Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

(30-03-2014 19:42 )king of a lost kingdom Wrote:  Assuming that someone knew about the satellite pings in the first place and assuming they also knew how to modify them to change the delay time, surely anyone with that level of capability would also know how to shut the whole thing down altogether, which surely would be a much easier option.

OK consider the scenario that there was somebody piloting the plane who knew about these satellite pings but didn't know how to modify them or disconnect them like the ACARS and the transponder, but still wanted to make the plane difficult to recover and took steps to achieve this. For example, if after several hours of flight the pilot simply turned 180 degrees, flew that track for a while, turned 180 degrees again and so on and repeated this until the fuel ran out. Wouldn't the relative angle to the satellite still be about the same?

(31-03-2014 14:37 )archibald cockfoster Wrote:  they are convinced that something is being covered up and there's a conspiracy afoot

I believe that many of the Chinese families think that Malaysain politics is involved somehow, similar to the theory outlined by Scots Napoleon above. But the Chinese government has now distanced itself from this kind of thinking, because the state-run China Daily newspaper today urges people not to indulge in irrational thinking and not to blame the Malaysian government for what happened to the plane.

(31-03-2014 15:01 )marlowe Wrote:  There are an increasing number of stories in circulation about the captain

There is nothing in Capt Zahari's 33 year work record with Malaysia Airlines to indicate that any suspicion should fall upon him. There is nothing in his history that represents even the slightest misbehaviour of any kind. Malaysia Airlines have stated that his work record and performance are utterly faultless. For anyone to state that the captain suddenly turned into a mass-murdering hijacker with a terrorist streak, after 33 years of airline loyalty and a job performance that could not be faulted is an affront to all right-thinking people. I trust those who suggest this scenario are well-prepared to issue an abject apology when the truth is finally discovered. There are any number of scenarios that could have combined to end up with the plane ending up in the Indian Ocean, including many in which the captain would not only be a totally innocent man but a hero.

Well another day gone by and nothing new on the search front. Some of the objects spotted previously from the air were retreived from the ocean today and, as with the last lot, turned out to be fishing equipment.

(31-03-2014 20:15 )Roger Patterson Wrote:  OK consider the scenario that there was somebody piloting the plane who knew about these satellite pings but didn't know how to modify them or disconnect them like the ACARS and the transponder, but still wanted to make the plane difficult to recover and took steps to achieve this. For example, if after several hours of flight the pilot simply turned 180 degrees, flew that track for a while, turned 180 degrees again and so on and repeated this until the fuel ran out. Wouldn't the relative angle to the satellite still be about the same?

I think I'm right in saying that nobody (including Inmarsat?) quite understood the implications (or even presence of?) the satellite pings and the subsequent analysis. A scenario in which someone aimed to foil the process of tracking the plane is, I would say, improbable if not impossible.

(31-03-2014 15:01 )marlowe Wrote:  There are an increasing number of stories in circulation about the captain

Yes and most of them come from the Daily Mail, which is following their long standing tradition of printing utter trash on long running news stories. They printed a supposed interview with the captain's daughter, who immediately denied all the quotes and took to Facebook to call the Daily Mail liars.

It would help the search process if the oceans weren't so full of rubbish. At least that issue's been highlighted by this search being such a major news story.

Aishah Zaharie’s Facebook post defending her father against claims made by the Daily Mail.

Is it a plausible motive to say the plane vanished because someone wanted to throw the international spotlight on Malaysia, following the frequently mentioned court case involving the opposition leader? In this scenario the perpetrator would know that Malaysia would be under international scutiny like never before, with the world seeking answers to what would be a virtually unsolvable mystery.

There doesn't seem to have been very much said by the media on the intelligence and surveillance capabilities of Diego Garcia, the strategic naval and air base of the US? Despite the flight path of MH370, if as alleged it crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, being close to the island. Why were no planes deployed from Diego Garcia to intercept the unidentified plane which obviously would pose a threat to the Diego Gracia military base?