HIFLYR

You need to go to work for the FBI or NSA with your super powers to spot a Muslim extremist.

Timbo

I have no idea what the shipping rules for HazMat are in Malaysia, but in the US of A, the Captain has to sign a Dangerous Goods shipping form, which lists the amount (in Kilos) and location of the dangerous cargo. After the UPS crash, the rules for carrying Lithium Batteries on board passenger planes changed.

As far as 'seeing' a pallet of batteries, as a pilot, you wouldn't even see it being loaded, as we are usually up in the cockpit while the cargo is being loaded, and the batteries would most likely be in (unmarked) cardboard boxes, so even if you were standing next to the pallet you might not know what was in the boxes.

80ktsClamp

And the airplane came down within 20 minutes...

ClarenceOver

What do you mean protest? In Malaysia do they make you fly it whether you want to or not? Look at what happened to Valujet. If i am aware of something hazardous and my life is on the line i would speak up. Then again doesn't fedex fly those lithium ion batteries that could turn the md11 into a giant fire ball?

iceman49

Radar Analysis Leads to "Credible New Lead" on Missing Flight 370

CRM114

Are you under the impression that you're presenting facts? That's rich.

JJ21

Yes, SwissAir came down quickly....but KC10 FATboy brought up good points with his own experience with aircraft on board fires....here is what he stated:

"People are suggesting that a fire couldn't have disabled the communications in the sequence in which we are being told they were and presume they did.

I've had two on board fires in aircraft. Both of them included the popping of circuit breakers on multiple panels disabling multiple items on different buses which made troubleshooting nearly impossible. One of them disabled lighting in the cockpit and instrument lighting at night and disabled two radios which I had been trying to use but never knew they weren't working. (thank you McD kapton wire flash overs)

Since the B777 has automatic fault detection and logic, a fire could have led to the automatic shutdown, shedding, or isolation of different electrical systems.

Anything is a possibility right now and until we get those boxes or salvage the airplane, we won't know."

ClutchCargo

Last VHF comm from Swissair 111 was at 0125Z. Aircraft struck the water at 0131Z. Not really lost comm. Typical short duration from start of fire to crash. First smoke detected at 0110Z.

I just don't see an airplane flying for hours after an inflight fire has destroyed most of the electronics and killed everybody on board...

Regards,
Clutch

F224

Actually, it has happened before. Northwest had a jet with a P6 circuit breaker panel fire that burned its self out. The crew was able to fly the aircraft to Winnipeg and had no controllability issues at all.

If the flight attendants noticed the smoke, and it would be hard to fathom that they did not, one of them should have entered the flight deck with her smoke hood on and a fire extinguisher, providing the opportunity to put the fire out after the crew was incapacitated.

RhinoPherret

And the Guessathon continues!

Guesses made with at least a smidgen of applicable knowledge, adherence to reality, and some good old common sense are almost palatable. Guesses dreamed up from an idle mind and gawd knows from where else are not even amusing and downright silly (to be polite).