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I think the pilot did this. After the co-pilot bid good night, the pilot had him exit the cockpit and then locked him out, subjecting him to the same decompression death as the others when the plane was quickly taken to 45,000 feet. This is likely when the co-pilot attempted his calls. The captain, then proceeded with his "mission" of putting on his oxygen mask, causing the death of all in the back, then proceeding around the radar points, setting the programming to fly out into the abyss until it ran out of fuel. He likely offed his own self shortly after placing the plane on autopilot.
I think the pilot was obsessed with airplanes and flight in general. We already know this much. And I think he was suicidal and decided to go out with a bang and mystery.
This is my theory based on all the information we have.
It tells me (a) somebody was alive at that time, (b) it was probably the co-pilot, (c) he was not able to use the plane's radio. If you assume the radio was not disabled due to fire, then you can deduce that (d) he probably was not in the cockpit. If the radio was simply turned off, why not use it? If he couldn't because someone else in the cockpit wouldn't allow him to use it, then that same someone would not allow him to use his cell phone either (or turn it on). So he was not in the cockpit.
At any rate, it is an interesting clue.
If someone was preventing him from using the radio or cell phone why would that someone allow the co-pilot to leave the cockpit unescorted since for sure that is when he (co-pilot) would be able to use another means of communication. The deduction doesn't fit.
Who, having disabled or having turned off the radio to preclude communication would simply let the co-pilot have a chance to do just what they were trying to prevent from happening? The passenger cabin was filled with people, many of which probably had cell phones. Let the co-pilot go back there or in close proximity to the passenger cabin crew who would also have had cell phones? Doesn't seem plausible.
Trust the co-pilot not to find another cell phone or pass a note to someone else and have them try?
If someone was preventing him from using the radio or cell phone why would that someone allow the co-pilot to leave the cockpit unescorted since for sure that is when he (co-pilot) would be able to use another means of communication. The deduction doesn't fit.
Who, having disabled or having turned off the radio to preclude communication would simply let the co-pilot have a chance to do just what they were trying to prevent from happening? The passenger cabin was filled with people, many of which probably had cell phones. Let the co-pilot go back there or in close proximity to the passenger cabin crew who would also have had cell phones? Doesn't seem plausible.
Trust the co-pilot not to find another cell phone or pass a note to someone else and have them try?
Not buying that one.
Wait. The bolded raises a point; it was the co-pilots phone that was detected, no passenger phones were detected attempting to make a call. So we might infer from this that the passengers were dead at the time the co-pilot tried to make a call....? (Or turned on his phone, whichever.)
I think the pilot did this. After the co-pilot bid good night, the pilot had him exit the cockpit and then locked him out, subjecting him to the same decompression death as the others when the plane was quickly taken to 45,000 feet. This is likely when the co-pilot attempted his calls. The captain, then proceeded with his "mission" of putting on his oxygen mask, causing the death of all in the back, then proceeding around the radar points, setting the programming to fly out into the abyss until it ran out of fuel. He likely offed his own self shortly after placing the plane on autopilot.
I think the pilot was obsessed with airplanes and flight in general. We already know this much. And I think he was suicidal and decided to go out with a bang and mystery.
This is my theory based on all the information we have.
There are self contained air systems for the passenger cabin crew. Simply sending the co-pilot out of the flight crew cabin doesn't accomplish much if the goal is to kill him and prevent him from trying to make communications attempts.
If the pilot had to means to force the co-pilot out of the cockpit, then there was also the means to kill him in all probability and avoid the possibility the co-pilot got an oxygen supply and began trying to make cell phone calls.
If the pilot created a ruse to have the co-pilot leave and then began to do something to de-pressurize the passenger cabin, that co-pilot was one person who would also know about the self contained oxygen equipment available. If some of the passenger cabin crew didn't get to their masks, then that left extra available for the co-pilot who would of all people, understand what the plane going to a higher altitude would feel like and understand the consequences. He'd be looking all over for every self contained oxygen bottle there was.
The pilot, not being able to see the co-pilot (remember, we're assuming the pilot got the co-pilot to leave the cockpit) would have no idea if the co-pilot was alive or dead. The plane didn't stay at 45k feet very long right?
As for being obsessed with airplanes and flight in general, you mean like most pilots? Their lives are centered around flying. Heck, we have people on this forum that are very involved in flight simulators and they aren't even pilots. Who isn't serious interested in what they do for a living and when it comes to pilots, doctors and a whole slew of other professions, those people are very into their jobs.
If someone was preventing him from using the radio or cell phone why would that someone allow the co-pilot to leave the cockpit unescorted since for sure that is when he (co-pilot) would be able to use another means of communication. The deduction doesn't fit.
Who, having disabled or having turned off the radio to preclude communication would simply let the co-pilot have a chance to do just what they were trying to prevent from happening? The passenger cabin was filled with people, many of which probably had cell phones. Let the co-pilot go back there or in close proximity to the passenger cabin crew who would also have had cell phones? Doesn't seem plausible.
Trust the co-pilot not to find another cell phone or pass a note to someone else and have them try?
Not buying that one.
Maybe the pilot (or whoever was in the cockpit) was not worried about cell phones. After all, the co-pilot's phone only connected to the cell tower but no call was made because the plane was going to fast to connect to a single tower. The perpetrator knew that would be the case.
Whoever took control of the plane had to subdue 238 people - the passengers, the crew, and the pilot and/or co-pilot. Perhaps the co-pilot left for a bathroom break. Pilot locks the door. Or perhaps a crew member (who was the real culprit) swapped with the co-pilot so the co-pilot could get a break, and the crew member locked the door. In any event, the co-pilot was locked out of the cockpit when the actual takeover occurred. All he had was a cell phone. The passengers perhaps did not even know something was amiss - it was 1am, and most would be sleeping. Co-pilot tries to get back in the cockpit but the door is locked. What does he do? Makes a call, or tries to.
I don't know. It is a puzzle. Someone took control of that plane though.
Maybe the pilot (or whoever was in the cockpit) was not worried about cell phones. After all, the co-pilot's phone only connected to the cell tower but no call was made because the plane was going to fast to connect to a single tower. The perpetrator knew that would be the case.
Whoever took control of the plane had to subdue 238 people - the passengers, the crew, and the pilot and/or co-pilot. Perhaps the co-pilot left for a bathroom break. Pilot locks the door. Or perhaps a crew member (who was the real culprit) swapped with the co-pilot so the co-pilot could get a break, and the crew member locked the door. In any event, the co-pilot was locked out of the cockpit when the actual takeover occurred. All he had was a cell phone. The passengers perhaps did not even know something was amiss - it was 1am, and most would be sleeping. Co-pilot tries to get back in the cockpit but the door is locked. What does he do? Makes a call, or tries to.
I don't know. It is a puzzle. Someone took control of that plane though.
Malaysia's conducting a criminal investigation, I read. They don't have much to go on, though. Just info on the flight crew and a few passengers.
There are self contained air systems for the passenger cabin crew. Simply sending the co-pilot out of the flight crew cabin doesn't accomplish much if the goal is to kill him and prevent him from trying to make communications attempts.
If the pilot had to means to force the co-pilot out of the cockpit, then there was also the means to kill him in all probability and avoid the possibility the co-pilot got an oxygen supply and began trying to make cell phone calls.
If the pilot created a ruse to have the co-pilot leave and then began to do something to de-pressurize the passenger cabin, that co-pilot was one person who would also know about the self contained oxygen equipment available. If some of the passenger cabin crew didn't get to their masks, then that left extra available for the co-pilot who would of all people, understand what the plane going to a higher altitude would feel like and understand the consequences. He'd be looking all over for every self contained oxygen bottle there was.
The pilot, not being able to see the co-pilot (remember, we're assuming the pilot got the co-pilot to leave the cockpit) would have no idea if the co-pilot was alive or dead. The plane didn't stay at 45k feet very long right?
All good points.
How secure is the cockpit door? Is it possible to lock it or jam it so nobody can get in? I wonder if whoever is in the cockpit even cares whether folks on the other side of the door are alive or dead if they cannot get through the door anyway.
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