Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 crash

[peevemagpie]

Unfortunately, we have heard nothing about this. My sympathy is with the affected families who still have questions that will be left unanswered.

 

[Evo]

Now this.

Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 was 'shot down by the US military', claims former airline CEO Marc Dugain

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/n...-former-airline-ceo-marc-dugain-30858077.html

 

[Bystander]

Eight months to conspiracy theory --- I was predicting four to six.

 

[Astronuc]

Now this.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/n...-former-airline-ceo-marc-dugain-30858077.html

That's unfortunate and unhelpful.

Looking at maps of the search area, Diego Garcia is no where near there.

DG is about 4,723 km (2,550.22 nmi) west-northwest of the west coast of Australia (at Cape Range National Park, Western Australia). The search was looking about 2300 km WSW of Perth. Not exactly a threat.

http://www.abc15.com/news/national/how-groundbreaking-number-crunching-found-path-of-malaysia-airlines-flight-370
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/malaysi...ock-winding-down-on-black-box-beacon-battery/

 

[NascentOxygen]

As the search zone for MH-370 continues to yield no answers, an investigative reporter from the West Australian newspaper has interviewed people in The Maldives who at the time reported an off-course passenger airliner that passed low overhead, banked gently, and was shortly followed by a loud boom. The Maldives are a group of islands located on the Equator to the south of India. This aircraft was described as large, very noisy, flying so low they could count multiple doors, and carried red and blue markings, and it brought people out of their homes because the islanders say the only planes they ever see there are small local seaplanes.

At around this time, an array of sensitive underwater microphones off the west coast of Australia picked up a loud sound (not a bang, more like a groan) which triangulates to distant ocean NW of Australia and could be of geological origin, but could also be an aircraft crashing or an intact plane imploding at depth. The Maldives does have a defence radar station, so those who witnessed the aircraft pass overhead are puzzled by a press release from their Defence department denying any aircraft were in the air that morning. It is speculated to be a face-saving measure to cover-up the department's operational deficiencies, and likely explains why reports at the time that the flight may have been MH370 were hastily dismissed.

The reporter said that a flight path west of Indonesia was not inconsistent with the satellite data.

I heard this on a radio interview with the reporter after he returned from The Maldives, but here's a published report from a source that doesn't demand subscription: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/201...ssing-malaysia-airlines-flight_n_7003406.html

There are no reports of traceable wreckage being washed ashore.

 

[StevieTNZ]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/africa...-plane-debris-on-reunion-island-is-from-a-777

A US official says investigators have a "high degree of confidence" that debris found in the Indian Ocean is from a Boeing 777, the same model as the Malaysia Airlines plane that disappeared last year.

The debris was found on Reunion Island, off the east coast of Africa, raising the possibility it could be from MH370. Malaysia has sent a team to verify the find, and by 10am Thursday (NZ time) investigators made the announcement there was near-certainty it was from a Boeing 777.

The large piece of wreckage appeared to be covered in barnacles, which would suggest it had been in the water for a long time.

 

[DiracPool]

Woah, it would be great to get some news of that incident, it really haunts me...But there's been so many false alarms to date. Hopefully there's something substantial.

 

[jim hardy]

Hmmmm off Madagascar sounds plausible to this non-mariner

 

[Astronuc]

Debris Found in Indian Ocean Appears to be Boeing 777 - MH370?
https://gma.yahoo.com/mh370-debris-found-indian-ocean-appears-boeing-777-223631685--abc-news-topstories.html

If connected to the downed plane, the part –- which experts tell ABC News appears to be a wing flap about 2 meters long and 1 meter wide -- but from where, or which aircraft?

Réunion is located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about 175 kilometres (109 mi) southwest of Mauritius, the nearest island.

Debris on Reunion Island likely from MH370, US officials say
http://www.smh.com.au/world/debris-...m-mh370-us-officials-say-20150730-ginitv.html

Mysterious number BB670

A number found on the aircraft part should allow authorities to confirm whether it is debris from the doomed Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 within 24 hours.

The number BB670 on what appears to be a wing flap could link the part definitively, "possibly in 24 hours" to the jetliner that disappeared on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014, said Martin Dolan, chief commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau who has been co-ordinating the search off the coast of Western Australia.

The part that washed up on Reunion was "not inconsistent with what we know" from the bureau's ocean drift modelling, Mr Dolan said.

"On the modelling, yep, something could come ashore at Reunion. It might even, possibly, get to Madagascar," Mr Dolan said.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33707445

 

[ShayanJ]

The Malaysian government officially declares Flight 370 an accident, in accordance with Annexes 12 and 13 to the Chicago Convention, with no survivors.(29 January 2015)The Malaysian Ministry of Transport publishes an interim report.(8 March 2015)

 

[Borg]

Based on a conversation from the PPRuNe Forums (Professional Pilots Rumor Network), the part is likely something called a Flaperon as seen here.

That is pretty intact for an aircraft crashing into an ocean. When you compare it to debris from the 2009 Air France crash...

The Air France debris all shows obvious signs of tearing and deformation that are inconsistant with the piece that was found. I still believe that the aircraft soft-landed in the ocean which minimized the debris. The damage on the flaperon is consistant with being deployed as it struck the water. The bottom edge shows damage where it would have entered the water - eventually separating from its connection point at the front edge. It will be interesting to see what the bottom looks like and what the investigators conclude about the forces involved.

 

[Borg]

Possible luggage debris has been found on the island also.

 

[DiracPool]

Even if it is MH370, they say that it's not probable that they can trace back the wreck from the island debris, that's too bad.

 

[Borg]

Even if it is MH370, they say that it's not probable that they can trace back the wreck from the island debris, that's too bad.

I have seen discussions in the PPRuNe thread suggesting that they may be able to analyze the sea life that is attached to determine where it came from. Just one of a hundred things that they will probably be checking. I wouldn't give up yet.

 

[jim hardy]

I'd expect some of these parts might be foam core so if detached from the airframe would float.

 

[StevieTNZ]

A part number on a piece of aircraft wreckage found in the Indian Ocean confirms the object is from a Boeing 777.

A Malaysian transport official said the information is from Malaysia Airlines.

"From the part number, it is confirmed that it is from a Boeing 777 aircraft. This information is from MAS [Malaysia Airlines]. They have informed me," Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said on Friday.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/70741702/mh370-part-number-confirms-debris-from-boeing-777

 

[Borg]

Let's add a volcano just for the hell of it...

Investigators evacuated from Reunion Island.

Investigators examining a piece of debris suspected to belong to missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have been forced to flee the site, according to news.com.au.

An emergency evacuation is underway on the island of Reunion where Le Piton de la Fournaise has recorded unusual activity.

Scientists at island's volcanic observatory, the OVPF, warned an eruption was "imminent and probable".

 

[Borg]

While reading through the pilot's thread that I mentioned earlier, one poster listed a number of ways that various types of damage to the flaperon could be distinguished. This one made me laugh.

Gnawing by great white sharks could easily be assessed by Mick Fanning.

 

[DiracPool]

Let's add a volcano just for the hell of it..

Yeah, unfortunately, this seems to have developed into something of an "MH370 curse." Kind of like the King Tut curse; don't ask too many questions or else...

 

[russ_watters]

That is pretty intact for an aircraft crashing into an ocean. When you compare it to debris from the 2009 Air France crash...

The Air France debris all shows obvious signs of tearing and deformation that are inconsistant with the piece that was found. I still believe that the aircraft soft-landed in the ocean which minimized the debris. The damage on the flaperon is consistant with being deployed as it struck the water. The bottom edge shows damage where it would have entered the water - eventually separating from its connection point at the front edge. It will be interesting to see what the bottom looks like and what the investigators conclude about the forces involved.

I agree with the last part, about it being deployed, but the rest I'm not so sure of: because it is a movable part, it could change position to avoid damage or rip off in a way to avoid damage better than other parts. I'd be interested to see, specifically, the flaperons from the Air France crash.
(edit: one of the more famous debris photos is of the entire vertical stabilizer, nearly intact, including the rudder).

 

[Borg]

I agree with the last part, about it being deployed, but the rest I'm not so sure of: because it is a movable part, it could change position to avoid damage or rip off in a way to avoid damage better than other parts. I'd be interested to see, specifically, the flaperons from the Air France crash.
(edit: one of the more famous debris photos is of the entire vertical stabilizer, nearly intact, including the rudder).

According to what I've been reading, those parts are designed to separate from the wing during a water landing to avoid overstressing the wing and tearing it off. I couldn't find any Air France wing photos other that some murky underwater shots. The wing is the top left photo. It looks like a wing part with separated flaps but it's hard to see how clean the break was.

I then looked around for photos of the US Airways flight 1549 water landing on the Hudson to see what its wings look like. Both wings were completely intact except for the flaperon on the left wing. Not conclusive evidence I know but it's interesting that the only piece to be found from MH370 is a part that's designed to separate during a water landing. I look forward to seeing what the metallurgical tests reveal.

BTW, for those who are interested, Flight 1549 is on display in the Carolinas Aviation Museum.

 

[jim hardy]

They'll look at the attachment points to see which direction things sheared off.
http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/565335-flaperon-washes-up-reunion-island.html#post9062664

 

[NascentOxygen]

The Reunion locals are seeing this as all a bit of a yawn. Ocean rubbish washes up on their shore all the time, and fishermen are saying that particular piece of metal has been lying on the sand since May.

... I can't see whether the barnacles on it appear [recently] alive or not.

 

[Borg]

The Reunion locals are seeing this as all a bit of a yawn. Ocean rubbish washes up on their shore all the time, and fishermen are saying that particular piece of metal has been lying on the sand since May.

... I can't see whether the barnacles on it appear [recently] alive or not.

Interesting. I had not heard that. Certainly it will make the backtrack estimates more difficult if they don't know when it landed.

 

[russ_watters]

So, has it been confirmed yet if this is really MH370? If the part has a serial number on it, it should take a Boeing service rep several seconds to verify what plane it came from.

 

[DiracPool]

So, has it been confirmed yet if this is really MH370? If the part has a serial number on it, it should take a Boeing service rep several seconds to verify what plane it came from.

Yeah, you'd think so, but I think the serial number may just indicate it's a part of a 777. I think that has already been established. I think it's also already been established that there is no other 777 that it could have come from, seeing as no other 777 has crashed in the Indian ocean. So they're essentially certain that this is from MH370.

 

[Borg]

So, has it been confirmed yet if this is really MH370? If the part has a serial number on it, it should take a Boeing service rep several seconds to verify what plane it came from.

The general consensus is that it's a 777 flaperon and there is only one missing. The politicians won'

Yeah, you'd think so, but I think the serial number may just indicate it's a part of a 777. I think that has already been established. I think it's also already been established that there is no other 777 that it could have come from, seeing as no other 777 has crashed in the Indian ocean. So they're essentially certain that this is from MH370.

That's what I've been reading as well. Every aircraft expert that's commented on it seems to consider it a foregone conclusion but it hasn't been "officially" proven and announced. I've also read that the plate that would clearly indicate that it came from that particular aircraft isn't still attached. I'm not sure if there are similar ID plates further inside the structure.

 

[Borg]

Well this is unfortunate if true. In an interview, a local beach cleaner claims to have found an aircraft seat and several pieces of luggage in May. Not realizing what they might be, he burned them as trash three months ago. He also claimed to have seen the flaperon at that time as well.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/mh370/11777921/MH370-Plane-seat-found-washed-up-on-Reunion-Island-three-months-ago.html

 

[StevieTNZ]

So, has it been confirmed yet if this is really MH370? If the part has a serial number on it, it should take a Boeing service rep several seconds to verify what plane it came from.

The piece is now in France for further examination; to determine whether it is part of MH370 or not.

Was going to post about a possible plane seat being washed up in May, but seen I have been beaten to breaking that news on here.

 

[StevieTNZ]

Malaysia's prime minister Najib Razak has confirmed debris found on Reunion Island is from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The two-metre long piece of debris that appeared to be a wing flap, known as a flaperon, had washed up on the small French island east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.

"Today, 515 days since the plane disappeared, it is with a very heavy heart that I must tell you that an international team of experts has conclusively confirmed that the aircraft debris found on Reunion Island is indeed from MH370," Najib told reporters.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/africa...eunion-island-from-malaysia-airlines-mh370-pm

However, down in the article:

However a French deputy prosecutor was more cautious, saying investigators only had "very strong suppositions" the part was from MH370, and that would be confirmed by further examination.

 

[jim hardy]

Engineers always need more data. And, there's no such thing as absolute certainty.
Around 2009 Boeing commenced making those flaperons in India.
So there's the remote possibility it's one that the factory tossed out .

That the one found on the beach seems to have its attachments forcibly torn off ,
and there's only one right flaperon from a flying 767 777 (oops) in the whole world that's unaccounted for
well, i'd ask,
is doubt is any longer reasonable ?
I suppose it could have been planted on that beach by aliens with a sense of humor.

I think i think, therefore i think i am.

 

[Borg]

hat the one found on the beach seems to have its attachments forcibly torn off ,
and there's only one right flaperon from a flying 767 in the whole world that's unaccounted for

@jim hardy Probably a typo but it was a 777.

 

[jim hardy]

@jim hardy Probably a typo but it was a 777.

Thanks !

 

[Astronuc]

Malaysia just published a new theory about how the missing Flight MH370 fell into the ocean
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/malaysia-just-published-theory-missing-181820592.html

 

[mheslep]

Soft landing on the water? That's remarkable. I can't imagine a scenario that includes the all the known and supposed events: transponder manually turned off, the wildly off course flight path, ending in a soft landing, with no radio contact or trace of passengers.