Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).
The United States Navy operates Naval Support Facility (NSF) Diego Garcia, a large naval ship and submarine support base, military air base, communications and space-tracking facility, and an anchorage for pre-positioned military supplies for regional operations aboard Military Sealift Command ships in the lagoon.
I didn't know this. Live and learn.
I knew somebody who spent a considerable amount of time on Diego Garcia. It’s not “spooky” at all, just a little far from life in the fast lane. The big entertainment was the Brit Club (it’s a US/UK base) and fishing. Fortunately, the person I know loved to fish, so he had a great time.
That said, the people on Diego Garcia must have some idea of what happened to the plane.
If the plane had had enough fuel to get to one of the thousands of islands making up the Philippines, I’d say that’s where it is. The islands have a big, vicious Muslim attack population, supposedly AQ has made inroads there, “Operation Bojinka” was to be coordinated through the Philippines, they had a big plan to kill the Pope on his visit there, it was visited by McVeigh and his buddy (who was married to a Filipina whose family lived in the same building as or possibly were even related to one of the people building explosives to kill the Pope), getting in and out of the US from the Philippines is easy - and the country is pretty dysfunctional right now. Not quite a failed state, but one with a lot of problems.
But I don’t think the plane had enough fuel. Beijing (its original destination) is a lot closer.
You said you didn't know the above. Here is some more. I have been to Hawaii twice, once for two weeks on Maui, and three weeks on Oahu. I went to Oahu because my son in the air force was stationed there and his wife's baby was due so I went to help. Son was a Major and is a fuels expert. He was in charge of fuel stores for the military there. One day he got permission to take me to the mountains on Oahu and show me where all fuel for our military in the Pacific theater is. We went inside a mountain that has been hollowed out and there are walkways between massive tanks throughout that mountain. It was surreal, like you were in another world.
That fuel is for the navy and air force and any other “equipment” our military uses from there throughout the pacific. Not many people have seen inside this mountain. I had spent time on Oahu when I was going to Maui and never would I have guessed this mountain wasn't really a mountain anymore - it is a massive fuel depot. People living on that island don't know what is in that mountain on their island.
I tell you this because you didn't know about Diego Garcia. I would have never guessed about this mountain. There is so much we don't know.
I also didn't know there is a military team of ours in Alaska and these are top men who job it is to go in and rescue our military wherever they are on the planet - that is their only job and you won't hear about their actions. I know this because my son who is the documentary film maker was going to make a documentary of these men but that film was called off. I thought about this group when Benghazi happened. Why they are stationed in Alaska I don't know, unless it is because they are close to the top of the world and lift off from there to where they are needed.
I repeat, there is so much we don't know.