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In Angola, A Jetliner's Vanishing Act
WP ^ | Wednesday, June 18, 2003 | By John Mintz

Posted on 06/18/2003 7:00:57 AM PDT by RoughDobermann

The Boeing 727 had not budged from its parking place at the airport in Angola's capital city for 14 months, so when the jetliner started taxiing down the runway, the men in the control tower radioed the pilot for an explanation. There was no reply from the cockpit, even after the plane rumbled to a takeoff into the African skies.

The plane has been missing since it took off from the Luanda airport around dinnertime on May 25, setting off a continent-wide search for its whereabouts that includes the CIA, the State Department and a number of African nations. Their fear is that terrorists could stage a replay of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, using the plane in a suicide attack somewhere in Africa.

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


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: angola; hijack; turass
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To: NYFriend
After 14 months in Angola, the plane had enough and decided to try and find its own way home to the Boieng HQ in St. Louis, where it hatched many years ago

LOL!

21 posted on 06/18/2003 7:55:20 AM PDT by RoughDobermann
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To: Ranxerox
Anybody know what effect, if any, a plane sitting on the tarmac for 14 months has on its mechanical condition? Can you merely "turn the key" and take-off?

I honestly don't know. Surely any sane pilot would do a pre-flight but who knows...? Perhaps a Freeper with commercial aviation experience will chime in. The article does state that the bird took on 14,000 gallons of fuel before takeoff, however.

22 posted on 06/18/2003 8:01:29 AM PDT by RoughDobermann
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To: Arkie2
Good link!
23 posted on 06/18/2003 8:01:58 AM PDT by RoughDobermann
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To: Frank_Discussion
Sidewinders on Cessnas?

Be darn fun to watch 'em launch (from the ground, not from the Cessna)!
24 posted on 06/18/2003 8:24:42 AM PDT by commandante_zero (Nice kitty, kitty...ZOT!)
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To: RoughDobermann
How much fuel to get a 727 from Angola to NYC at Vmax?
25 posted on 06/18/2003 8:30:46 AM PDT by gridlock ("Living History" is like the "Living Constitution"; reinterpreted as current conditions require...)
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To: commandante_zero
Ah, the little jems are pretty spin stable. Just hard mount the ordnance outboard of the wing struts, it should be OK.

:->
26 posted on 06/18/2003 8:31:06 AM PDT by Frank_Discussion (May the wings of Liberty never lose a feather!)
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To: gridlock
I'm not entirely sure. A standard 727's max fuel is 9,806 gallons, with a range of 2,500 miles. So, figure 3,569 miles with 14,000 gallons. How far is Angola from NYC?
27 posted on 06/18/2003 8:50:58 AM PDT by RoughDobermann
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To: RoughDobermann
Figure it's about 6500 miles, give or take.

That means they would need a fuel capacity of 25,500 gallons to make the trip non-stop. That's an extra 15,000 gallons, or about 100,000 pounds of fuel. Figure the normal carrying capacity of a 727 is about 200 pax (40,000 pounds) plus cargo (20,000 pounds). Empty weight is 100,000 pounds and max takeoff is 209,500 pounds, so he would be overloaded by about 30%. The volume of the passenger compartment is certainly big enough to handle 15,000 gallons in tanks.

So, you figure if the pilot is willing to bust every safety rule and fit out the passenger compartment with tanks, he has just enought lifting capacity to allow a one-way to NYC.
28 posted on 06/18/2003 9:04:54 AM PDT by gridlock ("Living History" is like the "Living Constitution"; reinterpreted as current conditions require...)
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To: RoughDobermann
How far could this guy fly without getting noticed?
29 posted on 06/18/2003 10:50:40 AM PDT by ewing
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To: RoughDobermann

LOL!

And they think it might be terrorism related?

Gee, imagine..

30 posted on 06/18/2003 10:54:37 AM PDT by Jhoffa_
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To: Jhoffa_
Well, the article states, "It flew the 727 to Luanda with a plan to deliver fuel to remote African airfields, he said." So, perhaps it's not terrorist related. Still, I'd rather we err on the side of caution.
31 posted on 06/18/2003 11:02:54 AM PDT by RoughDobermann
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To: ewing
How far could this guy fly without getting noticed?

In Africa? Probably anywhere he wanted.

32 posted on 06/18/2003 11:03:55 AM PDT by RoughDobermann
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To: RoughDobermann
Me too.. It still sounds fishy though.

And, if it was a repo, wouldn't that have been confirmed by now.. ?

Wouldn't it be as simple as paying the owner a visit?

33 posted on 06/18/2003 11:04:53 AM PDT by Jhoffa_
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To: RoughDobermann
PS: Wouldn't there normally be a transponder signal coming from this plane?
34 posted on 06/18/2003 11:10:16 AM PDT by Jhoffa_
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To: Jhoffa_
Wouldn't there normally be a transponder signal coming from this plane?

Yes, unless the transponder has been removed or disabled. IIRC, the 9/11 hijackers disabled the transponders on some of the aircraft.

35 posted on 06/18/2003 11:14:32 AM PDT by RoughDobermann
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To: gridlock
Pucker factor high on post #28..
36 posted on 06/18/2003 11:20:11 AM PDT by ewing
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To: RoughDobermann
Yes, unless the transponder has been removed or disabled.

How do you think they 'power down' those units once on the ground or out of controlled airspace?

An "ON/OFF SWITCH"?

37 posted on 06/18/2003 11:24:03 AM PDT by _Jim
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To: Arkie2
From your pilots message board forum in post #20 -'The buzz in the States is that the terrorists will acquire (buy, rent, steal and aircaft or two) and load them with fuel for another attack.

There is even a story that they might start up a legit 121 frieght operation, and staff it with Anglos for a while to avoid scrutiny

38 posted on 06/18/2003 11:24:56 AM PDT by ewing
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To: Jhoffa_
And, if it was a repo, wouldn't that have been confirmed by now.. ?

Not necessarily ... they guy who presumed he had 'bought it' might be inclined to 'retrieve' it ..

39 posted on 06/18/2003 11:26:09 AM PDT by _Jim
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To: SevenDaysInMay
Pan-islam....better known a Global Caliphate. You are on target.
40 posted on 06/18/2003 11:28:07 AM PDT by wtc911
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