Missing Malaysia Airlines plane: Flight MH370 could have made a turn back, says Hishammuddin

[brooklynite]

Source: Straits Times (Singapore)

There was a possibility that the missing Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 had to make an "air turn back", Malaysia's Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said on Sunday.

He said they were investigating all possible reasons for this around turn including the possibility of terrorism. Malaysia was working with foreign intelligence agencies including the FBI and counter-terrorism units on this.

...snip...

"Our main focus is to find the aircraft. There is a possibility that the plane had to make an air turn back so we have to expand the search area," he said.

Read more: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/se-asia/story/missing-malaysia-airlines-plane-flight-mh370-could-have-made-turn-back-a

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I think this story is going to be very messy for several days.

[Voice for Peace]

1. could it have been hijacked rather than crashed?

or would it have been possible to locate if it had stayed in the air?

[Cali_Democrat]

2. Yes, radar can easily locate a plane like that in mid-air

I think there's a very real possibility of a mid-air explosion.

Maybe terrorism.

[ReRe]

3. Of all the scenerios...

... I hope yours turns out to be correct and that all the of the people are still alive.

[BlueStreak]

4. If the transponders were off, it should still show up on radar

But by the same token, radar should have shown if a turn-around happened. I don't understand why that would be a question at this point. Surely the flight path should have been recorded, especially in an area of such density.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

5. Spooky considering I've flown over oceans a LOT....

You just ASSUME these days that search and rescue will know where you went down.

[tofuandbeer]

6. +1

[Agschmid]

7. They don't...

It's a big world out there and the ocean is still a pretty unknown place.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

9. Wasn't that much ocean.

[Agschmid]

10. Still that first leg over water traverses a distance wider than California!

But valid point much of the flight was over land.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

11. They were WAY too high for something like a bird strike too.

[davidpdx]

15. Me too

Every time I fly back and forth between Korea and the US. This is some scary shit.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

16. Trans-Atantic for me. Think "icebergs".

[davidpdx]

18. Pacific for me

At least my flight goes up next to Russia over under Alaska and down the coast.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

22. Flight paths have changed over the years....

[SoapBox]

8. I'm thinking...

That if it were terrorism by some kind of organized group, wouldn't they have claimed responsibility by now?

Now "terrorism" by one or two crazy types, be it regular passenger or crew or crew/passenger could be considered.

Are there any recent warnings out from the FAA or Boeing, regarding airframe, engine or computer issues with the 777, that the airlines are supposed to fix (noting here the Airbus 330, exterior air speed indicators) that may have caused a catastrophic failure of the aircraft?

[laundry_queen]

12. That particular plane

according to CBC in Canada last night, was involved in a collision with another plane on the tarmac and had enough damage to a wing to ground it for some time. I'm thinking if there was a catastrophic failure, the first place I'd be looking is at that wing to see if there was a shoddy repair or something.

[jtuck004]

13. They could even have done the correct repair, and the stress on the metal could cause

fatigue at a rivet point that wouldn't be seen under the skin. A tear there could explain the plane coming apart in mid-air and not being able to radio. One would think with all the x-ray capability that it should be caught, but perhaps not.

A sudden explosion from bad cargo, or an explosive.

Any of the scenarios has to take out the radio too, which is only a few. Nearly everything else they could have tripped or sent a warning of some kind, assuming all their equipment was working.

[davidpdx]

17. I suppose the stress fatigue is possible

the plane has flown for awhile since that accident with the wing. I just can't believe they don't know anything yet. It is very sad.

[freshwest]

14. I thought the 'black box' technology survived crashes. If it or another such device was able to

transmit a signal, they should have found it quickly. Maybe some military plane could have seen it or a even a spy satellite note its flight. IDK.

IIRC, the black boxes and some other transmitters are not accessible to anyone on board to disable them. I would like to hold out hope that the plane did land safely, but they seem to be guiding us to think the worst.

[muriel_volestrangler]

19. The boxes can sink if they're trapped in the hull; you need a ship with the right equipment

to detect it underwater. It took nearly 2 years to find the Air France crash in the Atlantic - a wider area to search, but it shows it's not just a case of using a plane, satellite, or just any ship.

There's no chance the plane landed safely, by now. There's been extensive searching, and rafts with emergency equipment would have been detected.

[watoos]

20. When they tell you that your cushion can be used as a floatation device

they really mean that your cushion can be used as a locating device.

[SoapBox]

21. Speaking of...

And now on some aircraft (at least Delta's B737-900s and the refurbished former AirTran/Southwest 717s) the seat bottom cushion CANNOT be used for flotation...at each seat is now a SINGLE chamber (used to always be a dual chamber) life vest.