Missing MH370: Investigators Conclude Plane Was Hijacked, AP Reports

Malaysia Star ^ | Saturday March 15, 2014

[nickcarraway]

According to the Associated Press, a Malaysian government official has confirmed that investigators have concluded that one of the pilots or someone else with flying experience hijacked the missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370.

The official, who is involved in the investigation, says no motive has been established and it is not yet clear where the plane was taken.

AP is reporting that the official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to brief the media. The official said that hijacking was no longer a theory: “It is conclusive.”

The aircraft’s communication with the ground was severed under one hour into its flight on March 8 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

[saywhatagain]

"but it seems like an auto pilot could be tracked.

No. There is no tracking device associated with an autopilot

[KGeorge]

Riveting discussion going on at (at least) one of the professional pilot’s forums.
194 pages & ongoing.

Is it news that the Malay PM said the last INMARSAT ping was at 8:11 AM “local time” (meaning Malaysia?) 2 possible routes: the Stans & the southern Indian Ocean. I hadn’t read that the Uighurs had claimed to be responsible.

just a heads up...

[DungeonMaster]

Our country’s been hijacked too.

[Yosemitest]

Following the 2 passengers from Iran referenced in [b] that footnote pulls up the following information

The manifest released by Malaysia Airlines lists an Austrian and an Italian.
These have since been identified as two Iranian nationals who boarded Flight 370 using stolen passports.[120]

which takes us to Malaysia Airlines MH370: Stolen passports 'no terror link' which states:

Two men travelling on stolen passports on board a missing Malaysian airliner were Iranians with no apparent links to terrorist groups, officials say.

Malaysian police named one as Pouria Nour Mohammad Mehrdad, 18, and said he was probably migrating to Germany.

Interpol identified the other as Delavar Seyed Mohammadreza, 29.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing went missing on Saturday, after taking off with 239 on board.
The search has been widened.

Pouria Nour Mohammad Mehrdad is second from the left.
Delavar Seyed Mohammadreza, on the far right, travelled with him on the missing plane.
Police released pictures of the two as they boarded the plane

Experts have said the presence of two people with stolen passports on a plane was a breach of security, but one that is relatively common in a region regarded as a hub for illegal migration.

Malaysia's police chief, Inspector General Khalid Abu Bakar, said the younger Iranian was "not likely to be a member of a terrorist group",
adding that the authorities were in contact with his mother in Germany, who had been expecting her son to arrive in Frankfurt.

Speaking in Paris later on Tuesday, Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble said the two men had travelled from Qatar's capital Doha on their Iranian passports, and switched to stolen Italian and Austrian passports to board the Malaysia Airlines flight.

[roses of sharon]

http://gma.yahoo.com/missing-malaysia-airlines-plane-airborne-more-7-hours-064636534—abc-news-topstories.html

Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was steered off course by someone on the plane, was airborne for more than seven hours, and may have traveled as far as Kazakhstan, the prime minster of Malaysia confirmed at a news conference today.

Prime Minister Najib Razak said that although the movements were consistent with deliberate acts, he did not confirm that the plane was hijacked.

“The search for NH 370 has entered a new phase,” he said.

He said the last confirmed communication between the plane and satellite was at 8:11 a.m. Malaysian time. He said search efforts have now focused on two corridors which include Kazakhstan, Indonesia and the Indian Ocean.

[Yosemitest]

On the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, the Boeing 777; (I've got over 26 years in USAF Air Traffic Control and 5 years with the FAA) , the ELTs never went off.
I'm of the frame of mind the the plane landed safely at a bare base under Muslim Brotherhood control.

If I were in control of the search, I'd look for the minimum distance that the Boeing 777 could land on at minimum fuel, and maybe even runways/landing strips with a distance of 500 feet less than minimum weight landing distance, and larger within the wider search range of 2,500 miles.

Landing Distance: (777-200) 5,600 ft (1,705 m)
(777-300) 6,100 ft (1,860 m)

So I'd look for runways and landing strips 5,000 ft and larger that are in Muslim Brotherhood areas and I'd start in the ...

Philippines, or any other areas within that 2,500 mile radius under Muslim Brotherhood control.

Rush, the "Shoot Down" theory would have activated the (ELT) Emergency Locator Transmitter, and, unless within the first 5 mins of the hour Zulu time, would have been noticed.
Even within the first 5 minutes, satellites would have pinpointed a lat/long location after the 3rd sweep of the ELT.

We don't have the ELT location from the satellite system, so I don't believe it crashed or ditched into the water.
If it was blown up, the ELTs would have been activated and on battery power, they would have "transmitted pings" all the way down to the ground or if into the water all the way down through the water to the bottom.
They would transmit until the batteries run down, normally three days to a week. ELTs have survived many crashes and explosions, because they are designed to do just that.

My first thought of where to look would be any abandoned air strip left by any military in the Phillipeans.
Think of something like this.
An abandoned airfield from World War II.

My second thought is :

From the news from Fox about the updates and "Handshakes" from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, based on the chart graphics showing their "handshakes" suggesting it departing northwest ontowards Iran.
Jet Route P628 Northwest to (http://skyvector.com/ on World Hi Chart) Port Blair (VOPB) Navaid
then W111 (272) and P628 (272) northwest to VATLA Way Point via P628 (173) to URKOK Way Point
to KAGUL to LARK to DORL (India) via JABALPUR Navaid
to RAHIM YAR KHAN Navaid

Now a more educated guessing

At RAHIM YAR KHAN navaid they probably changed airways and took a different jet route
G452 to ZAHEDAN to KERMAN Iran.

The "handshakes" probably stopped due to poor coverage or landing at a desert location to refuel.

[tcrlaf]

“Landing is only half the picture, roughly 8000 ft. to take off, without a full fuel/people/cargo load.”

Cocos Islands, north of the Andamans, controlled by Myanmar. China recently expanded the runway at this former Japanese airfield (VYCI) from 5000ft, to around 7,500 feet.

Reportedly, China was going to locate an intelligence group there to monitor Indian Ocean naval movements, but it got publicized.

Oh, and landing is “Restricted” to permission of the Government of Myanmar, only.

[virgil]

It was aloft for seven hours? Holy carp! It could of went anywhere in that region.

[roses of sharon]

Yep, the PM just finished a presser about 20 min ago. This is the latest.

Amazing stuff.

[KGeorge]

Thank you for filling that in, roses. (wasn’t even going to attempt the Khaz/ Kygzy- stan stuff) A transcript sort of thing has been posted in the last couple of pages. I’ll post if no one has seen it.

DM- so it has. Know what’s in the southern Indian Ocean?

Thinking about this while reading: Where was the NSA?

Also, an engineer who worked for the airline was/ is onboard that flight, too.

[Smokin' Joe]

It turns out there are a lot of airfields in the region on which the plane could land, and even take off again. Most are controlled by governments or the military of those governments. Which raises questions about which military or civil authorities, acting with or without the official sanction of their governments might be involved, should the aircraft have been successfully diverted?

[virgil]

Well, I’m going to have to revise my theory again. If this is a fact, I’m not so sure it’s crashed. Seven hours.

[Yosemitest]

From an experienced air traffic controller of more than 30 years.

The changing altitudes could have been ... to avoid being identified by other traffic, and since he's turned off his transponders (not the same as ELTs, which can not be turned off) he does NOT want to be noticed, and a descending or a climbing aircraft isn't seen as unusual.
After he passes the traffic he's concerned about, then he changes his altitude again, in a different direction from what his aircraft was headed to before passing the traffic he was concerned about.

But take a look at that flight path in reference to a high altitude flight chart around LANGKAWI (and look northwest for "P628" Jet Route heading Northwest.
Once you compare the IFR HI Chart to their flight path, it makes sense.

[tcrlaf]

Police investigating Uighur Muslim with flight training who was on board missing Malaysian airliner

http://pamelageller.com/2014/03/police-investigating-uighur-muslim-flight-training-board-missing-malaysian-airliner.html/#sthash.0UudOzWt.dpuf

[maggief]

Post #45

http://gma.yahoo.com/missing-malaysia-airlines-plane-airborne-more-7-hours-064636534—abc-news-topstories.html

Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was steered off course by someone on the plane, was airborne for more than seven hours, and may have traveled as far as Kazakhstan, the prime minster of Malaysia confirmed at a news conference today.

[tcrlaf]

Yes, but the Cocos airport jives with the theory that the aircraft took a right turn after crossing the Malacca, which would put it dead on course for the runway.

These are Mayanmar waters, as well, and they haven’t been cooperative with the investigations.

[maggief]

http://www.nst.com.my/latest/font-color-red-missing-mh370-font-father-of-mas-engineer-shocked-over-news-of-son-missing-1.503035

MISSING MH370: Father of MAS engineer shocked over news of son missing

BERA: Malaysia Airlines (MAS) engineer Mohd Khairul Amri Selamat was assigned to Beijing to carry out repair works on MAS aircraft but unfortunately, the 28-year-old never made it to his destination.

(snip)

[maggief]

http://news.sky.com/us

The pilot’s house is reportedly searched as Malaysia’s PM says communications on the flight were almost certainly disabled.

[tcrlaf]

Given the information at hand, one would have to conclude that the aircraft is down in the waters off the Cocos Islands, perhaps crashed on approach, or somewhere in Myanmar, being rigged for something.

That’s my conspiracy theory, anyway.

[C210N]

Flying While Muslim is getting more dangerous...

Always treat the Muslim as if it is loaded. It may not be, but it will surprise you when it is. Never point it at anything unless you plan to kill.