Plane missing with 236 people on board

[freakiness]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-08/malaysia-airlines-lost-contact-with-plane/5307888

Malaysia Airlines says one of its planes has gone missing on the way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board.

A statement from the airline says flight MH370 lost contact with air traffic controllers at 2:40am local time, just over two hours into the flight.

The plane, a Boeing 777-200, left Kuala Lumpur at 12:41am on Saturday, and had been due to arrive in Beijing at 6:30am local time.

The company says the plane was carrying 227 passengers, including two infants, and 12 crew members.

The airline says it is contacting the next-of-kin of all passengers and crew, which includes people of 13 different nationalities.

In a statement on the airline's website, group chief executive officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said the airline was working with authorities to locate the aircraft.

"Focus of the airline is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilise its full support," the statement said.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members."

The airline says it will provide regular updates on its website.

The ABC understand Malaysia Airlines will hold a press conference on the incident shortly.

[jimmy*part4]

a bit 'over the top' me thinks.

Just as over the top as all the theories you've been posting. As a matter of fact....you're constant monopolizing of this thread with garbage has turned it into a circus.

And I'm not sure why anyone is debating anything with you. Even when faced with irrefutable evidence you still argue...(proven by the 9/11 "discussion").

So I find you disrespectful....AND rediculous. And I'm pretty sure you've gotten more than one thread shut down.

Good work!

[fourandsixpants]

replying to am3 who said:

Another scenario.. The plane went missing.. Reasons as yet unknown.. Not yet located because no one knows what happened to make it go off course and no one knows where it ended up (landing or crashing? Not known either).

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well, if this missing plane did fly on for a further 4 to 8 hours - in ANY direction (except down), how come, in this high tech age, NOT ONE of the 239 people on board were able to send a communication via their cell phone, ipod, lap top, smart phone....?

.re cell/smart phones....... there would have been many different nationalities of sim cards and phone companies to choose from.....

[fourandsixpants]

comments from over 1700 people - including Americans :

http://news.yahoo.com/good-night-haunting-final-contact-missing-malaysian-jet-003323586--sector.html

."..... I guarantee this plane has been spotted on satellite images. If the cabin remained pressurized and the people are still alive, there are likely negotiations going on in secret right now...."

"...why would the pilots have the navigation on off switch where it could be so easily turned off? seems like in this day all that would be put somewhere a hijacker or a rouge pilot wouldn't have any way of just easily flipping a switch...."

[fourandsixpants]

see comments : http://news.yahoo.com/good-night-haunting-final-contact-missing-malaysian-jet-003323586--sector.html

"....We all know that the military and the nations of the World have surveillance that should be able to locate this aircraft's flight path when looked at together.  My question is just why they have not done so OR why they are not telling us what they really know?..."

"The plane was a 777, the longest range commercial jetliner currently in service.
The plane was initially diverted off course at a blind spot between Malaysia and Vietnam radar.
The plane had sufficient fuel to make the 5 hour and 34 min trip to Beijing.
The plane had surplus fuel (a safety margin) that could have extended its flying time.
The plane was not at passenger capacity, which would have increased flying range.
The entire flight was made during night time.
The point at which the plane either turned North or South also appears to be a radar blind spot.
Reports say the plane flew more than 7 hours.
-What conclusions do you draw from these facts?"

"...if the transponders were shut down there are several backups which should have kicked in so this was either a massive failure or someone who was very intimate with the aircraft systems......"

"Still Praying for the passengers on flight 370, And there loved ones waiting to hear what Happened to the plane. God Bless them ALL."

[cherry*135]

-What conclusions do you draw from these facts

That an unauthorised person, who would need to be a skilled pilot, took charge of the plane and skyjacked it. No one in the world yet knows who that was and why they did that.

[cherry*135]

If the cabin remained pressurized and the people are still alive, there are likely negotiations going on in secret right now...."

A big assumption that the cabin remained pressurised. If it wasn't, there are no secret negotiations going on are there?

[monman12]

Leave aircraft operations theories alone P007:

"...why would the pilots have the navigation on off switch where it could be so easily turned off? seems like in this day all that would be put somewhere a hijacker or a rouge pilot wouldn't have any way of just easily flipping a switch...."

There are numerous navigation aids (often duplicated)  in a large modern aircraft (my little Cessna 180 had 3) and they need to be easily (and quickly) accessed by both pilots . I presume you are  referring  to the transponder  (military IFF).   Again that needs to be easily accessed  by both pilots because like communication equipment the mode transmitted is often changed in flight when ATC requests it. Thus you will normally find it in the central  consul.

"...if the transponders were shut down there are several backups which should have kicked in"  Where did this little "gem" come from P007. it is nonsense.

."..... I guarantee this plane has been spotted on satellite images." I view your guarantee as reliable as your technical knowledge, and your comment, nonsense.

Regarding cell phone use in an aircraft,  I would explain the  limitations but they would be slightly technical!.  However, try reading this study  Airborne Cell Phone Tests

Again,  why persist with silly conspiracy theories regarding such a tragic event, when you have no aeronautical expertise whatsoever.

nɥºɾ

[cherry*135]

"...why would the pilots have the navigation on off switch where it could be so easily turned off? seems like in this day all that would be put somewhere a hijacker or a rouge pilot wouldn't have any way of just easily flipping a switch...."

If a terrorist hijacker took control of a plane they could force the pilot to turn of any switch, it would not matter where the switches are located.. The pilot would have to do as they are told if the hijacker(s) have taken control of the cockpit.

A rogue pilot would know where the switch was, no matter where it was located.

[cherry*135]

Sadly, none of the passengers would still be alive if the plane was depressurised. They may not have known have even known there was a highjack.

[cherry*135]

3. Why no mobile phone calls from the plane?

During the hijackings of 9/11 there were calls from passengers to loved ones even at relatively high altitudes. But the aircraft needs to be within reach of a mobile phone tower. In the case of GSM, the system used by most Australians, the maximum reach is generally 25 kilometres, although a weak signal can sometimes be picked up as far away as 35 kilometres.
CDMA has a longer reach of about 62 kilometres. That said, there are lots of variables, such as obstacles, cloud cover and the number of calls on the network that can affect a connection. Over populated land it is possible to get a signal. But once off the coast or over the jungle of Malaysia, the signal would be rapidly lost.
The other possibility is that the passengers were unconscious or dead early into the flight due to a deliberate decompression of the cabin.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/missing-malaysia-airlines-jet-questions-answered-20140317-hvjqg.html#ixz...