Flight MH370: China reports possible debris observed

[Joe]

A Chinese satellite looking into the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 "observed a suspected crash area at sea," a Chinese government agency said -- a potentially pivotal lead into what has been a frustrating search for the Boeing 777.http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/12/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/index.html

 

[Mark Barrington]

A Chinese satellite looking into the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 "observed a suspected crash area at sea," a Chinese government agency said -- a potentially pivotal lead into what has been a frustrating search for the Boeing 777.http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/12/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-plane/index.html

Here's the location plotted on Google maps.

 

[Pete Tar]

That puts it close to where the oil rig worker reported a sighting.

 

[Mark Barrington]

That puts it close to where the oil rig worker reported a sighting.

Not really, it's more than 100 miles to the southwest. It may have been possible for him to see the fireball from that far away, but I don't know. If he did, he underestimated the distance by quite a bit. It's in the right general direction. And maybe the wreckage drifted before the satellite image was taken. I'm starting to think it might be plausible.

 

[Pete Tar]

Yeah I don't mean his actual location, I meant allowing for travel and drift, you can travel 100 miles fairly quickly in a plane if it's wings are still intact.

 

[TWCobra]

Those reported pieces seem pretty big. One is said to be 14 metres by 22 metres. That would be an entire wing.

 

[Pete Tar]

MARANG: Eight villagers here lodged police reports today claiming that they had heard a loud noise last Saturday coming from the direction of Pulau Kapas and believed it was linked to the disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight on that day.
http://www.nst.com.my/latest/font-c...-missing-plane-1.507926?ModPagespeed=noscript

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That's just off the coast of malaysia in the direction of the flight line.

 

[Mick West]

 

[Pete Tar]

So why were they searching the Malacca Strait? Is that solely on the claims the flight had turned or possible radar contacts from that area?

 

[AluminumTheory]

It seems that the investigators have alot of hope in regards to this lead.

If this is MH370, then what of the reports of this jet having steered way off course?

Would several large pieces of debris in a small area be more indicative of a semi-successful water landing (like Tuninter Flight 1153), or perhaps a stall?

 

[Pete Tar]

If this is MH370, then what of the reports of this jet having steered way off course?

So why were they searching the Malacca Strait? Is that solely on the claims the flight had turned or possible radar contacts from that area?

Seems like bad communication, but it's hard to see how a whole search fleet would be mobilised on such.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT BY CHIEF OF ROYAL MALAYSIAN AIR FORCE ON BERITA HARIAN NEWS ARTICLE DATED 11
th
MARCH 2014 ON SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS IN THE STRAITS OF MALACCA
1.I refer to the Berita Harian news article dated 11
th
March 2014 on Search and Rescue Operations in the Straits of Malacca which (in Bahasa Malaysia) referred to me as making the following statements:
The RMAF Chief confirmed that RMAF Butterworth airbase detected the location signal of the airliner as indicating that it turned back from its original heading to the direction of Kota Bahru, Kelantan, and was believed to have pass through the airspace of the East Coast of and Northern Peninsular Malaysia. The last time the plane was detected by the air control tower was in the vicinity of Pulau Perak in the Straits of Malacca at 2.40 in the morning before the signal disappeared without any trace, he said.
2.I wish to state that I did not make any such statements as above, what occurred was that the Berita Harian journalist asked me if such an incident occurred as detailed in their story, however I did not give any answer to the question, instead what I said to the journalist was
“Please refer to the statement which I have already made on 9 March 2014, during the press conference with the Chief of Defence Force at the Sama-Sama Hotel, Kuala Lumpur International Airport”.
3.What I stated during that press conference was,
The RMAF has not ruled out the possibility of an air turn back on a reciprocal heading before the aircraft vanished from the radar and this resulted in the Search and Rescue Operations being widen to the vicinity of the waters of Pulau Pinang.
4.I request this misreporting be amended and corrected to prevent further misinterpretations of what is clearly an inaccurate and incorrect report. 5.Currently the RMAF is examining and analyzing all possibilities as regards to the airliner’s flight paths subsequent to its disappearance. However for the time being, it would not be appropriate for the RMAF to issue any official conclusions as to the aircraft’s flight path until a high amount of certainty and verification is achieved. However all ongoing search operations are at the moment being conducted to cover all possible areas where the aircraft could have gone down in order to ensure no possibility is overlooked.
1
Bahagian Perhubungan Awam TUDMMarkas Tentera UdaraKementerian PertahananJalan Padang Tembak 50634 KUALA LUMPUR Faks : 03-20714572Tel: 03-20715130Public Relations DepartmentRMAF HeadquartersMinistry of DefenceJalan Padang Tembak 50634 KUALA LUMPUR Fax: 03-20714572Tel: 03-20715130
http://www.scribd.com/doc/211960325...YSIAN-AIR-FORCE-ON-BERITA-HARIAN-NEWS-ARTICLE

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[Chew]

Those reported pieces seem pretty big. One is said to be 14 metres by 22 metres. That would be an entire wing.

The report said "13 by 18 meters (43 by 59 feet), 14 by 19 meters (46 by 62 feet) and 24 by 22 meters (79 feet by 72 feet). "

24 x 22 meters??? Is that possible?

 

[Mick West]

The report said "13 by 18 meters (43 by 59 feet), 14 by 19 meters (46 by 62 feet) and 24 by 22 meters (79 feet by 72 feet). "

24 x 22 meters??? Is that possible?

Not easily:


Although at low resolution, if it were a portion of the fuselage and wing, it could cover a similar kind of region, just not all of it.

 

[Mark Barrington]

Not easily:


Although at low resolution, if it were a portion of the fuselage and wing, it could cover a similar kind of region, just not all of it.

Or the tail section with part of the fuselage attached, if somehow both horizontal stabilizers stayed attached.

 

[AluminumTheory]

Either way, they should be able to scan for the flight recorders in that area. If that's was where the plane crashed, they should be able to find it pretty soon.

 

[Mick West]

Like:

The smaller sizes are plausible

 

[Mick West]

Rough size overlay:

 

[TWCobra]

They seem too big for an in-flight breakup. A ditching perhaps, although pieces that large would probably sink quickly.

A controlled ditching is counter-indicated by the lack of distress calls. The only other possibility is a slow descent into the water with an incapacitated crew. How that would happen at that point in the flight... ????

IMHO, I'd be surprised if this debris came from the aircraft.

 

[AluminumTheory]

I do suppose that could just as well have been one of the many varieties of watercraft out and about at the time.

I'd imagine this turning into another dead end must be very frustrating to those investigators.

Are there any swamps or swamp like areas that it could have crashed into?

 

[Balance]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26559627

Chinese satellite images that were said to show debris from a missing Malaysian airliner were released by mistake, Malaysia's transport minister says.

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[Joe]

U.S. investigators suspect that Malaysia Airlines 3786.KU -4.08% Flight 370 stayed in the air for up to four hours past the time it reached its last confirmed location, according to two people familiar with the details, raising the possibility that the plane could have flown on for hundreds of additional miles under conditions that remain murky.

The investigators believe the plane flew for a total of up to five hours, according to these people, based on analysis of signals sent by the Boeing BA -2.04% 777's satellite-communication link designed to automatically transmit the status of certain onboard systems to the ground.

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http://online.wsj.com/news/articles...4653903086282.html?mod=WSJ_hp_RightTopStories

 

[Pete Tar]

Yeah that report is pretty irresponsible speculation - the Malaysian spokesperson had to emphatically deny they suspect anything like that as the engine information was sent before it disappeared and not after.

 

[Pete Tar]

Yikes...

He also said China had told Malaysia that satellite photos released on the website of a Chinese state oceanic agency, apparently showing three large objects in a suspected crash site, were released “by mistake and did not show any debris.”

...
The Chinese agency’s images had prompted Malaysia and Vietnam to dispatch planes to the area in question in the South China Sea to hunt for the suspect objects.

“The publication of the images on the website is an accident,” Hishammuddin said, relating a statement he said he had received from China’s ambassador to Malaysia.

He said the Chinese government did not endorse the action and was investigating.
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/artic...-plane-images-denies-reports-mh370-flew-hours

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[Soulfly]

If the crew became incapacitated (dead) due to depressurization (loss of O2) and the plane kept flying, how far could it go before running out of fuel from it's last known position?

 

[Mick West]

If the crew became incapacitated (dead) due to depressurization (loss of O2) and the plane kept flying, how far could it go before running out of fuel from it's last known position?

About 2,400 miles. The distance to Beijing

 

[Joe]

About 2,400 miles. The distance to Beijing

Would it make it to Somalia ? Or the middle east as well if a rouge pilot took over ?

 

[Mick West]

Would it make it to Somalia ? Or the middle east as well if a rouge pilot took over ?

No. It's about this:

 

[Soulfly]

No. It's about this:

How many airports in that area could accommodate landing this plane? How many of those airports could hide that size plane inside? Hiding a plane that large outside would be difficult, but I suppose not impossible.

 

[AluminumTheory]

IDK, but I would have to think that commandeering and stealing a 777 would be nothing less than an astonishing feat requiring the efforts of more than a few people.... In other words, a conspiracy.

 

[Ross Marsden]

No. It's about this:

A rouge circle for a rogue pilot.
Sorry Joe, couldn't resist.

 

[WeedWhacker]

How many airports in that area could accommodate landing this plane?

Airports in India. Or Darwin, Australia

But of course, I kid.

Because ANY nation with defensive radar capability would have tracking ability.

 

[WeedWhacker]

A rouge circle...

LOL!!!

"rouge"....or "rogue".

I'd say a "red circle"...but 'red' and 'rouge' tend to be confused, all too often! /wink/

 

[Soulfly]

Airports in India. Or Darwin, Australia

But of course, I kid.

Because ANY nation with defensive radar capability would have tracking ability.

I don't think this is what happened and deducing (if that's the right word) like that helps show how unlikely it is.

 

[Joe]

I know it is Fox almost the same circle @1:23

US officials believe that two communications systems aboard Malaysian Airlines flight 370 were shut down separately, 14 minutes apart - meaning that the plane did not come down because of a catastrophic failure.

The data reporting system was shut down at 1.07 am and the transponder was turned off at 1.21 am just before the Boeing 777 apparently changed course and turned west.

According to investigators this indicated that the switch-off could have been a deliberate act and officials told ABC News that the two communications devices were 'systematically shut down'.

That has led the US investigating team to become 'convinced there was manual intervention' which in turn means it was not an accident or massive malfunction that caused the plane to cease to be airborne.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...FIVE-hours-vanished-flying.html#ixzz2vtp1Q1py
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

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[WeedWhacker]

I don't think this is what happened and deducing (if that's the right word)

I realize...i was being a bit flippant, which is probably inappropriate in light of the situation.

Apologies.

 

[WeedWhacker]

I know it is Fox almost the same circle @1:23

US officials believe that two communications systems aboard Malaysian Airlines flight 370 were shut down separately, 14 minutes apart - meaning that the plane did not come down because of a catastrophic failure.

The data reporting system was shut down at 1.07 am and the transponder was turned off at 1.21 am just before the Boeing 777 apparently changed course and turned west.

According to investigators this indicated that the switch-off could have been a deliberate act and officials told ABC News that the two communications devices were 'systematically shut down'.

That has led the US investigating team to become 'convinced there was manual intervention' which in turn means it was not an accident or massive malfunction that caused the plane to cease to be airborne.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...FIVE-hours-vanished-flying.html#ixzz2vtp1Q1py
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

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I watched that segment, and I agree...it is Fox "News". (I prefer the term "Faux news")

The short snippet is absent any real value.

The article by the 'Daily Mail' is also...shall I say "interesting"?

 

[Joe]

I watched that segment, and I agree...it is Fox "News". (I prefer the term "Faux news")

The short snippet is absent any real value.

The article by the 'Daily Mail' is also...shall I say "interesting"?

Well its the latest news . Like most of these events the story always changes . Faux news ? Number 1 in Cable news . I only got it because its posted on you tube , I dont watch TV at all She quotes the Daily Mail story .Their was plenty of value in what she said even though some is speculation . We are sending a Ship into the Indian Ocean ?

 

[WeedWhacker]

Faux news ? Number 1 in Cable news .

Yes...but, this is another topic. Residents of the USA might know that "Fox News" is just a mouthpiece for a certain political party.

 

[Joe]

Yes...but, this is another topic. Residents of the USA might know that "Fox News" is just a mouthpiece for a certain political party.

Yes happens to be mine . All the other ones are for the other side . So we cant have at least one ?

 

[Ross Marsden]

Well its the latest news . Like most of these events the story always changes . Faux news ? Number 1 in Cable news . I only got it because its posted on you tube , I dont watch TV at all She quotes the Daily Mail story .Their was plenty of value in what she said even though some is speculation . We are sending a Ship into the Indian Ocean ?

Correction: she refers to a Wall Street Journal story.