Chinese media reports several of the passengers’ mobile phones were connecting when called by relatives, but the calls were not picked up.
“This morning, around 11:40 [am], I called my older brother’s number twice, and I got the ringing tone,” said Bian Liangwei, sister of one of the passengers. At 2:00 pm, Bian called again and heard it ringing again.
“If I could get through, the police could locate the position, and there’s a chance he could still be alive.”
She has passed on the number to Malaysia Airlines and the Chinese police.
There was a whole thread on the calling up the mobile phone phenomenon. Here it is: http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3131568/posts?q=1&;page=1#1
What she got was a computer that doesn’t know the phone is at the bottom of the sea
> mobile phones were connecting when called by relatives
No, just simply wishful thinking. If a lost cellphone was active, it could easily be located when it transmits its ack.
You don’t “hear” the target phone ring, you hear what the electronics in the phone system uses to denote a “ring.”
it must take a while for a phone system to realize that the phone is not available and for it to move to voice mail.