TomcatViPDefinitively an on-board fire is the most plausible conclusion. Chris Goodfellow with “his” theory is right. The pilot would have turned toward that airport as soon as the fire was identified.
We know from source here that the day before it flew to Dhaka and Mumbaio. It would be interesting to know if departing from Kuala, that airport is commonly used way point to join the flight corridor. If the pilots did used teh AP to stir the plane then it can explain why the plane flew along waypoints with precision.
Regarding the fire, a 777 is not a DC8. With a new battery (and reported corrosion), a tank fuel, O2 bottles and an immerged fuel pump, there is enough to set a fire if something goes wrong.
What is the most probable is that the fire grew slowly in the eq bay, damaging connections and shutting-off equipments.
TomcatViPI have a problem with your reverse current hypothesis but definitively an electric issue leading to a rapid growing fire in the equipment bay is what seems the most plausible in the accident scenario.
If their was a power surge due to a dysfunctional generator, won’t it be more plausible that there was a static build-up on the pump that (I guess) is activated once the plane is flying level at its cruise alt to lesser the trim drag (fill the frwd tank to decrease pitch trim for an aircraft more aft centered to reduce pitch force at TO and climb)?
SO, surge, static build-up, power on -> fire ->Ox-> fuselage breach -> one or more pilot incapacitated -> tank not full (pump inoperative) -> TRIM force is on pitch-up -> plane climb -> reach max alt -> horn (surviving pilot wake up) or safe system take-over or max alt with pitch setting …
TomcatViPHas any aircraft been known to land on water and not leave a debris trail?
A320 on the Hudson river lately.
here is a video depicting teh ditching of a big (fragile) airplane:
TomcatViPAlso low level flying is very hard on airframes, military aircraft are designed to cope with the stresses generated in ways that commercial aircraft aren’t. It’s just possible that if MH370 tried this it could have suffered a fatigue failure resulting in a crash.
True but I’ve seen it suggested on another forum that maybe there has been such a demand but the hijackers have demanded an information blackout, that is what happens in most kidnap cases. Its unlikely but it’s just possible.
Low level is hard on airframe if you are doing that regularly. I guess that Boeing’s engineers are not those of Microflop and have beefed their wings enough that you can fly a suitable amount of km low in a total security 😉
Moreover, at sea, 500ft in IFR is pretty much feasible especially if your reduce speed.
They might have searched a spot on the map where they knew there was no radio detection, check their 6 (hence the zigzagging) and dive low.
A radar detector might be not that hard to do at home (I mean a rugged one able to see if the aircraft is pinged). Then a ground crew might have been able to plug it during the removing of the baggage of the passengers that didn’t check-up.
TomcatViPThe biggest civilian jet aerobatic team planning a display tour in USA for 2015 airshow season, announced from Breitling USA head office. For now just two air show sites are announced AirVenture in Oshkosh and National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada.
http://aerobaticteams.net/news/2014/breitling-jet-team-to-perform-in-usa.html
this is a Military aviation forum 😉
TomcatViPB52 were trained to fly nap-of the earth flight (500 – 1000ft).
Even KC135 did train for that (Fr FAS).
If you are flying slowly (to enhance fuel consumption) it might be feasible. Don’t forget that we have a top of the notch flyer supposedly behind the Joke (if he had to do that for whatever reason).
Regarding the fuel on-board, the CEO of the company clearly stated the first day that the plane took-off with a FULL fuel load. For me that’s a range of nearly 15k km or on high low profile somewhat around 5/7k km.
Regarding the destination, I wonder why no-one has so far advanced Somalia. We are discussing Piracy here. They (at least the pirate that have settled themselves there) do not own the exclusivity of that activity, but still…
But I wonder what kind of charges would have faced the pilots if they had brought back a plane to Malaysia damaged by in-cockpit fire started by themselves. Let’s be clear here: would have teh fear factor be so high that they attempted to land in an other country (administered by the UK/US/Fr for example)?
TomcatViPActing Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said on Sunday […] [ACARS] “was disabled before,” the pilot made its last famous call: “all right, good night”
Source:
It become incredibly harder to believe at a simple accident.
TomcatViP[…] and mach 5/8 future dev inc 😉
?
TomcatViPI find it saddening that many here are willing to assassinate the Captain’s character simply because he lived and breathed aviation. It truly is sickening how readily you are all willing to suggest that a pilot having a simulator at home must be suspicious and ill intended!
The pilot was well known to the flight sim community. He has many hundreds if not thousands of forum posts on simming forums. He proudly posted pictures of his home simulator build and apparently also invited anyone to come along if and when in the area!
He never once tried to keep his simulator a secret. This was a guy who had been flying for 33 years and lived and breathed his job. I loved flying, he loved his job and never took it for granted. The simulator was an extension of this. He made his job his hobby.Do these sound like the actions of someone planning an evil deed?
Why announce to the whole world you have a simulator that exactly duplicates an aircraft, if you plan to use it for nefarious plotting?
Besides, what would a home sim, running Microsoft Flight Sim X, teach a man that has 33 years of professional flying with unrivalled access to professional Level D simulators, hand books, etc under his belt?This man is/was simply devoted to his career. He is/was the embodiment of someone “Living the dream”.
I think what has happened here, is that a desperate media have picked up on an innocent hobby and twisted it into a suspicious act!
Excellent post.
Every enthusiasts here know what it is regarding the use of a Flying simulator.
However, what we have to agree is that by exposing his profession on the forums, he might have draw himself as a target for criminals or terrorist.
Regarding the on-board fire hypothesis, I completely forgot the fact that both of theses guys are smokers. Imagine simply that the co-pilot (right -hand seat) ignited a fire that way unintentionally.
Back to the fact:
Najib was briefed on the new data by investigators from two U.S. agencies, the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board. It showed with a “great degree of certainty” that its system known as Acars, which sends data and text messages to and from the ground, was turned off just before the plane passed Malaysia’s east coast, he said.
[…]
A short time later, when the jet reached the area where air traffic control passes from Malaysia to Vietnam, its transponder was also disabled, he said. Without a transponder, radar can’t identify a plane and has difficulty locating it precisely.
Source:
TomcatViPThe question remains:
What was Hijacked ?
Was it for the passengers ?
or
Was it for the plane?
or
Was it for the cargo?
So who were the passengers ? We still have no clue.
The surfacing complexity of the operation and the profile of the pilots seems to discard a simple terrorist act. So would it have been for the money ?
TomcatViPhttp://www.inbloon.com/en/fly-a-bloon.php
Richard Branson has competition!
Without active ctrl meaning, in-air emergency recovering system or a smaller cabin, there is no chance to see me in that thing.
Fed-up with the “design” thingies. Designer are killing the engineering art pretending to be them-self artist. Aaaarrff :D.
TomcatViPI’m not aware that doors can be opened in flight.
Low alt and point 3 or lower deck cargo door (ppl might hve had a tremendous time to think about)
TomcatViPDepends on speed and alt, drag is not nearly as much of an issue at M0.5 & high alt, merely lugging along with that payload on the way to target,
it makes a difference in a dash tho
Drag start to be an issue as low as 90kph.
At cruise (to target) speed: power = drag.
More drag-> more power -> more fuel needed.
Drag is a polynomial square function of X : X² + kX + cte with X being the speed.
Power to counter drag is a Cubic function of speed.
Drag matters for range. This is all about (for example) the light weight category in Gen Av.
TomcatViPThe link you asking for has been posted on the previous page but here it is anyway.Screenshot is from 02:13min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsJyC5g4IBo
Yes. Thx 😉
TomcatViPGiven the latest news that the plane turned west, following the way points for flights travelling to europe and middle east. Could it be that due to a massive avionics/electrical failure the autopilot automatically started flying towards one of the last few destinations that had been entered into the computer?
In the days before the disappearence this plane flew to Dhaka and Mumbai.
Most probably a pilot manipulation trying to stir the AP to the last known waypoint.
If there was a catastrophic mechanical failure in the cockpit, conditions might have been harsh to do it properly.
If you are right regarding the Dhaka and Mumbai, that seems the most probable explanation
If this was a highjacking […]
5 passengers didn’t show up. Baggage were removed. Something to check here.
The plane also had to wait for the latte passengers (that didn’t show-up) and the removal of the baggages.We have here a similar situation with Egyptian flight 667.
When Boeing fixed the Ox house clamp, they might have not solve the root of the problem (surge in elec power from the battery -> heating -> gazes -> condensation -> corrosion -> integrity of fuel tank (or else)).
Regarding the scenario of catastrophic cockpit damages + pilots killed:
– Plane flew for hours with back crew and passenger fighting smoke and flames
– Flame propagated trough over head structure (Egypt Air 667) or bellow passenger deck (fuel line)
– Propagation of flames was delayed by the blowing up of front entry door (Egypt Air 667 + jet-way found at sea)
– Crew were unable to locate transponder 2 (inexperienced or unaware) or were unable to do it due to fire&smoke
– Flame could not be repelled anymore
– Panic ensued -> aft emergency door opened
– Some passenger jumping out to escape an horrific death (hence cell-phones)
– Fire intensity exacerbated
– Catastrophic explosion (or destruction ordered)
I hope nobody linked to families will read the above. If so, this is only conjectural and have nearly no basis of truth.
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