Malaysia Airlines Plane "Loses Contact"

[marshalla]

KTF said:

MarkRSi said:

What's the risk of that happening though? How often do transponders etc. need isolating to prevent a fire?

Its more that having the option to disable it is available, not how often its needed to be disabled.

and having a correct, defined, rapid procedure, on the ground, to deal with an aircraft whose transponder signal disappears without warning or explanation.

[KTF]

marshalla said:

and having a correct, defined, rapid procedure, on the ground, to deal with an aircraft whose transponder signal disappears without warning or explanation.

I would imagine that is already in place for when aircraft disappear from radar. You would send something to its last known location and start searching from there, once it goes dark you have no idea where it is.

Edited by KTF on Thursday 10th March 20:41

[hidetheelephants]

Such a transponder would need internal power like a CVR or a FDR, so tripping the breaker or whatever would just leave it transmitting on internal power, which could be days provided it only phones home every half hour or something.

[anonymous-user]

The suggestion of a terrorist link proves paradoxical.
Nobody appears to have survived this event.
IS, 7-7 and so on represent terrorists that seek total destruction with no chance of survival simply to allow themselves the power of a bit of propaganda and a bloody nose for their 'opponents'. To have meticulously planned a hijacking and to have made the plane go dark does not tally with a terrorist cell that forgot to upload their finger wagging propaganda video to the web.

[528Sport]

Another possible piece from MH370

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/23/possi...

Looking at the sizes of the parts found and my very limited knowledge I can only assume the aircraft has broken up into small parts thus making it harder to find for the search team.

[BlackLabel]

Debris found in Mozambique is “almost certainly” from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, the Australian government has confirmed, fuelling belief that the remains of the plane will be found in the coming months.

[anonymous-user]

I think the plane will never be found. I think the jigsaw pieces will lead to nothing and wash up for years to come.

The search wasnt and isnt aS methodical as people think, swaths of the ocean have been missed due to weather conditions etc and not gone over again.

[hidetheelephants]

The Spruce goose said:

I think the plane will never be found. I think the jigsaw pieces will lead to nothing and wash up for years to come.

The search wasnt and isnt aS methodical as people think, swaths of the ocean have been missed due to weather conditions etc and not gone over again.

We're not far from the point at which technology will allow comprehensive mapping of the seabed by autonomous drone, something which ought to see a similar priority to space exploration even if it's not as 'exciting'.

[Vaud]

hidetheelephants said:

We're not far from the point at which technology will allow comprehensive mapping of the seabed by autonomous drone, something which ought to see a similar priority to space exploration even if it's not as 'exciting'.

We are, however some way from the investment needed, though I agree that it remains a disappointment that we seem to know more about the moon and immediate outer space than we do about the detail of our oceans.

[Welshbeef]

Vaud said:

We are, however some way from the investment needed, though I agree that it remains a disappointment that we seem to know more about the moon and immediate outer space than we do about the detail of our oceans.

It's a very interesting question or view really why do we potentially overlook the sea ?

[hidetheelephants]

Welshbeef said:

It's a very interesting question or view really why do we potentially overlook the sea ?

Mostly for the same reasons space had been overlooked until the 1960s; it was practically inaccessible, it's now accessible(or soon will be accessible) for not very much money for surveillance/mapping/assay purposes and the cost of doing even quite complex things down there continues to fall in parallel(see subsea wellheads and oil/gas/water processing etc). The more wacky subsea projects suggested in the 1960s like nodule harvesting are getting close to reality in terms of being practical even if they aren't yet profitable.

[sparks_E39]

Begs the question of what's left to find really? Surely any bodies would have long ago degraded to mere bone fragments and the black box would be useless by now I guess. When we do have the technology to comprehensively map the entire sea bed quicker and easier than it can be done now, it's quite harrowing to think what will be found.

[hidetheelephants]

The storage in FDRs is pretty robust; if they can find it there's a good prospect of the data being recovered.

[Steffan]

hidetheelephants said:

The storage in FDRs is pretty robust; if they can find it there's a good prospect of the data being recovered.

I do agree if the FDR's are found in anything like reasonable condition then there must be a fair chance of some information confirming the progress of the actual flight taken. Real question must be what are the real chances of the recorders actually being found?

Given the size of the ocean and the very limited details about the probable direction taken by the actual path of the flight the chances of discovery are regrettably pretty small I fear. But there is a chance and I do hope that some discovery is made. Dreadful business for the bereaved who still need closure. I do hope so for their sakes.

[jshell]

sparks_E39 said:

Begs the question of what's left to find really? Surely any bodies would have long ago degraded to mere bone fragments and the black box would be useless by now I guess. When we do have the technology to comprehensively map the entire sea bed quicker and easier than it can be done now, it's quite harrowing to think what will be found.

Marin life will have stripped the bones completely clean by now.

[Vaud]

jshell said:

Marin life will have stripped the bones completely clean by now.

Maybe. Depends how deep it is, surely? Is there much life at 15,000 feet below sea (for example) that could do this?

[jshell]

Vaud said:

jshell said:

Marin life will have stripped the bones completely clean by now.

Maybe. Depends how deep it is, surely? Is there much life at 15,000 feet below sea (for example) that could do this?

Tiny shrimp, polychaetes, spoonworms, fangtooth etc. It'll have been an absolute banquet down there.

[Oakey]

Vaud said:

Maybe. Depends how deep it is, surely? Is there much life at 15,000 feet below sea (for example) that could do this?

Luckily someone has answered that question for you just the other day;

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2016/03/30/Scienti...

Four days to strip a carcass to bone

[Vaud]

Oakey said:

Luckily someone has answered that question for you just the other day;

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2016/03/30/Scienti...

Four days to strip a carcass to bone

Sure. That's 1000ft rather than 15,000ft though, but thanks for sharing

[Oakey]

Vaud said:

Sure. That's 1000ft rather than 15,000ft though, but thanks for sharing

The Angler Fish and friends reside around that depth sooo....

Edited by Oakey on Tuesday 5th April 13:44