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This is flat out incorrect. Turning off the transponder would only impact the tracking of the plane by ID by ATC. It has nothing to do with normal radar tracking that is done by the military or various aviation authorities. If turning off a transponder was all that was needs smugglers and enemy air forces would have a field day. There would also be no need for stealth aircraft.
Only the military tract the primary and secondary transponder signals. Civilian radar facilities only look for the secondary signal and disregard the primary. The last time I was watching the radar screens the primary signals were considered ghost reflections (from high rise buildings) or flocks of birds. The signal has no importance.
There is a timer that the providers set in their network called T3212. It can be set anywhere from 6 minutes to 24 hours (most providers have it set anywhere from one hour to four hours). Anyway, this timer is like a "roll call". Let's say that it's set to four hours. If your mobile does absolutely nothing for four hours, it automatically sends a message (it's almost like a SMS) to the network and tells it "I'm still here!"
If the mobile doesn't send this message, and the four hours goes by, then the network will mark this mobile as "detached" which means that incoming calls will go directly to voice mail. But until the timer expires, the network thinks the mobile is still available and will try repeatedly to reach the mobile and, after eventually being unsuccessful, go to voicemail.
So, it is very possible that your friends phone whom you called in flight rung even though it was not on because the timer most likely was in that range of 4 hours from when he turned it off. However, it has been 3 days now, way past any timers that would not allow a phone to go straight to voicemail.
Yes, calling a phone from a different network or carrier can be dependent, but being that these are local relatives of family members on that flight who most likely lived in the same region and would have been with the same carrier.
But since the Chinese cellphones were in Malaysia (outside of China) that means they were roaming. Wouldn't this be a factor?
Also I thought the calls were made during the first 24 hours. Is that still happening now that the cellphones are ringing and not going directly into voicemail?
That's interesting. I did not know that. However, I question the usefulness of it. From the article:
I don't believe most ELTs in use transmit GPS data, therefore the satellite would just pick up a random signal but have no way to locate it, making it essentially useless.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 11thHour
Newer ELTs transmit also on 406mhz which is satellite monitored, as well as the usual 121.5 mhz. There's a system of satellites that are used specifically to watch for emergency locators, such as those used in the newer ELTs, as well as those used in the small personal locator beacons, like SPOT. I have a SPOT as I do a lot of backcountry exploration in isolated areas, solo. This thing is my key to rescue should something go wrong. As a side note, I do take it with me when I fly. How ironic would it be if someone had one of those and was able to send a distress signal to the satellites? I don't know if the ELTs installed on that airframe are the new 406mhz types or not, but I'd be surprised if not. But even if it were, I don't know how well it could transmit from under several hundred feet of water.
From what I understand is that after the ELT signal is picked up the first time by the satellite, they wait until the satellite goes around again (which I have been told takes 4 hours) to confirm that it is a true signal (and perhaps that helps with the location as well).
Also I think that I heard on some TV news report that the battery of the ELT only last 48 hours after activation.
I'm leaning towards crew and possibly passenger incapacitation with the plane flying off course and crashing in one piece.
"In a previous incident involving a "ghost plane," professional golfer Payne Stewart and five others died aboard a chartered private jet on October 25, 1999. That plane lost cabin pressure, incapacitating those on board, and flew for four hours before crashing into a field near Aberdeen, South Dakota."
I'm leaning towards crew and possibly passenger incapacitation with the plane flying off course and crashing in one piece.
"In a previous incident involving a "ghost plane," professional golfer Payne Stewart and five others died aboard a chartered private jet on October 25, 1999. That plane lost cabin pressure, incapacitating those on board, and flew for four hours before crashing into a field near Aberdeen, South Dakota."
Wouldn't there have to be a massive breakup of the plane when it hit the water at hundred of miles per hour? How can the Malaysian plane plummet to earth from 30,000 feet and not break up on impact leaving floating debri.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CuriousKapono80
Here is my hypothesis: Cracks caused by constant stress and pressure from flying may have caused the outer 1/3 of the original broken wing (right side) to fall off.
This caused the plane to sway either to the left or right (yaw). The pilot tried to correct the angle by turning the plane to even it out. However, while leveling the horizontal level of the plane, the plane may have capsized (turned upside down - belly up).
After the plane capsized, the plane PLUMETTED towards the ocean at a super high speed, causing everybody (including the pilots) to black out.
Hence, no time to send out distress signal. According to one source, the plane plumetted 600 meters, before disappearing from the radar monitor.
When the plane plummeted towards the ocean, it did not break up into pieces. Hence, it's probably mainly intact at the bottom of the ocean somewhere.
If on the Malaysian flight there was total loss of pressure, and all the cockpit crew passed out, is there an emergency system on board that causes auto pilot to kick in?
A plane can land with one engine if not no engines, and auto-pilot can land a plane. If the cockpit crew lost consciousness is auto pilot useless?
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Many years ago, an Alaska Air flight left Texas I think and encountered problems. While over land and able to descend and get near an airport, the pilots kept trying to fix the problem for over 30 minutes. The plane crashed top down in the Pacific ocean off the coast. Everyone died.
I've wondered why there can not be hidden buttons underneath a counter at one or two of the crews stations behind the cockpit and rear of the plane. If the cockpit is threatened by a hijacker, one of the cabin crew hits the buttton, an extra 12 inch thick steel door extends that is capable of preventing anyone from getting into the cockpit. The engaging of this second door alerts the pilots and they descend and as fast as they can knowing passengers in the cabin are under some threat.
Last edited by howard555; 03-10-2014 at 01:38 PM..
CNN is reporting as Breaking News: Tickets linked to stolen passports for missing Malaysia flight were purchased by Iranian man, authorities say.
From the FT and Huffington Post:
"Benjaporn Krutnait, owner of the Grand Horizon travel agency in Pattaya, Thailand, said the Iranian, a long-term business contact who she knew only as “Mr Ali”, first asked her to book cheap tickets to Europe for the two men on March 1.
Ms Benjaporn said she did not believe Mr Ali was linked to terrorism, particularly as he had not specified booking the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight but had instead asked for the cheapest route to Europe."
That last sentence certainly makes me rethink the terrorism angle. They could have just been illegal immigrants trying to get into Europe. I could be wrong though...nobody really knows for sure. We won't know until they plane is found.
Wouldn't there have to be a massive breakup of the plane when it hit the water at hundred of miles per hour? How can the Malaysian plane plummet to earth from 30,000 feet and not break up on impact leaving floating debris.
An intact plane nosediving would leave a smaller field than a plane that broke up in the air. Maybe it crashed in the jungle - it's not where they are currently looking.
It has been said that this is a common way for illegals to get to the country of their choice. At first I thought of terrorism but apparently the forging of passports happens all the time there. They would not be as strong on security as we are since we had 911.
My husband thinks something went wrong with the plane. That still doesn't explain where it is! Why would it have been lost on radar? An explosion in air?
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