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I did not read all the responses you received and I don't know the answer to your question. That question has crossed my mind though. I also don't understand how nobody on the plane had a cell phone on an hour after take-off (well beyond the "turn off all electronic devices" speech) or, if they did, those can't be tracked. I don't know how any of the electrical systems work but I know cell phones can be used for tracking. The fact that they aren't or can't be would seemingly point to some widespread issue impacting all the phones and communication devices on the plane. Can cell phones be tracked under water, for example? The whole thing just get more bizarre.
I did not read all the responses you received and I don't know the answer to your question. That question has crossed my mind though. I also don't understand how nobody on the plane had a cell phone on an hour after take-off (well beyond the "turn off all electronic devices" speech) or, if they did, those can't be tracked. I don't know how any of the electrical systems work but I know cell phones can be used for tracking. The fact that they aren't or can't be would seemingly point to some widespread issue impacting all the phones and communication devices on the plane. Can cell phones be tracked under water, for example? The whole thing just get more bizarre.
Modern cell phones have a range of less than 5 miles. All cell phones stop communicating when you are five miles out to sea. If you take a small boat from San Diego down to Baja you can make a cell phone call if you get in close to shore and pass a town or city. A mere 10 miles off shore and there is no cell phone contact.
So there is no more cell phone contact once an airplane is a few miles out at sea. Cell phones may work on US domestic routes as you keep flying over new towers. But there are no towers once 8 or 10 miles out to sea.
Lvoc, thanks for explaining this to me. Admittedly, I don't know how any of that works. It makes sense though. This whole thing feels like an awful story on the Twilight Zone or something. It's unbelievable to me how we have all this advanced technology and authorities can't find this plane. Yikes.
Well, one of the biggest problems you'll find with things like that (to include video cameras in the cockpit) is ALPA... If there's some technology that might threaten to expose the idiocy of a few flight crew members, ALPA will fight it.
Yep read that the flight recorder resets at 30 minutes by contract with pilots union.
Yep read that the flight recorder resets at 30 minutes by contract with pilots union.
I'm not 100% sure on that. I'm on my phone so it's hard for me to look it up but I'm pretty sure all cockpit voice recorders are supposed to hold two hours of data and flight data recorders at least 25 per FAA and/or JAA mandate. Though a Malaysian aircraft doesn't necessarily have to abide by those mandates, it doesn't serve them any good if they can't fly a long range jet into Europe or the US due to non-compliance issues. Most flight data recorders are now 50 hours since they switched to solid state. Again, I'm pretty sure that came as a regulatory mandate but I'm not 100% on that off the top of my head.
Edit: Ah yes. Here we go. Good ol' 14 CFR 91.609. Check out (i)(2) and (c)(3).
Also. Read here for the FAA's decision on the recorders. It's long but gives a lot of insight into how these decisions are made.
I remember our Cockpit Voice Recorder had two buttons on it "Test" and "Erase". We were then informed by our training department that the test button was to ensure the system was working properly (green light would illuminate to show the system was operational) the erase button would do absolutely nothing, except flag on the recording that a pilot pressed the erase button.
There was a case where this happened, can't remember what the actual instance was, but essentially the pilots did some "not so legal things" which resulted in bent metal. Upon arrival at the gate, the pilots decided that they were screwed because the cockpit voice recorder had their entire conversation on it. At which point, a pilot re-entered the cockpit and pressed the erase button...but they were unsure which pilot did that. LoL.
I remember our Cockpit Voice Recorder had two buttons on it "Test" and "Erase". We were then informed by our training department that the test button was to ensure the system was working properly (green light would illuminate to show the system was operational) the erase button would do absolutely nothing, except flag on the recording that a pilot pressed the erase button.
There was a case where this happened, can't remember what the actual instance was, but essentially the pilots did some "not so legal things" which resulted in bent metal. Upon arrival at the gate, the pilots decided that they were screwed because the cockpit voice recorder had their entire conversation on it. At which point, a pilot re-entered the cockpit and pressed the erase button...but they were unsure which pilot did that. LoL.
This may be the silliest question ever posted, but why would somebody do something so outrageous and obnoxious AT THEIR JOB knowing they are being recorded? Jobs are hard to come by these days. Why up one's chances for the unemployment line?
This may be the silliest question ever posted, but why would somebody do something so outrageous and obnoxious AT THEIR JOB knowing they are being recorded? Jobs are hard to come by these days. Why up one's chances for the unemployment line?
Okay. I understand that. Be stupid with your friends and family. Be stupid with strangers in public (provided they don't look like they can kill you). Be stupid randomly...not at the place that provides you a pay check.
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