Malaysian 777 missing
#371
On Reserve
Joined APC: Mar 2014
Posts: 21

I'm new here so I'm going to duck after posing this question.
Wouldn't you think that after a couple of hours missing, but being detected by primary radar returns as an unidentified aircraft, one of the countries in the area would have scrambled a couple of fighters to find and shadow the "intruder"?
Wouldn't you think that after a couple of hours missing, but being detected by primary radar returns as an unidentified aircraft, one of the countries in the area would have scrambled a couple of fighters to find and shadow the "intruder"?

#373
Runs with scissors
Joined APC: Dec 2009
Position: Going to hell in a bucket, but enjoying the ride .
Posts: 7,643

It was the Prime Minister of Malaysia, he was in on it and planned the whole thing!
No surprise that 2 of the 9-11 hijackers came out of Malaysia....
I'm putting Zoolander on it right now!
Zoolander Brainwash YouTube - YouTube
No surprise that 2 of the 9-11 hijackers came out of Malaysia....
I'm putting Zoolander on it right now!
Zoolander Brainwash YouTube - YouTube
#374

It was the middle of the night.
Most countries do not have fighter pilots on alert, ready to scramble. At least, the US hasn't since about the late 1970s/early 80s, with the exception of post 9-11. I think this has mostly been ended for money. So who has the capability in southeast Asia? China? Maybe on alert, but same limitations at night. If they went southwest? No country with the hardware or money to do this 24/365, really.
Sporadic, if any, radar hits. Launch a jet, or let him sleep?
And if you intercept at night, what do you do? Look at navigation lights? Look at them on NOGs? ( Night Observation Goggles). Call them on 121.5? What if they don't do anything? Shoot down a plane flying straight and level in international airspace?
The last time this was done was when the Russians shot down KAL 007, but they had been tracking an RC-135 that they knew was regularly just off the east coast of Russia, listening and recording. They mixed-up the plots, and followed the wrong plane...a plane that made a 1-degree INS input error, putting them 60 miles inside Russia. (But not when they were shot down).
Most countries do not have fighter pilots on alert, ready to scramble. At least, the US hasn't since about the late 1970s/early 80s, with the exception of post 9-11. I think this has mostly been ended for money. So who has the capability in southeast Asia? China? Maybe on alert, but same limitations at night. If they went southwest? No country with the hardware or money to do this 24/365, really.
Sporadic, if any, radar hits. Launch a jet, or let him sleep?
And if you intercept at night, what do you do? Look at navigation lights? Look at them on NOGs? ( Night Observation Goggles). Call them on 121.5? What if they don't do anything? Shoot down a plane flying straight and level in international airspace?
The last time this was done was when the Russians shot down KAL 007, but they had been tracking an RC-135 that they knew was regularly just off the east coast of Russia, listening and recording. They mixed-up the plots, and followed the wrong plane...a plane that made a 1-degree INS input error, putting them 60 miles inside Russia. (But not when they were shot down).
#375
#378
Runs with scissors
Joined APC: Dec 2009
Position: Going to hell in a bucket, but enjoying the ride .
Posts: 7,643
#379
On Reserve
Joined APC: Mar 2014
Posts: 11

I am not a pilot, I am a psyc professor (mostly experimental psyc). When considering the waypoint information I see the media assuming that the pattern flown by the jet has to be intentional and they may well be correct. However, just because something is statistically quite rare does not mean that it cannot happen. Incredibly odd things do happen. It is possible that the pattern of waypoints was simply random. Now, not being a pilot I don't know if following the pattern absolutely requires someone at the helm. In that case, I would understand why it would be seen as intentional. Otherwise, learning a lot by following the discussion!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
bgmann
Foreign
25
01-30-2008 12:26 PM