MH 777 missing - MH370 media statement

[QF WP]

Well let's be honest, 3 tonnes of mangosteen aren't really worth stealing:

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=...j8&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8

 

[QF WP]

A copy of all the IATA DG declarations approved by the Cargo Officer are kept by the freight forwarder, the airline and the sender. It shouldn't be hard to find a list of all declared DG for this flight.

That's presuming what was declared was what actually was loaded . It's been known to happen that the description might be a little short on the truth - see ozbeachbabe's link above.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

A copy of all the IATA DG declarations approved by the Cargo Officer are kept by the freight forwarder, the airline and the sender. It shouldn't be hard to find a list of all declared DG for this flight.

As long as what's declared on the cargo manifest is in fact what's being carried. In the 15 March 2000 incident the company consigning the shipment lied as to what was being carried.

If it's happened once it could happen again.

 

[QF WP]

I believe that it's been established that the cargo on MH370 wasn't scanned at KUL due to an equipment malfunction and that we don't actually know what was on board. Though given the rate at which facts are being categorically confirmed and subsequently denied, this could change by tonight.

Hmmm, wonder whether that was deliberate - Malaysians are well known to not be averse to bribery...

I have witnessed it, during a [driving] trip from SIN to KUL for the F1 some years ago. We [and other SIN plated cars, particularly driven by expats from what I could see of the cars ahead and behind in the pulled over queue] were pulled up apparently for "checks on foreign cars" {just what ones were never declared to us by the policeman}. My friend suggested we put some money in the clipboard that was handed into the cabin by the policeman. He grunted and waved us on. Maybe he just wanted to check out the HSV my friend was driving (yes, he had it shipped up to SIN).

 

[straitman]

Thanks legroom. I did comment as a 'real pilot' as you requested. I have flown formation in large aircraft and it is extremely challenging by night - you need external references (lights or the moon) to do it visually. But it is plausible if 1) the aircraft you are following is just flying straight and level and 2) the moon is up (the moon was up that night but i have not checked what time it set or whether it was full)

Just to expand a little for those who may not understand. One key reason a large jet is hard to fly formation is that it is very stable and therefore not very responsive and so you really do need to be on the ball. Add to that the complexities of night time and it goes from being difficult towards being impossible. Not really impossible but almost so without a lot of training.

I'm surprised that none has mentioned the possibility that they someone was trained and using NVGs. Once again not practical as the strobes of the lead aircraft would literally blind the person wearing the NVGs. i.e. that could work with lots of training but only if the lead a/c was complicit and turned their strobe lights off.

 

[defurax]

That's presuming what was declared was what actually was loaded . It's been known to happen that the description might be a little short on the truth - see ozbeachbabe's link above.

I won't go into details because I don't want to give ideas to people, but I used to ship tons of DG every year (cargo/passenger a/c and cargo-only) and I will only say that a good Cargo Officer knows when to be suspicious about a specific shipment...
Of course, if it's not declared at all, then other detection methods have to be used at the airport...like simple X-ray...

 

[legroom]

Just to expand a little for those who may not understand. One key reason a large jet is hard to fly formation is that it is very stable and therefore not very responsive and so you really do need to be on the ball. Add to that the complexities of night time and it goes from being difficult towards being impossible. Not really impossible but almost so without a lot of training.

I'm surprised that none has mentioned the possibility that they someone was trained and using NVGs. Once again not practical as the strobes of the lead aircraft would literally blind the person wearing the NVGs. i.e. that could work with lots of training but only if the lead a/c was complicit and turned their strobe lights off.

Thanks to the pro pilots who clarified the issues for us - mere AFFers.

So, it is theoretically possible but would require a very highly skilled / well trained pilot - probably with a military background - and +/- the cooperation of the plane in front.

My feeling is that this hypothesis is a little Tom Clancy-ish.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Might have another look at the ACI episode of The Helderberg.

http://www.southafrica.to/transport/Airlines/SAA-flights/1987/SAA-flight-295.php5

 

[Boris spatsky]

Thanks to the pro pilots who clarified the issues for us - mere AFFers.

So, it is theoretically possible but would require a very highly skilled / well trained pilot - probably with a military background - and +/- the cooperation of the plane in front.

My feeling is that this hypothesis is a little Tom Clancy-ish.

Yes, i agree. Plausible but highly unlikely due to required skill sets, trainibg, planning etc. Although we all were stunned when 9/11 happened - "that only happens in Tom Clancy novels!"

 

[maninblack]

They would have had to find the aircraft they wanted to trail up at above 30,000ft at 900kmh in the dark and then trail it as a shadow through winds and direction changes and ascents and speed changes, all the while under manual control and staying within a couple of hundred metres, for 6 hours or more, sounds damn unlikely...well there is precedent...well not exactly, actually it's irrelevant, but it's a good story anyway :!: - Cessna 188 Pacific rescue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[amaroo]

...well there is precedent...well not exactly, actually it's irrelevant, but it's a good story anyway :!: - Cessna 188 Pacific rescue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What a great story - thanks for posting!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

They would have had to find the aircraft they wanted to trail up at above 30,000ft at 900kmh in the dark and then trail it as a shadow through winds and direction changes and ascents and speed changes, all the while under manual control and staying within a couple of hundred metres, for 6 hours or more, sounds damn unlikely...well there is precedent...well not exactly, actually it's irrelevant, but it's a good story anyway :!: - Cessna 188 Pacific rescue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sad to note that F/E Gordon Brooks was killed the following year in the DC-10 crash at Mt Erebus.

I first heard about MH370 being "overdue" when we arrived in GUM on Sat 08 Mar & were watching CNN in our hotel room. I immediately thought of the Antarctic flight TE901 as I remember getting home from school & hearing it had been reported overdue which never ends well.

We were due fly GUM/NRT next day on a UA 777-200 which up until then I'd been looking forward to but I just felt weird about it. As it happened UA cancelled the flight as the a/c had gone u/s in NRT the night prior & it was subbed for a 738.

 

[markis10]

AMSA have advised the base for searching will be RAAF Pearce, with an additional two P3s being tasked in conjunction with the assets returning from Cocos Islands. No word yet on any P8s, ironically the P8 involved in the search so far was at Peace three weeks ago as callsign Talon 01, tail number 168429. ACARS data shows the aircraft operating under MY designators in recent days.

The P8 arrived into Perth in the last hour, as expected its the former Talon 01 that was there three weeks ago.

Todays search area for the P3s

 

[basso]

Looks like an unbelievably heroic effort by the pilot(s) to me - nearly got that baby back home.

I have to say that I lean toward this as well. Can't explain 'the event', but they then diverted back to mainland Malaysia (which seems to me where you'd go), but perhaps got lost in the dark, or something. Keeping in mind, they couldn't contact anyone either....

 

[whatmeworry]

NoNews reporting Courtney Love is claiming she has found the wreckage of MH370.

I am quite sure someone already posted these pictures and people on Reddit first posted them last Friday.

Courtney Love thinks she’s found missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 | News.com.au

 

[rechoboam]

I wonder what traces of flight simulator activity were found on the PCs. My guess is that little information is logged unless someone is deliberately trying to keep detailed records.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

News reports tonight saying that the voice heard in the final transmission received from the flight of "alright good night" was that of the F/O.

 

[drron]

There are unconfirmed reports that 5 Indian Ocean airfields were on the simulator-
Cops find five Indian Ocean practice runways in MH370 pilot

However 2 were Male and diego Garcia.really don't think it could have landed at those undetected.The others are 1000 metres in length.not really suitable for a 777.

A couple of good articles on the satellite pings-
TMF Associates MSS blog » Understanding “satellite pings”…
TMF Associates MSS blog » Locating “satellite pings”…

 

[rechoboam]

There are unconfirmed reports that 5 Indian Ocean airfields were on the simulator-
Cops find five Indian Ocean practice runways in MH370 pilot

However 2 were Male and diego Garcia.really don't think it could have landed at those undetected.The others are 1000 metres in length.not really suitable for a 777.

A couple of good articles on the satellite pings-
TMF Associates MSS blog » Understanding “satellite pings”…
TMF Associates MSS blog » Locating “satellite pings”…

Not sure what to make of that...
His home base was basically on the Indian ocean. These airports would presumably be alternates for some routes? If he had bizarre scenarios or recorded flights involving these airports that would be something though. My simulator setup was almost as extensive as his so I find it hard to get excited about it.

 

[Reggie]

I won't go into details because I don't want to give ideas to people, but I used to ship tons of DG every year (cargo/passenger a/c and cargo-only) and I will only say that a good Cargo Officer knows when to be suspicious about a specific shipment...

People would be surprised / shocked to know what can be and is flown as freight on passenger aircraft. I have first hand experience of using MH to fly DG. The airlines that do fly these goods certainly make huge profits with freight rates of up to 5 times more than the equivalent non DG rates.