled with the rear-view mirror on my rented yak to see how to turn it from day to night setting, and this Djinn Houri started asking what sort of trouble I was in, and whether she should send her Big Brother to talk to me. Scared the ***** out of me.

You'd think a $120M plane might have one of those, or maybe 10 of those, scattered under seats, in pakistans, behind wiring etc, hain? At least, how does a hijacker know that it does not, or that they have found them all? I don't know what satellites are needed to do the tracking, but apparently it works all over CONUS. Even James Bond uses one of those attached to his mijjile, hain?

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 19 Mar 2014 23:54

chaanakya wrote:If they wanted to commit suicide they wold have done so spectacularly while taking off and probably heading into Petronas. Or did they develop suicidal tendencies later?

Another thought - what if the pilot wanted to protest the jailing of Mr. Anwar Ibrahim and contacted Paki (non)-state actors for help in the logistics. They placed one of their operatives on the plane and identified to the pilot(s) who then let the operative into the cockpit as soon as the flight took off. As soon as the pilot turned off ACARS and other stuff and co-pilot did the good night mumble mumble, the operative essentially finished off both pilots and took control of the plane. Satisfyingly Macleanish.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 19 Mar 2014 23:58

the good night mumble mumble

U JUST SOLVED IT!! The guy was flying to Dilli to contest elecshun and become Pradhan Mantri oph Yindoostan!

harbans · Post by **harbans** » 20 Mar 2014 00:01

Several relatives of passengers reported even a day or two after the flight disappeared that mobiles were ringing but no answer. That would not happen if the plane landed in the southern Indian ocean. Why would passengers lie about the phones ringing. What investigations have been carried out on this, we have no reports. Everyone seems also to be expecting too much from the Malaysians and doing little themselves.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 20 Mar 2014 00:02

Nice try matrimc. However the sentencing of Anwar Ibrahim was announced on the day of the plane going awol. The pilot could not have forewarning of the coming magnitude of sentence!

I think Malaysians have something to say. They have sent people on wild goose searches all over the world. Don't know why but something to ruminate as its lunch time.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 20 Mar 2014 00:03

nachiket wrote:
harbans wrote:Sohamn ji, that is not expensive stuff. All that comes for less than 3000 USD.
+400. Articles quoting $50k for that rig are pulling that number from their musharrafs.

As for GPU and RAM, FSX runs well even on old laptops with half-decent NVidia/AMD cards. X-plane may require better stuff but it is nowhere near that expensive. You can get the joystick/control yoke + throttle (with HOTAS controls) for ~$200....less if you are ok with the cheaper stuff. Too much is being made of this simulator business according to me.

not to mention rudder pedals and the whole shebang

partha · Post by **partha** » 20 Mar 2014 00:08

harbans wrote:Several relatives of passengers reported even a day or two after the flight disappeared that mobiles were ringing but no answer. That would not happen if the plane landed in the southern Indian ocean. Why would passengers lie about the phones ringing. What investigations have been carried out on this, we have no reports. Everyone seems also to be expecting too much from the Malaysians and doing little themselves.

Explained here - http://wonderfulengineering.com/the-mys ... uncovered/

partha · Post by **partha** » 20 Mar 2014 00:10

Malaysia seeks FBI's help to recover deleted data from pilot's hard disk. What happened to "Malaysia rejects US offer of help in investigation" H&D show just a few days back?

Lilo · Post by **Lilo** » 20 Mar 2014 00:19

UlanBatori wrote:I have a pooch.

There is a gadget called "LoJack" developed to attach under a car, so that if it is stolen, it can be traced quickly. Not v. expensive I think and has a subscription service. Uses GPS and sends a signal which can be picked up, giving GPS coordinates. Come to think of it, these days most GM cars, even rental cars, have a smart link. One day in the middle of the Great Gobi dejert in Dera Arizona Khan, I fiddled with the rear-view mirror on my rented yak to see how to turn it from day to night setting, and this Djinn Houri started asking what sort of trouble I was in, and whether she should send her Big Brother to talk to me. Scared the ***** out of me.

You'd think a $120M plane might have one of those, or maybe 10 of those, scattered under seats, in pakistans, behind wiring etc, hain? At least, how does a hijacker know that it does not, or that they have found them all? I don't know what satellites are needed to do the tracking, but apparently it works all over CONUS. Even James Bond uses one of those attached to his mijjile, hain?

http://forums.bharat-rakshak.com/viewto ... 4#p1610134

As I said Massa and Boeing techs know about MH370 but don't want to reveal.
People should start their CTs taking above as a base axiom.

The haphazard flight of a bunch of GPS trackers on a commercial plane (in this case MH370) will set off automatic alarms in the security system somewhere (based on a preprogrammed bandwidths of acceptable flight maneuvers( path,height,speed,turns etc) for a Jumbo jet -which always flies optimally (conserving fuel and time) along standard routes.

Rajiv Lather · Post by **Rajiv Lather** » 20 Mar 2014 00:19

LoJack is all very well, we can fix them all in the next few months. But what are we going to do about the one that got away ? Yesterday there was some discussion that how much damage can a single airplane cause ? That was enough to make me lose sleep for yet another night. Tell you what, whether or not the relatives sue the airlines; am sure going to do it. I've lost all my sukhchain.

Now back to the plane - as I said we prepare it by throwing out the furniture and rigging it with allowed weight of explosive mixed with iron nails. And fill up the tanks. Who says this thing can't cause much damage ? If target is selected wisely (?) this one plane can cause more damage than all the 9/11 combined together. It will be one Mother Of All Cruise Missiles (MOACM).

Therefore we either find this thing or assure ourselves it has crashed and gone. Further the chain of events for the various scenarios can be used as a drill and then we conduct a complete security audit for such situations.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 20 Mar 2014 00:52

ramana wrote:... maybe he is dedicated pilot and likes to practise in his off hours.

might even be training his kids to take up the profession. Nothing unusual as people passionate about a hobby or job to spend a lot of money on the hobby.

Yayavar · Post by **Yayavar** » 20 Mar 2014 01:08

Yep, I suggested just that in the last page - kids, nephew, brother/other relatives; or even a side business to train others is a possibility.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 20 Mar 2014 01:28

They should be looking for the Debbie Does Dallas videos concealed behind those monitors.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 20 Mar 2014 01:57

viv wrote:Yep, I suggested just that in the last page - kids, nephew, brother/other relatives; or even a side business to train others is a possibility.

Such an elaborate rig is purely and solely for personal selfish pleasure onlee.

The average owner of such a rig would normally not let anyone near it.

Comes complete with all normal operating sounds like engine noise, aural warnings etc.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 20 Mar 2014 02:06

So Lilo (yes, I missed that post, sorry!!) no wonder Americans are telling Malaysia to become "more transparent". Why then the leaks to WSJ about 4.5 hours etc? And then 8 hours? It almost HAS to be CT#1: all GPS trackers or their remnants buried deep. Come 2 think of it, this IS the easiest and surest guarantee of detecting a hijack immediately, without depending on any human action/communication.

VikramS · Post by **VikramS** » 20 Mar 2014 02:31

Regarding the Rig. You can make one for 2-3K. 5 LCDs are < $1K. Controllers are a couple of hundred. 1.5K gets you a nice desktop with some fancy dual graphic cards.

The real enthusiast have motion actuated seats, shakers, front-back motion and what not.

This is relatively low end of high end.

Rajiv Lather · Post by **Rajiv Lather** » 20 Mar 2014 03:11

Am not wanting to go after the captain, he may well be a nice gentleman. But when I first heard of the plane disappearance and read up on it; my mind immediately picked up the word "flight simulator" and it looked out of place. 53 year old, almost 30 years of flying, logged 18,000 hours, still flying the 777 regularly and yet he hasnt had his fill ? Add to this the fact he is a tech geek and not only that, he is good with his hands and loves to tinker with electronic stuff. My point being he possesses a very impressive and unique skill set.

Suppose the 370 was hijacked and suppose all the tricks, twists and turns did take place. Would any average airline captain be able to pull off this incredible feat ? My answer - No. Because an average pilot will not possess the skill set required to do all the fancy tricks with the instruments as well with navigation and flying. It takes someone special to fool and confuse practically the whole world.

Therefore, if this chief pilot did hijack the plane, the flight simulator and his tech skills, both played an important part to make it possible.