Is the missing Boeing 777 in the Cocos Islands.

Everyone check out the island which is very near the new search area and has a runway that could supportna white knuckle landing and takeoff with no cargo and passengers.

My dad is a retired commercial pilot of 40 years experience. He said that the aircraft could land with 2000 to 2200 feet runway. Now, it would not be able to get out but it can land on very small airfields. I have not been able to check out those islands that nameless barfly brought up.

Likely it had an electrical failure and crashed in the ocean. Why? Who knows, not us. Not yet. Could be one of those spy game things. Iran does stuff and doesn't take credit for it, good way to get rid of two pests. Israel also does stuff, they are unlikely to shoot down a plane though.

One of the best I heard was a fire that took out the electronics that wasn't detected by the crew until they set "George" and then they were overcome and "George" flew off. Or an engine fire that they tried to dive to put out. However why they wouldn't report that seems strange.

Then there are the weird things. They are unlikely.

Landing on an island and not being seen by anyone, if at night maybe. But islands have people and the plane has people etc... We would have heard from somebody already.

I still think planes should have the seats hooked up to parachute ejection seats or sections of some kind. The whole passenger section could be a lift out parachute decent module with a raft. Scarry as heck but your better off scared than dead.

Then again I think airships should make a comeback. Take a day to go to Australia but it already takes a day so why not. Like a 140 mph cruise ship of the sky. Make for interesting cruises too. Who needs water?

smr wrote:My dad is a retired commercial pilot of 40 years experience. He said that the aircraft could land with 2000 to 2200 feet runway. Now, it would not be able to get out but it can land on very small airfields. I have not been able to check out those islands that nameless barfly brought up.

I found the take off and landing performance specs of the Boeing 777.

It can land with full passengers, luggage and cargo with minimal fuel on the Cocos 5,500+ meter runway.

It can't take off again with passengers, luggage, cargo and enough fuel to go anywhere.

However; if you offloaded passengers, cargo and luggage, and maybe stripped out the interior cabin fittings (about 20 tons?), the B777 could take off with suffecient fuel to flythousands of miles.

The Google Map hybrid photo shows a four engine, jet transport on the ramp. This was obviously monthsago but does indicate airport capability.

Cocos islands has a population of only a few hundred people who are primarily ethnic Malay and Muslim. Cocos was the site of a mutiny during WW-2, so I could see someone getting a plane inane out with few witnesses being willing to talk is possible.

Why?

Where´s the evidence?

What would the purpose be?

How did you keep any of the crew from saying anything about being hi-jacked, or alternatively, how did you manage to get the whole crew to work for you?
How did you keep anything from leaking out via passengers?
Those are not easy questions.

It can land with full passengers, luggage and cargo with minimal fuel on the Cocos 5,500+ meter runway.

Even the space shuttle doesn´t need more than 3km of runway length.

And the actual length of the runway there is 2440m or just about 8000 feet. Which is 100 feet less than what a 777 at max landing weight officially needs to land on.

Which means a triple seven could easily land there if needed.

The Google Map hybrid photo shows a four engine, jet transport on the ramp. This was obviously monthsago but does indicate airport capability.

Cocos islands has a population of only a few hundred people who are primarily ethnic Malay and Muslim. Cocos was the site of a mutiny during WW-2, so I could see someone getting a plane inane out with few witnesses being willing to talk is possible.

The airport is busy enough to have almost one airplane per day land there, 300 per year, with almost 16000 passengers coming and going.

The islands have a telephone network connecting to that of Australia, they have a functional mobile phone network and halfdecent internet access.

And a BIG part of those airline passengers are TOURISTS. A hundred or two per week.

You have major issues if you seriously think you can just hide an aircraft away like you suggest.


Most likely, the plane ended up the unfortunate victim of one freak accident or another. It´s not like it doesn´t happen occasionally. Just that this time, we might not find out what happened any time soon.

The scary thought that this plane could have been taken down by a government type spy agency or independent spy company. The problem is that 4 people from a company owned 80% worth of the patents to new technological process that are worth billions. Now, the company owns 100% of the new patents. That sounds like motive to me. Always follow the money.

Second scenario:

1) The aircraft flew to Diego Garcia and was shot down by the US military. This is one of America's most important military bases. Would our present Administration ever admit that they shot down a civilian aircraft?

2) America captured the aircraft and landed it on Diego Garcia. They then crashed the aircraft into the Indian Ocean.

These are only possible scenarios. However, I have no evidence to suggest this has happened. (couch potato thinking out loud)

Occam's razor people.
The simplest solution is the most likely. Why invent complicated multi step scenarios? Out of the thousands of jet airliner trips per day, over years, something has gone wrong with just one from a third world country. A pilot has gone nuts and locked out everyone from behind a terrorist proof door, or an electrical fault has filled the plane with poisonous gases from burning plastics.

No complicated conspiracy theory, just shit happens.

smr wrote:The scary thought that this plane could have been taken down by a government type spy agency or independent spy company. The problem is that 4 people from a company owned 80% worth of the patents to new technological process that are worth billions. Now, the company owns 100% of the new patents. That sounds like motive to me. Always follow the money.

Second scenario:

1) The aircraft flew to Diego Garcia and was shot down by the US military. This is one of America's most important military bases. Would our present Administration ever admit that they shot down a civilian aircraft?

2) America captured the aircraft and landed it on Diego Garcia. They then crashed the aircraft into the Indian Ocean.

These are only possible scenarios. However, I have no evidence to suggest this has happened. (couch potato thinking out loud)

Daryl wrote:Occam's razor people.
The simplest solution is the most likely. Why invent complicated multi step scenarios? Out of the thousands of jet airliner trips per day, over years, something has gone wrong with just one from a third world country. A pilot has gone nuts and locked out everyone from behind a terrorist proof door, or an electrical fault has filled the plane with poisonous gases from burning plastics.

No complicated conspiracy theory, just shit happens.

Completely agree, albeit I would promote a nation of 30 Million, with one of the tallest buildings (Petronas Tower), a Federal, Constitutional Monarchy, a growing economy, and a generally neutral international outlook.

I'd promote them to second world, at least.

Daryl wrote:Occam's razor people.
The simplest solution is the most likely. Why invent complicated multi step scenarios? Out of the thousands of jet airliner trips per day, over years, something has gone wrong with just one from a third world country. A pilot has gone nuts and locked out everyone from behind a terrorist proof door, or an electrical fault has filled the plane with poisonous gases from burning plastics.

No complicated conspiracy theory, just shit happens.

+1

Some of the latest news:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26917934

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26923744

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/news/missing_mh370_facing_the_underwater_alps

It'll be interesting to see what comes of it.

HMS Echo:

http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/The-Fleet/Ships/Patrol-and-Minehunters/Ice-Patrol-and-Survey-Ships/HMS-Echo

ADV Ocean Shield:

http://www.navy.gov.au/adv-ocean-shield

One thing that does puzzle me though is the deployment of HMS/m Tireless. I'd have thought deploying a SSN to take part would cause interference?

Mike.

One thing that does puzzle me though is the deployment of HMS/m Tireless. I'd have thought deploying a SSN to take part would cause interference?

Subs, even "noisy" ones, are still very quiet, they cause LESS interference than surface ships.

More importantly, they have THE best underwater sensors. The ability to be able to change your own depth freely is worth a lot.

Surface ships has to use remotes for that and no matter how good, a subs main sensor suite is still easily superior.

There´s good reason why if you want to hunt a sub, the best hunter is generally another sub.