Black Boxes May Solve Crash Mysteries (Someone Was Flying the Plane!)

AP ^ | August 18, 2005 | Leslie miller

[Rokurota]

Paul Czysz, professor emeritus of aerospace engineering at St. Louis University, said the plane's final maneuvers -- a descent from 37,000 feet to 2,000 feet and then an ascent to 7,000 feet -- couldn't have been performed by autopilot.

He wonders why a person who knew enough to try to fly a jetliner wouldn't pick up the headset and talk to the ground.

"Someone knew how to work the airplane," Czysz said. "Obviously he didn't want to contact the tower."

[Rokurota]

Posted to note the comments, which are more specific than I have heard before. If true, it appears someone was indeed flying the plane, not just struggling to gain control.

[redgolum]

This just gets more twisted by the day.

Ok, tinfoil hat on, shiny side in.

Two options.
1. Someone realized that they had a major snafu, and was trying to get the plane under control. For what ever reason they failed and the plane crashed.

2. This plane was hijacked, for who knows why.

[tet68]

Could be both #1. and #2.

Perhaps he was regretting that cheap bootleg copy of
Flight Simulator he bought down at the souk.

[Chena]

Also, wouldn't a terrorist want it to be known that it was terrorism? No one has claimed responsibility.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

Paul Czysz, professor emeritus of aerospace engineering at St. Louis University, said the plane's final maneuvers -- a descent from 37,000 feet to 2,000 feet and then an ascent to 7,000 feet -- couldn't have been performed by autopilot.

While they're usually not programmed to perform the manuevers described in the article, modern autopilots have long had the capabilities to take-off, climb to cruising altitude, fly to the destination, descend and even land the airplane.

The only action required of the pilots was to apply the brakes during the landing roll.

[InvisibleChurch]

sometimes people just make mistakes

[narby]

"Someone knew how to work the airplane," Czysz said. "Obviously he didn't want to contact the tower."

That stuff only happens in the movies. If the pilots were actually incapacitated by altitude, then if someone from the back (who had used the oxygen) tried to take over they'd be way to busy to try and call someone. If they'd had any airplane training, they'd likely not understand the completely different radio configurations in an airliner, and wouldn't have the correct frequency dialed in or know where to look for it.

[Silas]

People, people, this is not that complicated. Let me spoon feed it to you:

1) Governments can never be trusted to tell the truth when a plane crashes. We must use our own minds and not listen to their pathetic statements.

2) Cyprus is a disputed land. The island is being fought over by Greece and Turkey. If you look at the map, it is clear that this territory that Greece claims is located in what is thought of as the Islamic part of the world.

3) The main economy of Greek Cyprus is tourism. An admission of terrorism/hijack/sabotage would seriously hurt that economy.

4) Anyone who can not clearly see that this 'mysterious accident' is a cover up is a fool.

5) I want the truth

6) Free Republic moderators can't handle the truth.




Silas

[weegee]

Did anyone claim responsibility after the OKC bombing? Olympic Park bombing?

There have been planes to go down with no group stepping forward.

And what if their message was suppressed?

Charles Bishop/Bishra stole a plane and deliberately crashed it into a bank, in his suicide note he praised Bin Laden and then made an empty threat against the Super Bowl. The contents of his note were not released until after the Super Bowl passed.

[PLMerite]

Exactly. Many people know the basic flight controls (pull stick back = climb), but I can't imagine trying to find the radio controls while I'm trying to keep the plane from crashing.

[Rokurota]

Well, I don't know if it was terrorism, but if it was, maybe they screwed up (crash in mountain instead of city, for example) and they don't want to report their mistake.

Or maybe this was a trial run for a future larger attack. Wouldn't want to tip your hand.

All speculaiton, of course, and probably bs.

[Doogle]

"Obviously he didn't want to contact the tower."



...now get this, this clown has determined that the person who they THINK took control...no one knows who it was...or whether it was ever under control after falling 33,000 feet,
but they DO KNOW,it lost cabin pressure, which while falling 33,000 feet spiraling in....this "professor"...has determined that it was "OBVIOUS HE DIDN'T WANT TO CONTACT THE TOWER"

..now let me give the professor a lesson...it's also very OBVIOUS you don't know enough to make a comment...OBVIOUSLY
the smart professor would be able to make a call for pizza, yell for the dog to move, tell the wife to call the hospital and be prepared for an incoming idiot while he fell off his three step step ladder.
As "BUGS" would say, "watta maroon"


Doogle

[Who dat?]

Well, it does seem strange that they’re suddenly having “voice recorder mysteriously missing” problems – especially after it was initially reported as recovered and on its way for French investigators to examine.

Now all of a sudden it was just the outer container or something.

I was under the impression that the recorders were specifically designed to not only survive impact/fire/water, but at some point would transmit a beep or ping or something so you could locate them.

[Chena]

You're right that sometimes terrorists do not announce their deadly deeds. Yes, it is possible that information is suppressed.

[Chena]

As always, we'll just have to wait for more information. I don't know if it was terrorism or a dreadful accident.

[Vroomfondel]

1) Governments can never be trusted to tell the truth when a plane crashes. We must use our own minds and not listen to their pathetic statements.

2) Cyprus is a disputed land. The island is being fought over by Greece and Turkey. If you look at the map, it is clear that this territory that Greece claims is located in what is thought of as the Islamic part of the world.

3) The main economy of Greek Cyprus is tourism. An admission of terrorism/hijack/sabotage would seriously hurt that economy.

4) Anyone who can not clearly see that this 'mysterious accident' is a cover up is a fool.

5) I want the truth

6) Free Republic moderators can't handle the truth.

You forgot:

7) I question the timing.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Perhaps he was regretting that cheap bootleg copy of Flight Simulator he bought down at the souk.

I wouldn't call that a stretch. Under current circumstances it sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

[conservative in nyc]

From other websites, it sounds like the wanna-be pilot was a flight attendant who had some prior flying experience. The pilots of the Greek F-16s saw it all and took photos.

The flight attendant-pilot and another flight attendant first removed the incapacitated co-pilot from his seat. They were wearing the portable oxygen mass that the flight attendants are given. It would have been difficult for him to remove his mask and speak on the radio at the same time, at least until the plane descended below 10,000 feet. In any event, the flight attendant/pilot was giving had signals to the pilots in the F-16s, indicating he was trying to land the plane. By some reports, he was within 100 miles of Athens International when the plane likely ran out of fuel.

I'll see if I can drudge up a link.

[mordo]

If the pilots were actually incapacitated by altitude, then if someone from the back (who had used the oxygen) tried to take over they'd be way to busy to try and call someone. If they'd had any airplane training, they'd likely not understand the completely different radio configurations in an airliner, and wouldn't have the correct frequency dialed in or know where to look for it.

Exactly