Airplanes don't just disappear

[buckman]

Originally Posted by spence

Some interesting remarks by pilots I read today. They suspect the front tires caught on fire on take off or a fire started in another manner. The captain would know what airport options he had in case of an emergency and entered this into the autopilot first thing. Then they'd start shutting down systems to isolate the issue. Pilots get overwhelmed by smoke and are knocked out...the plane then continues on autopilot until it runs out of gas.

There is an ideal airport on the new heading they took...they would have flown right over it.

Doesn't answer everything but it is a plausible scenario.

-spence

I see you read Business Insider
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[spence]

Originally Posted by buckman

I see you read Business Insider
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Article was on Wired but I believe BI posted it this morning.

-spence

[Nebe]

I hope that is what happened. If that's the case, they should be able to tow a side scan along that flight path and eventually find the plane sitting on the bottom. E v e n t u a l l y.
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[Mike P]

Originally Posted by spence

Some interesting remarks by pilots I read today. They suspect the front tires caught on fire on take off or a fire started in another manner. The captain would know what airport options he had in case of an emergency and entered this into the autopilot first thing. Then they'd start shutting down systems to isolate the issue. Pilots get overwhelmed by smoke and are knocked out...the plane then continues on autopilot until it runs out of gas.

There is an ideal airport on the new heading they took...they would have flown right over it.

Doesn't answer everything but it is a plausible scenario.

-spence

There's one major flaw in that theory. The tire/landing gear wells aren't pressurized, and at 35,000' there's not enough ambient oxygen in the atmosphere to keep tires burning. Every so often, a clueless stowaway gets the stupid idea to crawl into a wheel well while a plane is on the ground. Once the plane takes off and the gear is retracted, they die from hypoxia, well before they die from hypothermia. Their bodies fall like a block of ice to the ground when the gear is lowered on the final approach.

[spence]

Originally Posted by Mike P

There's one major flaw in that theory. The tire/landing gear wells aren't pressurized, and at 35,000' there's not enough ambient oxygen in the atmosphere to keep tires burning. Every so often, a clueless stowaway gets the stupid idea to crawl into a wheel well while a plane is on the ground. Once the plane takes off and the gear is retracted, they die from hypoxia, well before they die from hypothermia. Their bodies fall like a block of ice to the ground when the gear is lowered on the final approach.

Reasonable point, although I'd suspect a tire that ignited on takeoff could burn at least until 10,000 feet. By that point it could have spread?

I've heard of tires igniting on landing but never on take off...who knows.

-spence

[Nebe]

And then there is the lithium batteries in the cargo hold that has downed other planes before...
A fire is very plausible.
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[Swimmer]

Originally Posted by spence

Ha, I read just the opposite

-spence

The actual thing a pilot does first in an emergency, or when the emergency is first realized, is to mutter those very famous words, "oh chit". My uncle flew in the air force for thirty three years from prop planes during WW II to B 52's during Vietnam, and he told me those two words are the first post emergency words enunciated in virtually all instances by pilots and people in the cockpit. My wife had a math professor that I was dying to meet, because as a navigator on B 52's in Vietnam he was shot down twice and survived. I wanted to ask him if thats what he said when the missiles hit the plane and never did before he passed.
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[Raven]

i think there was talk about a strange climbing to 45,000 feet
for a short period which may have been an attempt at putting out a fire

so that "is" a possible scenario.... remember that many tires
are cheated or of poor quality. MALAYSIA wasn't up to specs
on several issue's as compared to our regulations.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Nebe

I hope that is what happened. If that's the case, they should be able to tow a side scan along that flight path and eventually find the plane sitting on the bottom. E v e n t u a l l y.
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Eventually... very deep water along that flight path...

[Raven]

would a jetliner that sank to very deep depths
and then imploded leave no trace evidence or debris?

that is something to think about

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Raven

would a jetliner that sank to very deep depths
and then imploded leave no trace evidence or debris?

that is something to think about

I think there will be debris eventually; seat cushions and such

[spence]

Originally Posted by RIROCKHOUND

Eventually... very deep water along that flight path...

Not sure they'd ever find it. With a deep water search there would have to be some value to justify the process.
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[Mike P]

Originally Posted by spence

Reasonable point, although I'd suspect a tire that ignited on takeoff could burn at least until 10,000 feet. By that point it could have spread?

I've heard of tires igniting on landing but never on take off...who knows.

-spence

90% of the time, that's the brakes getting overheated and igniting the tire. In take-off, the brakes aren't being applied. Airlines use pure nitrogen in the tires, too, not compressed air, to decrease the chances of a tire fire.

As far as climbing to 45,000', I would say that an hour after take-off with full fuel, it couldn't climb that high. You'd have to burn off a lot of fuel first. If there was even the slightest chance of a fire, the last thing they would do is dump fuel. The 777 has a rated service ceiling of 41,000'.

[Scuttlebutt]

"The life of everyone on board depends upon just one thing: finding someone back there who can not only fly this plane, but who didn't have fish for dinner."

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by Scuttlebutt

"The life of everyone on board depends upon just one thing: finding someone back there who can not only fly this plane, but who didn't have fish for dinner."

Bwaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!
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[buckman]

I believe the plane made two course changes after passing the "closest airport"
So someone was at the controls
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[spence]

Originally Posted by buckman

I believe the plane made two course changes after passing the "closest airport"
So someone was at the controls
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Yes, there was another good article today that trashed the smoke theory...

-spence

[Piscator]

Pakistan??
Would be a very long shot but just feels like there's a lot being held back for good reason...
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[niko]

looks like the Australians think they found it

[spence]

Originally Posted by niko

looks like the Australians think they found it

Not sure about that yet...but I hope for the families they can close the loop.
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[Piscator]

Some objects spotted on satellite imagery. Now they have to go and actually find it to see if its related.
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[Raven]

croc's