[Atlas Sneezed]

It follows reports the doomed flight climbed to 43,000ft moments before disappearing from radar

It stayed at that altitude for 23 minutes, but oxygen would have run out after just 12 minutes, rendering passengers and crew unconscious.

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Um, don’t planes have compressors (I think they’re part of the engines) that compress the air outside, which has just as high an oxygen content?

Or did I miss the speculative assumption where he shut these down or depressurized the aircraft, so that stored oxygen was necessary?

[allendale]

Pure speculation that it was the “distraught” pilot who killed all those people. Just remember that the Malaysians have been very cagey. If there was negligence or a security lapse, the Chinese will be bringing immense pressure and the government may fall. Many corrupt insiders will see their illicit revenue streams evaporate. They may also face prison. Far better to blame the senior pilot who was a supporter of the political opposition.

[Vermont Lt]

They can vent the plane. The O2 that drops down is not pressurized. At 45000 ft you could not breath enough air in to live long. After 12 minutes you are dead.