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Malaysia 're-enacts' missing plane's flight path

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The authorities probably know, or suspect, a lot more than they are revealing because once it is announced it becomes 'official' and if they were not 100% right they will get lambasted. Of course, not releasing information is also a problem because they will be the target of criticism. Not an enviable position to be in - lose/lose. Having said that some serious questions regarding security and safety need answering.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Way back on about day two of this tragedy I happened across a comment about the pilot of this flight and his homemade flight simulator. I thought that was extremely strange. Surely a pilot for a major international carrier can get all the (legitimate) practice he wants on any number of simulators. I commented to friends at the time that the only reason I could see for a pilot to have a homemade simulator was if he wanted to practice a bunch of stuff that he didn't want anyone else to see him practicing ... stuff like how to fly without the use of radar from waypoint to waypoint across the airspace of several countries, and how to avoid areas where you might get spotted.

If the plane made landfall in the areas they now suspect (Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan area) I would also submit that there is no way on earth the PRC was caught napping like the Malaysians were. One does not fly a large aircraft (intentionally hiding all identification markers) anywhere near the PRC's borders without somebody in the army noticing. I also find the behavior of PRC authorities suspicious throughout this tragic event. They have been overly and uncharacteristically solicitous of the victim's families, overly and harshly critical of Malaysian authorities, and several times they have thrown out totally bogus leads (the underwater seismic event they supposedly recorded, and the debris pictures from their satellites) as if to stall investigations or lead them in the wrong direction.

In my opinion the PRC is involved here. Either they had some reasons to get their hands on the twenty odd employees of Freescale Semiconductor and were thus involved in the plot to steal the plane, or they panicked upon seeing a huge jet barreling down on their airspace and blew the plane away over some isolated part of their own airspace where they and only they can control the cleanup.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

If the plane made landfall in the areas they now suspect (Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan area)

They don't suspect that at all - the hypothesis is that it was flown south towards Australia.

Apparently its not unusual for pilots to have some simulation type equipment at home, from what I read elsewhere.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

They don't suspect that at all - the hypothesis is that it was flown south towards Australia.

Really? That's not what I'm reading. Yes both routes have been presented by Malaysian authorities as possibilities, but nearly every expert says the northern route is the more likely one. Really nowhere to go if you head toward Australia, and the Australians certainly aren't going to cooperate with hijackers and terrorists. It just doesn't make sense to go that way.

Apparently its not unusual for pilots to have some simulation type equipment at home, from what I read elsewhere.

Yeah, I admit I could be way off base with that thought, and I admit I know nothing of the habits of pilots. It was just something that popped into my head when I first heard of the homemade flight simulator. This man had a long career and a massive amount of flying hours (like almost 20000 hours). I assume he also worked twenty days a month. What's to practice at this stage in his career?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@ Elbuda

I feel a bit ashamed for speculating openly about these two gentlemen when nothing has yet been proven. For all we know these two men could have perished trying to protect their passengers from terrorists who managed to board the plane due to Malaysia's botched "security" checks. They could be heroes.

Its also worth pointing out that its unlikely that both pilots were in on a scheme to steal the plane or crash it. So one of the two is almost guaranteed to be innocent.

Further, the only speculation I've seen so far on political motivation has been one article that stated:

Britain's Mail on Sunday, citing police sources, reported that Zaharie (the captain) was an "obsessive" supporter of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who was recently sentenced to five years in prison on a charge of sodomy. The Mail reported that Malaysian authorities fear that Zaharie may have been upset enough by Ibrahim's imprisonment to hijack his own aircraft as a form of political protest.

I wish to make it clear that I'm in no rush to call either of these men "terrorists". I only wanted to post my feelings about the flight simulator, which, as Panda pointed out, could be totally off base.

The Uighur connection is a tenuous one imo. They seem pretty limited as far as their "capabilities" are concerned. Its a big step from stabbing people in a train station to planning an incident of this magnitude. Of course they could have had help from elsewhere .... but to me the Freescale Semiconductor employees seem the most likely target. And PRC the most likely culprit.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

We are all speculating, but at this point in time I would put my money on a hijacking gone wrong.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Well it's anyone's guess still. I don't even know that those "in the know" have a clue, though some above are suspecting that.

W/6 hrs of fuel, they would not make it to Kazakhstan w/o landing to refuel. Who knows if the Chinese have been involved w/ something, but the unidentified debris in the ocean seemed like a legitimate lead.

We'll just have to wait and see.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I have to point my finger at one of two pilots plus Flight engineer of Flight MH370 if only person who knew how to fly and experienced with Boeing 777 can take control the flight MH370 also knowledge of civil aviation system and civil radar location. If one of passengers had hijack the Flight HM370 and then Pilots will be definitely sent code of hijack. Flight engineer has knowledge of Boeing 777 operating system and he could be one if both Pilots are not involved in hijack.

Possible scenario is one of pilot s or flight engineer hijacks his own plane and attempted suicide. The hijacker locked the cockpit and turned off Radar transponder and other communication switches. After that, hijacker manually turned off Cabin pressurization system for to starve oxygen on flight for a few minutes and then turn it on once he thought everyone on plane were unconscious. Hijacker has used extra Oxygen tanks available for crews during Cabin pressurization system was turned off. And then he carefully choosing flight path to avoid detecting by civil Radar and heading toward his intended location. Later plane was crashing into sea or land after fuel was empty. Hijacker may have large sum of life insurance and he does not want to know as suicide. The intention of hijacker will not be known even after the authority found wreckage.

Other scenario of landing on secret location by hijacker is impossible now after a week. Some one or group will announce related to hijack if the Flight MH370 was landed in secret desert location.

We shouldn’t blame Malaysia authority for slowly releasing information because they can not release unconfirmed information like media did as pointing at unnamed source. They have to collect all available information from all sources and other countries and then they have to comb all information they got from all sources. They can release possible information after FBI, domestic and international expertise’s’ conclusion on Flight MH370 information. I believe Malaysia authority is doing it best and asking international help. Medias have complaint Malaysia authority for handling of flight MH370 because they do not have received enough of information from Malaysia authority. Medias should not greedy and they should report confirmed information instead of rumors.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

where is the satellite photography....we should be able to see where it landed....by cross referencing data streaming from satellite at time of flight...shouldn't be that hard to find and catch

0 ( +0 / -0 )

There is a lot info being with held here by those in the know, It was mentioned the weekend the plane went missing that it flew on for some 6 hours after the coms was turned off, and little by little info is trickled out to the media.

Seems like there is something going on here that they don't want the masses to know and are prepared to sacrifice members of many nationalities to carry out what ever it is that is being covered up.

Makes you wonder how do some sleep at night knowing the stuff they have participated in.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Regardless like I have said from day one check the pilot(s) one had to take out the other it is very hard for both pilots to agree on planning such an act. In flight the cockpit doors are locked so who knows what would have or could have happened inside the cockpit. The pilot could have told all the passengers to buckle up in seat belts and remain seated to avoid having passengers rushing the cockpit if the passengers sensed something wrong. i will say again check the pilot(s) they are or were in control.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Just so strange....

If it's a hijacking, why no demands? Why no messages? Why fly it into the ocean?

If it's suicide, why continue on for so many hours?

My guess is that the pilots were involved somehow, but things didn't go according to plan.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

SuperLib.....Maybe they did go as planned. I don't think both pilots are involved if either.

It's not suicide, it still can be hijacking though the plan is not yet complete. Until debris is found I favor the theory it flew somewhere to safety. Time will tell. We need to find it first.

I also suspect ground people in Malaysia in the bizarre and withholding of facts in this search areas and known whereabouts of the flight. Again, time will tell.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Other scenario of landing on secret location by hijacker is impossible now after a week. Some one or group will announce related to hijack if the Flight MH370 was landed in secret desert location.

Are you sure about that? This article says that there are literally hundreds of airports at which the jet may have landed. It also gives commentary from experienced pilots who state that the 777 is such an advanced aircraft that "it wouldn't even need a paved runway" to set down on. Perhaps the homemade flight simulator was used to practice landings on short or unconventional runways?

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/map-shows-634-runways-in-range-of-missing-malaysia-airlines-plane/story-fni0xs61-1226856562046

Terrorists have proven again and again that they have patience when planning an attack. The fact that nobody has yet claimed anything doesn't mean much imo.

I just don't buy the suicide theory at this point. If you want to kill yourself does it really matter which ocean you go down in? Why fly willy nilly across several countries only to intentionally crash the plane?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

As I recall, there were reports that family members had been able to call passengers' mobile phones but without any responses or DNS. That seems likely to have been possible after all.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The northern route is far LESS likely.

In the five seconds it would take me to Google it, I could provide you with a dozen articles suggesting the plane took the northern route. For example:

Early this morning BBC reporter Jonah Fisher tweeted, "Being briefed by Malaysia officials they believe most likely location for MH370 is on land somewhere near Chinese/Kyrgyz border.”

From BBC.

Further information release by the Malaysian government indicated that the plane ended its flight in a restive area of Central Asia.

From Slate.

It then flew in a westerly direction back over peninsular Malaysia before turning northwest.

From the Malaysian PM's own statement yesterday.

Can you provide even one article suggesting that the plane flew to Java?

heavily patrolled airspace like India's.

India apparently only mans their military radar in far flung areas of their territory on an "as-needed" basis. I can link you up with articles suggesting that Indian military radar operators were most likely asleep at the switch if you like. Such as this one.

"An astonishing report published in Reuters today suggests that 'much of the airspace [in the region] over water—and in many cases over land—lacks sophisticated or properly monitored radar coverage.'"

The article has some real jaw-droppers. For instance, that India operates its military radar on as “as-needed” basis. In order to be detected, apparently, whoever was flying MH370 would have to have called up the Indian armed forces first.

Or comments from Air Vice Marshal Michael Harwood, a retired British Royal Air Force pilot and ex-defense attache to Washington DC, saying that "Several nations will be embarrassed by how easy it is to trespass their airspace. Too many movies and Predator (unmanned military drone) feeds from Afghanistan have suckered people into thinking we know everything and see everything. You get what you pay for. And the world, by and large, does not pay.”

Or the Afghan authorities themselves, when asked by Malay officials to turn over radar tapes, replied "we have no such thing. Go ask the Americans."

Your turn.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Yes both routes have been presented by Malaysian authorities as possibilities, but nearly every expert says the northern route is the more likely one.

The northern route is far LESS likely. What are the chances that a heavily patrolled airspace like India's would not detect a rogue aircraft?

Nobody knows where it is - does that indicate to you that it's somewhere with a lot of people like the northern route or where there is nothing like the southern route?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

This morning on the Japanese TV, they said these pilots were already TERRORISTS!! That maybe they were already in the AL Qaeda type of mined frame, got the idea to become pilots and saw this opportunity to get REVENGE against CHINA for mistreating their MUSLIM minorities in the UIGHUR region.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

This really doesn't make much sense, if it was a highjack then where is the statement from the perpetrators?

If it was a suicide mission then why turn off the transponder and fly 6 hours after that when they could ignite the bomb or drive it to the sea right after taking over command?

Where is the wreckage?

If it flew over anther nation's airspace then that nation would have certainly caught in on their radars but no nation is making claim?

As I said this can only be pulled off with help from people who has strong influence high up of a nearby government.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Malaysia shows the lack of professionalism in handling this missing fly. Why no military plane flew to intercept fly MH370 when it showed on its radar, for the search should focus on the West side since last week? Don't they suppose to investigate the pilots, crew, and passengers immediately??? Anyone intends to hide anything?

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

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