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Lost Jet’s Path Seen as Altered via Computer
The New York Times ^ | Monday, March 18, 2014 | Matthew L. Wald and Michael S. Schmidt

Posted on 03/17/2014 6:59:33 PM PDT by kristinn

The first turn to the west that diverted the missing Malaysia Airlines plane from its planned flight path from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing was carried out through a computer system that was most likely programmed by someone in the plane’s cockpit who was knowledgeable about airplane systems, according to senior American officials.

Instead of manually operating the plane’s controls, whoever altered Flight 370’s path typed seven or eight keystrokes into a computer on a knee-high pedestal between the captain and the first officer, according to officials. The Flight Management System, as the computer is known, directs the plane from point to point specified in the flight plan submitted before each flight. It is not clear whether the plane’s path was reprogrammed before or after it took off.

The fact that the turn away from Beijing was programmed into the computer has reinforced the belief of investigators — first voiced by Malaysian officials — that the plane was deliberately diverted and that foul play was involved. It has also increased their focus on the plane’s captain and first officer.

SNIP

According to investigators, it appears that a waypoint was added to the planned route. Pilots do that in the ordinary course of flying if air traffic controllers tell them to take a different route, to avoid weather or traffic. But in this case, the waypoint was far off the path to Beijing.

Whoever changed the plane’s course would have had to be familiar with Boeing aircraft, though not necessarily the 777 — the type of plane that disappeared. American officials and aviation experts said it was far-fetched to believe that a passenger could have reprogrammed the Flight Management System.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: iran; malaysia; mh370; waronterror
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To: dfwgator

No he can’t, and don’t call me Shirley.


81 posted on 03/17/2014 8:37:35 PM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves" Month.)
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To: kristinn

Get the other pilot out of the cockpit, program your disappearance flight, depressurize the plane, don’t put your own mask on...

Everyone dies, the plane flies the disappearance route until the engines quit.

The recorders over write the first part of the flight.

You’ve disappeared, and left nothing for investigators, even if they do find the plane.


82 posted on 03/17/2014 8:38:24 PM PDT by ltc8k6
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To: Sarah Barracuda
let’s say just for the sake of argument, that there was some catastrophic mechanical failure event taking place on the plane..would putting in this flight path on the computer make sense..or would the pilot just take the plane off of auto pilot and start flying back to an airport, any airport in the immediate area?

The closest airport from the point where the transponder stopped would have been Sultan Mahmud (TGG), on the north coast of the Malaysian Island. Reportedly, that was where the co-pilot did his 777 training. E.g., if something really nasty, such as a fire, happened, TGG would have been the destination of choice.

83 posted on 03/17/2014 8:39:09 PM PDT by cynwoody
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To: kristinn

Should we be very concerned about activities in Russia (while every network is trying to keep us totally focused on this missing flight)?

Maybe not, but seems like a good time for Obama to — do more after he’s elected — as he told Putin.

Just wondering...


84 posted on 03/17/2014 8:42:05 PM PDT by Cedar
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To: Lucky9teen

I don’t find this shocking, although I am not anything close to a pilot.

I recently watched “Sole Survivor” about crash survivors. 1 was the pilot of 1 of these crashes, and he had then and even now a homemade flight simulator. Still likes to play with it even though he is handicapped from the crash and can’t fly.

This was the other month. Things like this pop in my mind when watching this mystery unwind. I watch these shows a lot so frankly nothing surprises me about airplanes.


85 posted on 03/17/2014 8:42:36 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Technological progress cannot be legislated.)
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To: txhurl

I read, just recently ... that to turn off one of those systems would require someone crawling down through an access hole, and that they would be in plain view of the others on the crew (and passengers in First Class). So, apparently not everything can be shut down that way.

Furthermore, I haven’t read anywhere else where that navigation system is accessible through an outside computer to be able to change or enter a new waypoint.

Could you elaborate on those two things?


86 posted on 03/17/2014 8:43:38 PM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: Viennacon

Be nice if people dropped the crash in the ocean bit, it’s very obvious that didn’t happen.

Israel is on high alert, and rightfully so.

This plane is going to be used for something.


87 posted on 03/17/2014 8:55:15 PM PDT by Bulwyf
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To: GOYAKLA
Has anyone really disproved this gentleman’s statement?
http://d3j5vwomefv46c.cloudfront.net/photos/large/843248398.jpg?1394594087

He was too far from the scene (365 miles, IIRC). Whatever he saw could not have been MH370, unless it had turned in his direction and flown a bit before blowing up.

The evidence is that MH370 turned more or less the opposite way (250°?) and flew back across the Malaysian island, then probably headed northwest, towards the 'stans.

88 posted on 03/17/2014 8:56:42 PM PDT by cynwoody
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To: Star Traveler
Have you heard this?

Glenn breaks down some of the theories surrounding Malaysian Airlines flight MH370
89 posted on 03/17/2014 8:57:02 PM PDT by Lucky9teen (No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. ~ Albert Einstein)
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To: JouleZ
So it was the Captain, with a computer, in the cockpit is my “Clue” answer. But where’s the plane?

This is better than the game of Clue with Col. Mustard, Mrs White and the others. So, where was the weapon hidden and who dunnit?

90 posted on 03/17/2014 8:57:40 PM PDT by TEARUNNER14 (When you get older you pray your human plumbing will function well.)
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To: vox_freedom
er, in the library with Mr. Green and a candlestick?

This also reminds me of monopoly; whoever owns the plane wins with some retribution towards someone, but which country and why.

91 posted on 03/17/2014 8:59:01 PM PDT by TEARUNNER14 (When you get older you pray your human plumbing will function well.)
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To: Bulwyf

The thing is, I agree that it would be tough to avoid radar detection if they took the northward direction. That’s a lot of land to cover triggering no radar suspicion.


92 posted on 03/17/2014 9:00:54 PM PDT by Viennacon
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To: Viennacon

I know what you’re saying. I just think this was well planned out, and we need to be on the lookout for an event that someone could use to clamp down on us civilians.

I never would of thought this a few years back, but given recent events, I can’t help it.


93 posted on 03/17/2014 9:03:10 PM PDT by Bulwyf
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To: txhurl

“So why have they been witholding this piece of info?”

****

Because he was Amish?


94 posted on 03/17/2014 9:07:34 PM PDT by peyton randolph (Show me the man and I will find the crime. - Lavrenti Beria)
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To: Star Traveler

http://my.news.yahoo.com/us-military-south-asian-airports-mh370-pilot-simulator-020501547.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

US military base, South Asian airports in MH370 pilot’s simulator, says paper

“Among the software we checked so far is the Male International Airport in Maldives, three airports in India and Sri Lanka, and one belonging to the US military base in Diego Garcia. All have a runway length of 1,000 metres,” a source told the Malay daily


95 posted on 03/17/2014 9:11:58 PM PDT by jennychase
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To: GOYAKLA

Radar tracks the plane turning back before that point. In addition, radar tracks him for a long ways after that. And furthermore, satellite pinging of one of their communications system shows the plane was still airborne for several hours more, after that time.

That guy obviously saw something, but it apparently wasn’t that particular plane.


96 posted on 03/17/2014 9:14:53 PM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: kristinn

Since this could be state sponsored then yes, it could have been hacked.


97 posted on 03/17/2014 9:22:38 PM PDT by sunrise_sunset
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To: deport

Mary Schiavo said he worked for a fine company, ergo he is a great and honorable man. The CNN dunderhead then said that is why they have experts like Mary on - who know the people who make up companies like XYZ Jets and to tell us how wonderful their employees are. (I am paraphrasing)


98 posted on 03/17/2014 9:24:05 PM PDT by PghBaldy (12/14 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15 - 1030am - Obama's advance team scouts photo-op locations.)
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To: Lucky9teen

I didn’t see Beck doing the report, but I did read earlier reports about who was on board, and I believe it was that article which is referenced, that I read earlier.

However, I’m not so concerned with the reasoning for doing this thing - in the first place - as I’m more interested in the actual event itself (the disappearance) and the mechanics of carrying it through - like the points of reference where it was tracked, the turning off of the transponder, the resetting of the route, the pinging of the satellite for several hours afterwards, and other such stuff.


99 posted on 03/17/2014 9:25:08 PM PDT by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: no-to-illegals

I could have sworn I read that also, as part of a very early article, maybe one of the brit papers? my guess is an article between say 3/12 to 3/15. I seem to have a posted about an engineer on 3/15. Off to check now.

Ok - here it is: The aviation engineer is Mohd Khairul Amri Selamat, 29, a Malaysian who has said on social media he had worked for a private jet charter company.

link here: story is at 6:04am on their timeline (quite a ways down the page after the main story)
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-live-3219331#ixzz2wHkAJ0Ge

I thought the one I read about, tho, was a Malaysian Airlines employee - I’ll keep digging for that


100 posted on 03/17/2014 9:33:05 PM PDT by blueplum
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