Malaysia Airlines flight missing

[Scrub Jay]

My local (LA) news just tweeted that the Australian PM said 2 objects have been found that may belong to the jet.

[Arcadia]

My local (LA) news just tweeted that the Australian PM said 2 objects have been found that may belong to the jet.

Couldn't find it on LA Times but found the news on CBC Canada

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/#!/content/1.2579606

[Stacia]

Minute by minute updates on Australia's find...

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/20/mh370-two-possible-objects-may-have-been-found-in-australian-search-zone

 

Plus, it looks like a news conference may come on in a few minutes w/ an update:

http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/22075012/credible-info-plane-in-indian-ocean-pm/  (going on now)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/abcnews24/

[Mrs Mungo]

I said, and I quote: " ...the assumption that our technology can catch everything that might want into our territory is pretty arrogant". I stand by that.

 

I don't know the strengths and weaknesses of our electronics, and I doubt few, if any, on this board do. But nothing is foolproof; to think otherwise is blindly dangerous.

The implication of your post is that it would be extremely possible to "miss" a 777. Do you find that to be a likely scenario? We aren't discussing "everything," we are discussing a 777 commercial airliner.

[Lanny]

What I don't understand is this - Why are the relatives being held {possibly against their will} by the government? Surely, if they think the plane went down on account of an accident {as they seem to be promoting}, by now {almost 2 weeks afterwards} they would realize the family members need to get back to their jobs / families / regular lives.

 

To me, it seems like the government thinks {or knows} that the family members know something the government doesn't want released to the public / press.

I volunteered when I was very young and an airline employee and worked on the Passenger Identification Team, after a Non Survivable accident. That was for a U.S. Flag carrier.

 

If this Malaysian aircraft had been in an accident where they had the remains of the people who were aboard the aircraft, possibly, it would have been a good idea, to have the next of kin where they could help identify their family members. However, in this case, they do not have remains of anyone and it is extremely possible that will never happen. That they are in KL and apparently being held prisoners, is beyond me.

 

I met the Widow of one (1) passenger who was aboard the flight that I was helping with. Her husband was one of the passengers I was trying to identify. She came to where we were working (our Maintenance Base) and I went to the lobby to meet her. I asked her to remove her Wedding band, so I could make a rough sketch of the design on the band. We were able to identify her husband, with that additional detail. I could not grasp the design, speaking with her by telephone. I do not believe any other family members came to where we were working. Everything else was done by telephone.

 

Family members may or may not have accurate information about their passengers. I remember that I was told one man had never been in the U.S. Military, however, I remember requesting his military records from the center in St. Louis, MO and they were sent to us. Dental xrays, information about scars, etc., etc., is helpful, however that information is only helpful if one has the remains that need to be identified.

 

In this case, I am unable to process why those people were brought from China to Malaysia and are stuck in a hotel, threatening a hunger strike, etc., in their frustration and grief. That, to me, seems to add to this tragedy.

[Lanny]

Maybe some of you who know can educate me -- I seem to remember hearing that the Malaysian government is a partial owner of the airline.  Is that true?  If I'm understanding the corporate info section of their Wikipedia entry correctly (and if it's accurate), it appears that a subsidiary of the government's "investment arm and holding company" owns 52 percent of the airline.  If so, why is the government being allowed to conduct the investigation?  I'd say that screams of conflict of interest.

It is not uncommon for a Flag airline to be owned, wholly or partially, by the government of that country. To have their own airline, for many countries, was a matter of prestige. However, because of financial losses, over the years, many of those airlines, previously owned by the government of the country, have been privatized and sold to private investors.

 

The Malaysian government is in charge of the investigation because it is an aircraft under their Flag that is the subject of this investigation and it possibly it is within Malaysian territory. No other country could "conduct the investigation", legally. Other countries can only assist, at the request of the Malaysian government, if they request help.

 

The U.S. can participate because the aircraft was manufactured by a U.S. company.  

[Lanny]

I read in one article that the passengers phones are ringing till now. So it seems that they are still alive. And I believe that the the two fake passport holders only hijacked the plane. But again a thinking comes into mind that what they are doing till these many days? No updates at all. They don't have demand as well.

The fact that a cell phone seems to "ring", when someone calls that cell phone number, does not mean that the cell phone is operating and within range of a cell tower. It has to do with something in the system of the cell phone service provider. 

 

The same thing happens with landline phones. I remember, years ago, the phone in our house was dead. We had no dial tone.  However, if someone called us, they thought that our phone was ringing...

 

The 2 Iranians who were using stolen European passports  could have been involved in this and if the aircraft is in Iran, that would seem to implicate them.

[Unicorn.]

Woke up hoping for some news.  Apparently they have so far been unable to find the debris that was seen on satellite.  Reporting bad visibility and high swells. 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/20/mh370-two-possible-objects-may-have-been-found-in-australian-search-zone

[DawnM]

Reading the new information about the plane possibly having taken the Southern Route.  What I can't figure out is, why???

 

Any theories?

[Stacia]

Reading the new information about the plane possibly having taken the Southern Route.  What I can't figure out is, why???

 

Any theories?

 

Here's one theory...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2584977/Australian-security-expert-says-MH370-reached-search-zone-without-deliberate-human-intervention.html

[DawnM]

Thank you.  That was a much better article than what I had been reading.

 

 

Here's one theory...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2584977/Australian-security-expert-says-MH370-reached-search-zone-without-deliberate-human-intervention.html

 

[DawnM]

Now they are saying they don't think that is the plane.

 

What a wild and crazy mystery.

 

 

[Lanny]

Now they are saying they don't think that is the plane.

 

What a wild and crazy mystery.

It is such a long flight from Perth, to the area they are searching, about 1500 miles, like going from Washington, DC to Denver, via air, that they do not have a long time (2 or 3 hours) to "loiter" in the area and search for the 2 items that were spotted by that satellite. One item is about 79 feet long. That, to me, would seem to eliminate the possibility that it is a Shipping Container that fell off a ship. I think Shipping Containers (the ones I see on the highways here) are 20 or 40 feet long. So, there is a possibility it is part of the aircraft. Very possibly it has nothing to do with the aircraft and is something else, 79 feet long.  If they are able to locate those 2 objects, that will help, but it is a huge task. There are three (?) P3 aircraft (2 from Australia and 1 from New Zealand) and a P8 from the USA, searching at this time. I believe more aircraft are on the way to Perth and ships are also on the way. Today is 13 days since this mystery began. So sad for the families of those who were aboard the aircraft...

[DawnM]

Yes, I am reading that.

 

I have actually flown from Singapore to Nairobi and had a one week layover in Mauritius (long story but they only fly once a week and I missed my flight due to a delay in Singapore.)

 

It is mostly over water.......huge amounts of water.

 

Dawn

 

 

It is such a long flight from Perth, to the area they are searching, about 1500 miles, like going from Washington, DC to Denver, via air, that they do not have a long time (2 or 3 hours) to "loiter" in the area and search for the 2 items that were spotted by that satellite. One item is about 79 feet long. That, to me, would seem to eliminate the possibility that it is a Shipping Container that fell off a ship. I think Shipping Containers (the ones I see on the highways here) are 20 or 40 feet long. So, there is a possibility it is part of the aircraft. Very possibly it has nothing to do with the aircraft and is something else, 79 feet long.  If they are able to locate those 2 objects, that will help, but it is a huge task. There are three (?) P3 aircraft (2 from Australia and 1 from New Zealand) and a P8 from the USA, searching at this time. I believe more aircraft are on the way to Perth and ships are also on the way. Today is 13 days since this mystery began. So sad for the families of those who were aboard the aircraft...

 

[PrincessMommy]

Now they are saying they don't think that is the plane.

 

What a wild and crazy mystery.

 

I heard that yesterday too.  It had something to do with the size (too big was mentioned) but didn't really explain why. 

[flyingiguana]

Too bad they can't airlift in an aircraft carrier

[WishboneDawn]

What I don't understand is this - Why are the relatives being held {possibly against their will} by the government? Surely, if they think the plane went down on account of an accident {as they seem to be promoting}, by now {almost 2 weeks afterwards} they would realize the family members need to get back to their jobs / families / regular lives.

 

To me, it seems like the government thinks {or knows} that the family members know something the government doesn't want released to the public / press.

Has there been any indication at all that they are being held against their will?

 

Nothing I've read has indicated that. They're not being "held", they're being looked after. Surely if some decided to leave (and maybe some have) they would leave. But I doubt many are in any condition to go with the way this is being covered, fresh hopes one day, dashed hopes the next. As for jobs, I don't know. The Chinese government might be taking care of that to some degree.

[Ameena]

Has there been any indication at all that they are being held against their will?

 

Nothing I've read has indicated that. They're not being "held", they're being looked after. Surely if some decided to leave (and maybe some have) they would leave. But I doubt many are in any condition to go with the way this is being covered, fresh hopes one day, dashed hopes the next. As for jobs, I don't know. The Chinese government might be taking care of that to some degree.

 

Nothing in the news has outright said held against their will. BUT there have been several articles cited on this thread that have said, with photos to prove it, that the families were being forcibly prevented from speaking to reporters & dragged back into the building that is currently being used to house all the families against their will. IMO, to ME that says that the Government is probably holding the family members against their will or at least part of them. Some might be choosing to stay, but we don't know. I find it very very odd either way.

 

 

 

I think there is something really fishy on this plane disappearing. It's been 2 weeks with NO sign. The story keeps changing on where the plane was, where it was headed, etc. Surely if it had crashed something would have shown up somewhere in 2 weeks. More & more I am thinking that either A. They know it's hyjacked, and sitting somewhere on a runway or B. *putting on my tinfoil hat* It's a government excuse to raise security limits yet again, and they know where the plane is because it was all pre-planned for it to disappear. This actually makes the most sense because of the way they rounded up all the close family members - I would assume to offer something like relocation / renaming as they do in the Witness Protection Program. I know there were a few statements from US family members, but even that has been oddly quiet, IMO.

[WishboneDawn]

I volunteered when I was very young and an airline employee and worked on the Passenger Identification Team, after a Non Survivable accident. That was for a U.S. Flag carrier.

 

If this Malaysian aircraft had been in an accident where they had the remains of the people who were aboard the aircraft, possibly, it would have been a good idea, to have the next of kin where they could help identify their family members. However, in this case, they do not have remains of anyone and it is extremely possible that will never happen. That they are in KL and apparently being held prisoners, is beyond me.

 

I met the Widow of one (1) passenger who was aboard the flight that I was helping with. Her husband was one of the passengers I was trying to identify. She came to where we were working (our Maintenance Base) and I went to the lobby to meet her. I asked her to remove her Wedding band, so I could make a rough sketch of the design on the band. We were able to identify her husband, with that additional detail. I could not grasp the design, speaking with her by telephone. I do not believe any other family members came to where we were working. Everything else was done by telephone.

 

Family members may or may not have accurate information about their passengers. I remember that I was told one man had never been in the U.S. Military, however, I remember requesting his military records from the center in St. Louis, MO and they were sent to us. Dental xrays, information about scars, etc., etc., is helpful, however that information is only helpful if one has the remains that need to be identified.

 

In this case, I am unable to process why those people were brought from China to Malaysia and are stuck in a hotel, threatening a hunger strike, etc., in their frustration and grief. That, to me, seems to add to this tragedy.

We had Swissair 111 go down here. The families came here of their own accord and stayed here for weeks, waiting for remains to be identified. I think the impulse is natural and likely the families wanted to go. I think it's a good thing that they are being hosted.

 

I think the frustration is natural, not quite reasonable but natural, as well. They're being exposed to a roller coaster ride and are forced into a holding pattern, not knowing whether to grieve or hope. That will come out in hunger strikes and anger. But I don't think it means they're being treated badly.

[WishboneDawn]

Nothing in the news has outright said held against their will. BUT there have been several articles cited on this thread that have said, with photos to prove it, that the families were being forcibly prevented from speaking to reporters & dragged back into the building that is currently being used to house all the families against their will. IMO, to ME that says that the Government is probably holding the family members against their will or at least part of them. Some might be choosing to stay, but we don't know. I find it very very odd either way.

 

 

 

I think there is something really fishy on this plane disappearing. It's been 2 weeks with NO sign. The story keeps changing on where the plane was, where it was headed, etc. Surely if it had crashed something would have shown up somewhere in 2 weeks. More & more I am thinking that either A. They know it's hyjacked, and sitting somewhere on a runway or B. *putting on my tinfoil hat* It's a government excuse to raise security limits yet again, and they know where the plane is because it was all pre-planned for it to disappear. This actually makes the most sense because of the way they rounded up all the close family members - I would assume to offer something like relocation / renaming as they do in the Witness Protection Program. I know there were a few statements from US family members, but even that has been oddly quiet, IMO.

No. That doesn't make any sense at all.

 

I don't think people generally understand how huge, how unwieldy, how awkward and how confusing these types of investigations can be. The story isn't changing because there is no story. 

 

No one knows what happened. There is no story until people know what happened. 

 

What you're seeing right now is a lot of grasping at straws and, I think, way too much information that's mostly meaningless being released by a government that has precious little experience in this sort of thing. It's absolutely predictable, especially with the paucity of information in this case and a less experienced investigation organization, that leads pop up and disappear and that focus shifts dramatically. It's absolutely unsurprising that it would take some time to find a downed jet in a huge expanse of ocean where every hours that passes means pieces drifting further away and apart. 

 

Here's a very reasonable and sobering perspective on the matter from the lead investigator of the Air France 447 crash.

 

Again, this is a hugely difficult set of circumstances being investigated by a nation that has very little expertise in these matters. There is absolutely NO reason to be forwarding conspiracy theories or accusing the Malaysian government of covering up something and holding people against their will. There's tragedy enough without manufacturing more.

 

 

[WishboneDawn]

It is not uncommon for a Flag airline to be owned, wholly or partially, by the government of that country. To have their own airline, for many countries, was a matter of prestige. However, because of financial losses, over the years, many of those airlines, previously owned by the government of the country, have been privatized and sold to private investors.

 

The Malaysian government is in charge of the investigation because it is an aircraft under their Flag that is the subject of this investigation and it possibly it is within Malaysian territory. No other country could "conduct the investigation", legally. Other countries can only assist, at the request of the Malaysian government, if they request help.

 

The U.S. can participate because the aircraft was manufactured by a U.S. company.  

 

First priority for investigation goes to the country the aircraft crashed in. Thus when Swissair 111 crashed here it was the Transportation Safety Board of Canada that handled the investigation. After that, you're correct. Malaysia is investigating because it was their aircraft and likely went down over their territory or over international waters. 

 

I don't think the fact that the aircraft was manufactured by an American company means the US can automatically be involved. Malaysia will go straight to Boeing for help regarding details of the aircraft.  I think they were likely invited to help because the NTSB has a huge amount of experience organizing and carrying out an investigation like this and Malaysia has little.

[Arcadia]

 

In this case, I am unable to process why those people were brought from China to Malaysia and are stuck in a hotel, threatening a hunger strike, etc., in their frustration and grief. That, to me, seems to add to this tragedy.

 

The people from China were brought to Malaysia because they want to be there so the China govt. flew them over. Those that choose to stay in Beijing are hosted in a hotel there.  I believe the China embassy in Malaysia would make arrangements for any of them to fly back to Beijing if the person wants to.

 

As to being stuck in a hotel and the rough handling incident, I would think this is a "teething" problem of Malaysia not having experience dealing with this kind of crisis management.  My opinion is that the MY govt. is keeping the families away from the reporters because they are trying to control the speculations in the media. There are "gossipy" newspapers that would sensationalise anything the families say just for readership.

 

Another thing about being stuck in a hotel is that what can the MY govt or MAS do.  They can't organise for example a tour to Cameron Highlands or Genting as that is insensitive. It would be hard to bring the families grocery shopping even given the media spotlight on the families. 

 

 

The U.S. can participate because the aircraft was manufactured by a U.S. company.  

 

Actually the US was saying in the initial days that they were requesting in because there are a few American nationals on board.   A country does not get to participate because the aircraft was manufactured by that country's company.  The aircraft company does get to participate as an observer  because they will be sued at the end of it all.  Once the plane is found, the aircraft company would have legal rights to a conduct their own investigation to "combat" the lawsuits.  In the case of the SilkAir crash, both Boeing and SilkAir were sued.

China was invited to participate because the majority of the passengers on board are China nationals.  They did not get to automatically participate either.

 

ETA:

This article might interest you. Same information in both articles but different tone of reporting.

"Crucial MH370 info missing because MAS wanted to save RM33, says expert"

"Missing Malaysia Airlines plane lacked $US10 upgrade that could have provided crucial satellite data for search"  (original article)

[Lanny]

I believe there is a legal right, for the manufacturer of the aircraft (in this case, Boeing) to participate in aircraft accident investigations, under international law. Not sure what law that is, but I seem to remember that.

 

Having worked on Passenger Identification, I am still at a total loss as to the reason(s) the next of kin of the  Chinese passengers were brought to KL.  In the first place, as of this time, there are no remains to be identified. Secondly, if and when there are remains to be identified, they will need the families in place, in China, to get Dental records, and provide other information, that will probably not be available to people who live in China who are temporarily housed in a hotel in KL.  

 

The one (1) valid reason I can think of, is that probably there is psychological comfort, for the next of kin, to be with the other people who are in their shoes. Wondering what happened and waiting...

 

The whole thing is very sad and we must pray that the people who were aboard that flight are safe and sound, in Pakistan or Iran or another country and are not at the bottom of an ocean.  

[Arcadia]

I believe there is a legal right, for the manufacturer of the aircraft (in this case, Boeing) to participate in aircraft accident investigations, under international law. Not sure what law that is, but I seem to remember that.

 

Having worked on Passenger Identification, I am still at a total loss as to the reason(s) the next of kin of the  Chinese passengers were brought to KL.

 

I think what you and I are not sure is what level of participation is automatically allowed base on international law, as an observer or as an active investigator.

 

The next of kin of the China nationals requested their own govt. to fly them to KL.  They are not in KL on the request of MAS or MY govt. They want to be there because they wanted to be nearer to where the investigation headquarters is.

[Melissa in Australia]

It is such a long flight from Perth, to the area they are searching, about 1500 miles, like going from Washington, DC to Denver, via air, that they do not have a long time (2 or 3 hours) to "loiter" in the area and search for the 2 items that were spotted by that satellite. One item is about 79 feet long. That, to me, would seem to eliminate the possibility that it is a Shipping Container that fell off a ship. I think Shipping Containers (the ones I see on the highways here) are 20 or 40 feet long. So, there is a possibility it is part of the aircraft. Very possibly it has nothing to do with the aircraft and is something else, 79 feet long.  If they are able to locate those 2 objects, that will help, but it is a huge task. There are three (?) P3 aircraft (2 from Australia and 1 from New Zealand) and a P8 from the USA, searching at this time. I believe more aircraft are on the way to Perth and ships are also on the way. Today is 13 days since this mystery began. So sad for the families of those who were aboard the aircraft...

 

Actually 4 Orion's from Australia 1 Orion from New Zeeland and a Peabody from US and a Norwegian cargo ship searched the area yesterday. apparently the sea was rough an with heavy rain reducing visibility. sea drift was 2 miles an hour.

 today there will be the same planes and ship as yesterday with the addition of 2 Chinese aircraft and another merchant ship. Over the next few days there will arrive at the scene 9 Chinese warships with accompanying helicopters and 2  Japanese ones, plus an Chinese icebreaker that was refueling in Perth plus a few more merchant ships diverted from their normal rote.

 

the location is around 26000 km away from Perth, a long long way form anywhere. And is in the Australian rescue zone

[Colleen]

Has there been any indication at all that they are being held against their will?

 

No.  I don't know why some have made that assumption.

 

The story isn't changing because there is no story. 

 

No one knows what happened. There is no story until people know what happened. 

 

What you're seeing right now is a lot of grasping at straws and, I think, way too much information that's mostly meaningless being released by a government that has precious little experience in this sort of thing. It's absolutely predictable, especially with the paucity of information in this case and a less experienced investigation organization, that leads pop up and disappear and that focus shifts dramatically. 

 

Well said & I agree.

 

The people from China were brought to Malaysia because they want to be there so the China govt. flew them over. 

 

Right.  It's not a matter of coercion. Some family members ~ Chinese and of other nationalities ~ have chosen not to go to KL. 

 

I am still at a total loss as to the reason(s) the next of kin of the  Chinese passengers were brought to KL. 

 

Again, they weren't "brought" to KL so much as they chose to go.  One way or another, there's no denying the fact that any friend or family member, regardless of nationality, would yearn for closure.  Good grief, I want closure and I have no association whatsoever with the incident.  I really can not imagine….

[Arcadia]

 

the location is around 26000 km away from Perth, a long long way form anywhere. And is in the Australian rescue zone

 

 

It is such a long flight from Perth, to the area they are searching, about 1500 miles,

 

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has a webpage for the MH370 SAR operation detailing the search.

https://www.amsa.gov.au/media/incidents/mh370-search.asp

[Melissa in Australia]

Agh!,

 I meant 2600 km from Perth

 Sorry about that

[ktgrok]

No. That doesn't make any sense at all.

 

I don't think people generally understand how huge, how unwieldy, how awkward and how confusing these types of investigations can be. The story isn't changing because there is no story. 

 

No one knows what happened. There is no story until people know what happened. 

 

What you're seeing right now is a lot of grasping at straws and, I think, way too much information that's mostly meaningless being released by a government that has precious little experience in this sort of thing. It's absolutely predictable, especially with the paucity of information in this case and a less experienced investigation organization, that leads pop up and disappear and that focus shifts dramatically. It's absolutely unsurprising that it would take some time to find a downed jet in a huge expanse of ocean where every hours that passes means pieces drifting further away and apart. 

 

Here's a very reasonable and sobering perspective on the matter from the lead investigator of the Air France 447 crash.

 

Again, this is a hugely difficult set of circumstances being investigated by a nation that has very little expertise in these matters. There is absolutely NO reason to be forwarding conspiracy theories or accusing the Malaysian government of covering up something and holding people against their will. There's tragedy enough without manufacturing more.

 

Exactly, The search area is basically an entire hemisphere of the earth. It' the needle in a haystack idea, except you don't know which haystack to search, or even which farm to start on. 

[Word Nerd]

I knew the false flag theory would pop up eventually. It's almost more common than Godwin's Law these days.

[Scrub Jay]

Malaysia says Chinese satellite has found a large object

http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-malaysia-chinese-satellite-20140322,0,5757999.story#ixzz2whxaswDz

[umsami]

As unlikely as it is, I truly hope that they find the black boxes and what not so that all of the conspiracy theories are put to rest and to give closure to the families.

 

Whatever happened, I hope it was swift and painless for those on board, and that if possible, most were unaware. 

[Arcadia]

"KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines said that it will make arrangements will be made to bring the families to the recovery area of MH370.

In a statement, it said this pending  approval from the  investigating authorities and until then will continue to  support the ongoing investigation.

 

“It is with deep sadness that Malaysia Airlines earlier this  evening had to confirm to the families of those on board  Flight MH370 that it must now be assumed the flight had  been lost. 

 

“As the Prime Minister said, respect for the families is  essential at this difficult time,†it said.

 

Malaysia Airlines added that it is in that spirit that they  informed the majority of the families in advance of the Prime  Minister’s statement in person and by telephone. 

 

“SMSs were used only as an additional means of communicating with the families,†it said. 

 

Malaysia airlines said the families of MH370 passengers  have been at the heart of every action the company has taken  since the flight disappeared on 8th March and they will  continue to be so. " (link)

 

[Seasider]

Okay, I am a bit thick in the head sometimes, but am I correct in stating that this announcement comes before any actual, confirming wreckage has been collected? Or are we just not getting complete details?

[MBM]

I think we are not getting complete and factual details.

 

I read on P Prune that Malaysia is supposedly not telling Australia what exactly was in the cargo until it gets the okay from China first. Who knows? This might or might not be true.

 

So baffling and sad.

[Arcadia]

Okay, I am a bit thick in the head sometimes, but am I correct in stating that this announcement comes before any actual, confirming wreckage has been collected? Or are we just not getting complete details?

 

No wreckage has been collected, only debris sighted.  You can read about the search at AMSA's (Australian Maritime Safety Authority) MH370 SAR page.

 

Below is from the Malaysia's PM's announcement

 

"They informed me that Inmarsat, the UK company that provided the satellite data which indicated the northern and southern corridors, has been performing further calculations on the data.

 

Using a type of analysis  never before used in an investigation of this sort,  they have been able to shed  more light on MH370’s flight path.

 

Based on their new analysis, Inmarsat and the AAIB have concluded that MH370 flew along the southern corridor, and that its last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth.

 

This is a remote location, far from any possible landing sites. 

 

It is therefore with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean"

[5of5]

As Arcadia posted, apparently Malaysia is convinced by the UK information that the plane flew into the Indian Ocean, and therefore that it is lost even though the wreckage hasn't been confirmed.

[MBM]

On the site I've been reading, the pilots there speculate a spy satellite might have spotted some of the wreckage. That could explain why they're not saying much yet about how it was found.

 

Apparently, many people behind the scenes have been working very, very hard. My hat is off to them.

[idnib]

On the site I've been reading, the pilots there speculate a spy satellite might have spotted some of the wreckage. That could explain why they're not saying much yet about how it was found.

 

I'm still trying to understand this. If it was a spy satellite, what's the secret? Isn't it assumed that these exist, are watching these areas (if not always, at least during this crisis), and that they have the capability to see something as large as 777 wreckage? And don't most countries with spy satellites (how many are there?) keep track of where they all are?

 

I don't know anything about the topic and I know these are dumb questions. I just have heard this a lot wrt this incident and it doesn't make sense to me. 

 

Help?  :blush:

[Arcadia]

I'm still trying to understand this. If it was a spy satellite, what's the secret? Isn't it assumed that these exist, are watching these areas (if not always, at least during this crisis), and that they have the capability to see something as large as 777 wreckage?

 

I'm sure the US or any other country for that matter won't want it written in the media that their satellite is spying on another countries' territory. 

Let's just pretend that a spy satellite from a democratic country shows satellite images to the media of wreckage found in a communist country like North Korea. It would spark lots of media outcry because these kind of "news" sells papers.

 

When the plane disintegrate after a crash, the debris can be very small. So the image does tell the capability of the spy satellites. Most of the time images released to the media has been "scrubbed".

[Melissa in Australia]

According to  both the Australian media and the announcement by the Australian Prime Minister, it was spotted by an Australian Commercial satellite. A Chinese satellite picked up the same image a day later. However, there has not been a confirmed sighting of these specific objects by a plane or ship yet. rather they have spotted some debris that is unidentified from plane and the ships have not reached that particular location yet. It is a very big search area, and the objects can drift up to 100km a day, making it hard to have an exact location. there is also a small cyclone in between Australia and the search area, making the ocean pretty choppy.

[Seasider]

A fascinating article from cnn

 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/24/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-satellite-tracking/index.html?c=mobile-homepage-t

[Arcadia]

If anyone is still following, from Wall Street Journal today by Robb M. Stewart in Melbourne and Rachel Pannett in Sydney

"Malaysia Airlines: Ship Picks Up Signals Consistent With 'Black Box' Pings"

 

[Arcadia]

Latest news from BBC

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33794012

 

 

"Part of the aircraft wing found on Reunion Island is from the missing MH370 plane, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has confirmed.

...

French prosecutor Serge Mackowiak later confirmed the wing fragment, known as a flaperon, was from a Boeing 777 - the same make and model as the missing Malaysian airliner.

He said initial tests showed there were "very strong indications" that it was from flight MH370. But he said confirmation would only come after further tests on the fragment, which would begin on Thursday.

"[investigators] will try to do it as soon as possible in order to provide total and reliable information to the family of victims, who are on our minds at the moment," Mr Mackowiak added."