Malaysia flight 370 Where is it?

[ArMaP]

When transponder went out then interceptors should have been scrambled to check out the issue.

Interceptors from which country?

[sky otter]

http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=244482:shock-political-twist-after-days-of-secretly-holding-pilots-laptop-is-msian-pm-out-to-blame-anwar?&Itemid=2#axzz2w8Z8hfsu


Sunday, 16 March 2014 09:00 SHOCK POLITICAL TWIST: MH370 pilot was 'obsessed' with Anwar Ibrahim, M'sian PM may QUIT SOON
Written by Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

KUALA LUMPUR - Amid intensifying calls for Prime Minister Najib Razak to step down to take responsibility for mishandling the missing flight MH370 crisis, and after days of secretly holding the doomed pilot's laptop, the Malaysian authorities have suddenly 'loosened' their lips in what appears to be a bid to draw in and tarnish Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

The 66-year-old Anwar is Najib's political arch rival, and who the day before the plane went missing on Saturday, had been convicted and jailed on sodomy charges that many have opined were manifestly trumped up by the Najib regime.

In fact when the news of the missing airplane first broke, political cynics had privately termed the tragedy as a 'Godsend' for the 60-year-old PM, who stood to face a crippling backlash from the Malay community, the country's predominant electorate, for resorting to 'political dirty tricks' to shut out another Malay leader.

However, the fire could not be contained and the MH370 tragedy may instead sound the political death knell for Najib himself. Expected to resign shortly, there is concern that Najib was trying to deflect blame and further smear his political nemesis on the way out from power.

Najib to step down soon

Over the past three days, rumors of Najib's imminent resignation had turned red-hot and political watchers from his Umno party told Malaysia Chronicle that he had been 'forced' to agree to give up his post following tremendous pressure from party seniors, and would announce his decision soon.

Meanwhile, the UK's Mail on Sunday reported the Malaysian police were investigating the possibility that the pilot of missing Flight MH370 had hijacked his own aircraft in a bizarre political protest.




Political watchers believe the beleaguered Najib has finally succumbed to pressure from party mentors such as ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad and ex-finance minister Daim Zainuddin to quit, and are expecting an announcement to be made soon.

Related Stories:

Azizah, children weep, Anwar brave as Najib uses court to stop 'MOST DANGEROUS' rival

Anwar verdict doesn't just EMBARRASS Malaysia, it IMPEDES IT - Forbes 'Political fanatic' pilot had attended Anwar's trial, expressed disgust at verdict



The Mail on Sunday said it had learned that Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah was an 'obsessive' supporter of Malaysia's opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim.

And hours before the doomed flight left Kuala Lumpur it is understood 53-year-old Shah attended a controversial trial in which Ibrahim was jailed for five years.


Campaigners say the politician, the key challenger to Malaysia's ruling party, was the victim of a long-running smear campaign and had faced trumped-up charges.


Police sources have confirmed that Shah was a vocal political activist – and fear that the court decision left him profoundly upset.

It was against this background that, seven hours later, he took control of a Boeing 777-200 bound for Beijing and carrying 238 passengers and crew.



yikes missed a whole lot more below a bunch of photos
..also  many many  pictures at link


The final picture: The missing jet is pictured her in February this year above Polish airspace


Yesterday, Malaysian police searched his house in the upmarket Kuala Lumpur suburb of Shah Alam, where he had installed a home-made flight simulator. But this newspaper can reveal that investigators had already spent much of last week examining two laptops removed from Shah's home. One is believed to contain data from the simulator


Confirming rising fears, Malaysia's prime minister Najib Razak announced yesterday that MH370 was deliberately steered off course after its communication system was switched off. He said it headed west over the Malaysian seaboard and could have flown for another seven hours on its fuel reserves.


It is not yet clear where the plane was taken, however Mr Razak said the most recent satellite data suggests the plane could have been making for one of two possible flight corridors. The search, involving 43 ships and 58 aircraft from 15 countries, switched from the South China Sea to the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean.


US investigators say faint 'pings' were being transmitted for several hours after the flight lost contact with the ground.


Meanwhile, military radar showed the jet climbed to 45,000ft – above its service limit – which could have been a deliberate attempt to knock out the passengers and crew.



Police raid of pilot's home 'STAGE-MANAGED': Zaharie's laptops already seized last week


Anwar Ibrahim is a broadly popular democracy icon and former deputy prime minister whose prosecution on a charge of sodomy is seen by many Malaysians as political persecution.


The raids on Captain Shah's home appeared stage-managed as a display of intent after the Prime Minister said the focus of the investigation was now on 'crew and passengers' as a result of the latest leads.


But investigators have told the Mail on Sunday inquiries into the background of the pilot actually began days earlier.


Malaysian police, helped by FBI agents from the US, are looking into the political and religious backgrounds of both Zaharie and his co-pilot. Zaharie's home was sealed off yesterday as police spent an hour inside.


However, a senior investigation source said two laptops were taken from the property in low-key visits by police early last week despite a series of denials by officials that his home had been searched or raided.


One laptop taken away is thought to contain data from the flight simulator while a second contained little information. Zaharie's personal laptop was not found, and is thought to have been with him in the cockpit of the plane, the source said.


Hunt: Investigators have raided the houses of both pilots. Pictured is where co-pilot Hamid lives in an upmarket Kuala Lumpur suburb



Zaharie's co-workers have told investigators the veteran pilot was a social activist who was vocal and fervent in his support of Ibrahim.


'Colleagues made it clear to us that he was someone who held strong political beliefs and was strident in his support for Anwar Ibrahim,' another investigation source said. 'We were told by one colleague he was obsessed with politics.'


Democracy icon, Anwar was jailed for 5 years

Anwar Ibrahim is a broadly popular democracy icon and former deputy prime minister whose prosecution on a charge of sodomy is seen by many Malaysians as political persecution.

Campaigners say the politician, the key challenger to Malaysia's ruling party, was the victim of a long-running smear campaign and had faced trumped-up charges.

Captain Shah, who is thought to have attended the trial in Putrajaya hours before flying, is thought to be incensed by the verdict.


Co-workers have told investigators the veteran pilot was a social activist who was vocal and fervent in his support of Ibrahim.

Investigators said: 'We are looking into the theory that Zaharie's political beliefs may be a factor. There are huge sensitivities surrounding this but we cannot afford not to pursue any angle brought to our attention.'


In their interviews, colleagues said Zaharie told them he planned to attend the court case involving Anwar on March 7, just hours before the Beijing flight, but investigators had not yet been able to confirm if he was among the crowd of Anwar supporters at court.


Zaharie is believed to be separated or divorced from his wife although they share the same house, close to Kuala Lumpur's international airport. They have three children, but no family members were at home yesterday: only the maid has remained there.

Political dirty tricks and bullying the norm in Malaysia


The revelations about Zaharie's political affiliations are highly sensitive in a country where political dirty tricks are widespread.


One of the investigation sources said: 'We are looking into the theory that Zaharie's political beliefs may be a factor. There are huge sensitivities surrounding this but we cannot afford not to pursue any angle brought to our attention.'


Separately, a police source told the Mail on Sunday: 'I can confirm our investigations include the political and religious leanings of both pilots.'


Zaharie joined Malaysia  Airlines in 1981. He became a captain about ten years later  and has clocked up 18,360 hours of flying experience.


A Malaysian govt conspiracy right from the beginning?



In the days after Flight MH370 disappeared, Zaharie was affectionately described as a good neighbour and an eccentric 'geek' who had a flight simulator at home simply because he loved his work so much.


Malaysian officials initially appeared keen not to direct any suspicion towards Zaharie or his co-pilot, 27-year-old Fariq Abdul Hamid, who was last week revealed to have invited two women passengers into the cockpit and smoked on an earlier flight to Phuket.


But evidence of the way the plane's transponder and communication systems were disabled and the way the plane was expertly flown over the Indian Ocean apparently using navigational waypoints meant only a skilled aviator could have been at the controls. Investigators were also baffled by why, if hijackers took over the plane, there was no Mayday call or signal from the two pilots to say the cockpit had been breached.


At yesterday's press conference, the suspicion over the pilot's involvement mounted as prime minister Najib Razak said that investigators had found 'deliberate action' on board the plane resulted in it changing course and losing contact with ground crews.


As a result of the new information, Malaysian authorities had 'refocused their investigation on crew and passengers aboard', he said. Police sealed off the area surrounding Zaharie's home and searched the house shortly after the press conference.


Mr Razak said the new satellite evidence shows 'with a high degree of certainty' that the one of the jet's communications devices – the Aircraft and Communications Addressing and Reporting System  was disabled just before it had reached the east coast of Malaysia. ACARS is a service that allows computers aboard the plane to relay in-flight information about the health of its systems back to the ground.


Shortly afterwards, near the cross-over point between Malaysian and Vietnamese air traffic controllers, the plane's transponder, which emits an identifying signal, was switched off or, less likely, failed.


According to a military radar, the aircraft then turned and flew back over Malaysia before heading in a north-west direction.


Search: Investigators from countries around the world have been scouring the oceans



A satellite was able to pick up a 'ping' from the plane until 08:11 local time, more than seven hours after it lost radar contact, although it was unable to give a precise location. Mr Razak went on to say that based on this new data, investigators 'have determined the plane's last communication with a satellite was in one of two possible corridors – north from the border of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan through to northern Thailand, and south from Indonesia to the southern Indian Ocean.


If as suspected the plane was diverted into the Indian Ocean, the task of the search teams becomes more difficult, as there are hundreds of uninhabited islands and the water reaches depths of around 23,000ft.


Countries in the plane's potential flightpath have now joined a huge effort to locate the missing passengers, but China described the revelation as 'painfully belated'. And FBI investigators say the disappearance of MH370 may have been 'an act of piracy' and that the possibility that its hundreds of passengers are being held at an unknown location has not been ruled out.




Meanwhile, leading aviation lawyer James Healy–Pratt, who is helping relatives, said Malaysian Airlines had declined to buy Boeing's Airplane Health Management system, which monitors systems in real time and could have alerted it to any potential problems, rather than having to recover a black box.



'If the transponder was manually disabled then one can only hope that the black boxes were not also manually disabled,' he said. 'Otherwise, the truth will never be known.' - Daily Mail, Agencies, Malaysia Chronicle



Last modified on Sunday, 16 March 2014 12:37


Full article: http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=244482:shock-political-twist-after-days-of-secretly-holding-pilots-laptop-is-msian-pm-out-to-blame-anwar?&Itemid=2#ixzz2w8cjfjus
Follow us: @MsiaChronicle on Twitter

[ArMaP]

"Ask for Fariq when calling..."  But there's no number to call.  A joke perhaps?  [wink]

Most likely, it's not even the same model.

[spacemaverick]

Interceptors from which country?

Sorry, the plane was headed into Vietnamese airspace.  Vietnam.  Also Malaysia has an air force...I would have scrambled immediately.

[WarToad]

Interesting post from airliners.net forum.

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/

Sanity Check

• Doing this as much to keep my brain aligned as to provide a data source.
• The facts have not changed much, however the is more data about track and time-line
• I've tried to be as factually accurate as I can - but I'm not an expert in each system - so if there factual errors please advise.
• I'm going to try to list what we know, not what we think - we being the public. And sadly it is very short.

First a synopsis
• The ship took off normally and headed on course to Beijing
• The last ACARS transmission was about 01:07 local. Confusion continues about if and when ACARS was turned off(See ACARS below)
• The last comms were a normal hand-off from Malaysia to Vietnam control at about 1:30 local. It was a normal 'good night' on the Malaysian side, but Vietnam was not contacted.
• The aircraft dropped off secondary radar with no communication from the cockpit.
• There are reports of a climb to 45K, uneven descent and some changes in altitude. Since this is based on primary radar - altitude data is somewhat uncertain. The last has been reported as 29,500ft but that seems in dispute.
• There are subsequent primary radar returns west over Malacca Straight and then north west Since it is primarily radar - a reflection - it does identify the a/c, however it has been correlated with SATCOM pings so confidence is high that the returns are from MH370
• SATCOM system pings continued for 7+ hrs after LOS (loss of signal)
• SATCOM pings do not locate the aircraft but based on correlation to signal strength there are 2 paths the aircraft could have taken
• Path one is north over Andaman Sea, Bay of Bengal as far as Kazakhstan/Turkmenistan and is consistent with primary radar.
• Path two is south over the India Ocean west of Australia. We've had no reports of radar signals in that area.
• The last SATCOM ping was at 8:11 am Malaysian time. At that time it would be dark on the north path and light over the south path.
• We have no ELT signal detected.
• While authorities (Malaysian) have not confirmed this is a hijacking or purposeful event - it is believed that is highly likely by most, however, motivation is unknown.

ACARS
• ACARS is an automated aircraft communication system that transmits a/c information, primarily maintenance information, to maintenance facilities like the airline, Boeing, Engine Manf, etc.
• ACARS is NOT a flight system - it is not needed for safe flight.
• ACARS is a subscription service and costs money. All indications are the MH370 was subscribed only to engine health monitoring and data from that is sent to Rolls Royce.
• ACARS communicates via VHF or SATCOM (and maybe Wifi at the gate). The communications channel depends on availability and is independent of the ACARS.

ACARS data from MH370
• The ACARS system sent 2 engine health reports to Rolls Royce, both prior to the LOS event.
• There seems to be disagreement on if the ACARS was switched off, or if it was not expected to send more data.
• The Malaysian PM stated they had high confidence ACARS was turned off.
• But, Rolls Royce has not commented on if more ACARS reports would have been expected prior to landing.
• Turning off ACARS reportedly requires entering the EE bay which is not simple in flight.
• UPDATE per TriStarSteve,26, 186:Pilots can deselect ACARS transmission by VHF and SATCOM. This does not turn off the VHF and SATCOM, just stops ACARS from using them.
• The ACARS report received prior to LOS had 'interesting' altitude data/fluctuations including 40K drop in a minute. That data is suspect.
• UPDATE: Per the RR webpage a snapshot would be expected at takeoff, climb, cruise and summary post landing.
• Since no "landing" report was received, then either the ACARS was turned off, or the a/c did not land. It is not clear to me if the last report was climb or cruise.
• We have not heard if ACARS would send a report upon fuel starvation flame-out.

SATCOM
• SATCOM is a communications channel - Satellite Communications. It is a radio system that uses satellites to communicate various information.
• SATCOM is not ACARS - it is one of the channels ACARS can use.
• The SATCOM system on MH370 was connecting to Inmarsat satellites.

SATCOM Pings
• The SATCOM system sends (or responds to) periodic 'pings' to/from the satellites. These 'pings' are a network communication that says "I am here."
• SATCOM pings are not communicating a/c status, they are part of the communications channel.
• The last pings were detected at 8:11am Malaysia time
• SATCOM pings provide no aircraft heading, speed or altitude information, however, distance from the Satellite can be estimated.
• Based on analysis of the SATCOM pings by Inmarsat, two possible routes have been predicted based upon a radius from the satellite picking up the pings.
• People have asked if SATCOM pings would occur if the aircraft was landed, but operating.
• We have not seen data on this, but I would presume it would.
• People have asked if SATCOM pings could come from a crashed plane if the right parts survived.
• Very unlikely. The system is not self contained, the equipment, power and antennas are separate.

CRV/FDR Data
• The CVR (cockpit voice recorder) and FDR (flight data recorder) do not transmit data in flight.
• They do emit sonic pings if immersed. These will last a minimum of 30 days. We can expect sonar is being used to listen for them.
• The CVR reportedly is a 120 minute CVR so it would contain only the last 120 minutes of flight (presuming it did not fail or was turned off prior to that).
• I don't have data form the recording time of the FDR, but it is typically much longer.

Way-point Tracks
• The use of way-points to the navigate are conjecture. They happen to line up with the direction indicated by the primary radar returns and Inmarsat data to the north.
• While many believe the aircraft was under control - we cannot conclude if these way-point were used, or just along the path.

Airworthiness Directive
• The airworthiness directive about corrosion near the SATCOM antenna does not apply to this ship.
• The ship DOES have SATCOM - but uses a different antenna

Lithium Battery Fires.
• There are reports of a shipment of lithium batteries on the a/c and that perhaps they caused a fire.
• It seems very unlikely a fire could be intense enough to disable the crew, but then the a/c would survive and fly for 7+ hours.
• Opinion: as a firefighter, I doubt this. The fire would destroy the a/c.

Search Areas
• Along the planed route. I believe searching in this area is ending or decreasing based on new data indicating the a/c is not there
• West over the Malacca straight
• North west of Malacca straight
• Along the two tracks predicted by the SATCOM pings which continue north to Kazakhstan/Turkmenistan and south to the India Ocean.
• These are huge search areas - I do not have a good handle on what assets are deployed where
• It appears the north route is considered more likely because of primary radar signals that roughly correlate.
• I would expect review of primary radar west of Australia is in process if not done.

Conspiracy Theories
• There are lots of conspiracy theories out there - from the Malaysian government hiding something to pilot suicide, to hijacking to whatever.
• The breadth of the countries searching alone makes me discount many of the government is hiding it aspects
• It is likely there are covert (secret) resources in the area that are trying to provide the info without revealing themselves.
• Currently, it seems most believe there is some positive action here - hijacker or crew based.
• Opinion: Mostly, I believe this is because a mechanical failure that selectively terminates communication, incapacitates the crew/passengers, but then allows the a/c to fly on uncontrolled for 7 hours seems unlikely.
• Investigations of crew have begun in earnest.
• Despite the belief this is incident required human actions - we have no evidence of that. Rather - no other theory seems credible.

Mobile phones
• We know that if any mobile phones were connected to the tower - we would have a location and would search there.
• We don't have any reports or evidence of that - so I conclude that it is not viable to consider.

I've deleted the sections on incompetence and false sitings - for brevity.
IN summary what we know is.
• The a/c disappeared from secondary radar and stopped communicating. We do not know why or what happened to it.
• There is evidence from SATCOM and Radar that the a/c traveled west - then most likely north west.
• SATCOM signals show the a/c was operating till at least 8:11am Malaysia time, over 7 hrs total flight time
• We have not found it despite multiple governmental agencies from multiple countries searching hard.

What seems likely.
• A hijacking or positive intervention by human agency seems likely.
• The erratic altitude and course may indicate a struggle on board.
• While we would like to believe the a/c landed safely somewhere, that seems unlikely to have happened unobserved.


That is all.
Respectfully Submitted - rcair1

[astr0144]

Not had time to read this thread as yet..

Hopefully this has not been posted..

Suggests maybe some 9/11 like conspiracy plot..


http://uk.news.yahoo.com/video/paper-review-missing-plane-stories-060741728.html?vp=1

[spacemaverick]

Okay, new wrinkle in the mystery.  Not only did the pilot have a simulator in his home and his family leaves the home the day before he flies out...a steward from the cabin crew also has a simulator in his home.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2582624/MH370-It-wasnt-just-captain-missing-Malaysian-airline-flight-simulator-similar-computer-software-home-belonging-member-cabin-crew.html

TWO crew members of mystery plane had flight simulators at home: Now steward on board the Boeing revealed to have had one as well

Police confiscate flight simulator from home of MH370 captain

Male member of cabin crew also had flight simulator at home
Authorities will be analysing flight paths used on the simulators
Captain Shah was passionate about his home-made simulator
Malaysian Airlines 777 vanished mysteriously over a week ago

Of course this doesn't mean that they did it but just another avenue to investigate.  Maybe they just love aviation enough to get involved to that degree.

[COSMO]

Begins with a Paki ends with a stan...

Yeah.....
444
44

don't ask me why I'm entertained by that...

[sky otter]

further back in this thread i said this


Re: Malaysia flight 370 Where is it?
« Reply #31 on: March 15, 2014, 02:56:02 PM »Quote

and now this....
you know when that many folk perrish at once you can feel it..i don't think they died..
i think the gov's know exactly what happened and are working something behind the scences
what..? is anyones guess


after reading about the politics of the pilot and  that of the gov.. i think that  he was using this
plane and people as a ransom and that he left  his demands with the gov that the current
ruler, who he felt was playing dirty, would have to step down and that as soon as he does within 24 hours the plane and all will miraculously re-appear..

so there it is in writing..  only time will tell

wacky thoughts..otter out on a limb holding a saw..

i did like the comment by paki.. that they don't have any radar stop asking them about the plane and go talk to the americans...funny ha ha

[Fruitbat]

I have been looking at a tribute page for Capt Zahari and It tells me that in addition to having handbuilt a seriously over the top flight simulator he also had an interest in radio controlled flying machines including 1 helicopter and a GWS R/C PBY Catalina.  (he had the nice version too wth the brushless motors..)

He does look like he is even geekier than even I managed to be with the aviation...

He's a pilot, so hes out of the house for most of the time and when he is back home he's either simulating flight or flying r/c stuff. Bet his missus loves that!

The biggest lead we have is the alledged functioning of the passengers mobile phones days after the event.

IF that is true, the mobile networks will have records of which tower they were connected to, and that gives you location to within a mile or so...

fb.

[WarToad]

My opinion at this point is 1 of 2 things.

1) Gross incompetence of Malaysian authorities.

2) Gross deception by Malaysian authorities.

And it might just be both.

[sky otter]

ah some back up..the tree limb gets strong..might be able to toss the saw
and no i didn't read this first..but i should have



Sunday, 16 March 2014 09:00 SHOCK POLITICAL TWIST: MH370 pilot was 'obsessed' with Anwar Ibrahim, M'sian PM may QUIT SOON
Written by Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

Full article: http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=244482:shock-political-twist-after-days-of-secretly-holding-pilots-laptop-is-msian-pm-out-to-blame-anwar?&Itemid=2#ixzz2wFApZxk7



KUALA LUMPUR - Amid intensifying calls for Prime Minister Najib Razak to step down to take responsibility for mishandling the missing flight MH370 crisis, and after days of secretly holding the doomed pilot's laptop, the Malaysian authorities have suddenly 'loosened' their lips in what appears to be a bid to draw in and tarnish Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

The 66-year-old Anwar is Najib's political arch rival, and who the day before the plane went missing on Saturday, had been convicted and jailed on sodomy charges that many have opined were manifestly trumped up by the Najib regime.

In fact when the news of the missing airplane first broke, political cynics had privately termed the tragedy as a 'Godsend' for the 60-year-old PM, who stood to face a crippling backlash from the Malay community, the country's predominant electorate, for resorting to 'political dirty tricks' to shut out another Malay leader.

However, the fire could not be contained and the MH370 tragedy may instead sound the political death knell for Najib himself. Expected to resign shortly, there is concern that Najib was trying to deflect blame and further smear his political nemesis on the way out from power.

Najib to step down soon

Over the past three days, rumors of Najib's imminent resignation had turned red-hot and political watchers from his Umno party told Malaysia Chronicle that he had been 'forced' to agree to give up his post following tremendous pressure from party seniors, and would announce his decision soon.

Meanwhile, the UK's Mail on Sunday reported the Malaysian police were investigating the possibility that the pilot of missing Flight MH370 had hijacked his own aircraft in a bizarre political protest.

[spacemaverick]

Okay, another wrinkle just in.  Villagers in Northeast Malaysia saw some bright lights and loud noises around the time contact was lost.

"Investigators told a Malaysian newspaper that the Boeing 777 had dropped to a lower altitude to avoid ground radar, using the surrounding terrain as a sonar barrier."

(I think they meant radar not sonar)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2582595/Boeing-777-hijackers-plunged-5-000ft-used-low-altitude-terrain-masking-manoeuvre-practised-fighter-jets-avoid-radar-detection.html

This article brings up more information than previous articles in my opinion.  So much information (like information overload).  It has to be sorted out.  I think at this point we can say there were deliberate actions taking place to take control of the aircraft.  The motivation and who and where remain a mystery.

[spacemaverick]

Question?  DO WE HAVE ANY  PILOTS ON THE FORUM...Oh yeah....duhhhhh.....John Lear...I wonder if he would give us some input from a professional.  He flew in Asia and all over the world.  It would be enlightening to hear from the man.

(I was having a major brain slippage on this one.)

[zorgon]

Police confiscate flight simulator from home of MH370 captain

It's illegal to own a flight simulator?

WOW