Some observations about missing flight MH370

[icymist]

I have been following this story with interest as many here on the DU have. In looking around for more news or theories about this plane's disappearance I have stumbled upon an internet forum for airline pilots called Professional Pilots Rumor Network:
http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/535538-malaysian-airlines-mh370-contact-lost-214.html
There I found an interesting posting...

dmba

Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 25

Quote:
The UK Daily Mail (Sunday edition) is reporting that the capt had attended the court hearing of a former deputy PM of Malaysia the same day that he took control of MH370. He apparently has been a staunch and vociferous supporter of the accused (of sodomy in a long standing political battle).

Next, MH370 had made a quick climb to outer space practically (to knock crew out and probably FO sent out of cabin (can captain survive on non-pressurized O2 alone?). Following that, a turn was made with a descent to escape radar. All this at a point of ATC handoever (the black window). Further (?deliberate) turns at Nav points, pings upto 7 hours flying time.

The theory here is that the captain was incensed that his friend was awarded a 5 year jail sentence. It follows that the capt is looking for revenge. He is apparently divorced although wife lives in the same house.

I shall leave it to the imagination as to what the captain's intention is (or probably was), in this scenario.
I have mentioned before a weird feeling about the 'Captain's friend', who opened his conversation in two interviews with the same prepared line about how he knows the pilot. ("because of our common interest in social and politic activism&quot

He talks way too much about the flight simulator.

He is the only person who has come forward desperate to talk and I will say it now...I think he is going to become a spokesman on behalf of the Captain...we'll see.

Curiosity got hold of me and I looked up the story from The Daily Mail which I found here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2581817/Doomed-airliner-pilot-political-fanatic-Hours-taking-control-flight-MH370-attended-trial-jailed-opposition-leader-sodomite.html

Doomed airliner pilot was political fanatic: Hours before taking control of flight MH370 he attended trial of jailed opposition leader as FBI reveal passengers could be at a secret location

Police investigate data from home flight simulator of captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53
Investigators speak of his 'obsessive' support for opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim
Police officers fear Ibrahim being jailed could have left Shah profoundly upset
Flight MH370 disappeared more than a week ago with 239 people on board
Despite a huge multinational search effort, no signs of the plane or a crash have been found
Malaysian Prime Minister said yesterday that the plane was deliberately steered off course
FBI experts say disappearance could be ‘act of piracy’, suggesting passengers are being held

Next, I watched the CNN interview of the pilot's friend by Anderson Cooper:

So now we know that this pilot had built a home flight simulator which is capable of playing out many different scenarios of his plane in flight. At the same time, it appears that the pilot has grievances of a political nature with the government of Malaysia.

You couldn't write a better 'Who Done It' movie! Sometimes real life is better than fiction!

[itsrobert]

1. "You couldn't write a better 'Who Done It' movie! Sometimes real life is better than fiction! "

Except people actually die in real life.

[Cleita]

2. Interesting and no less possible than any number of other scenarios. n/t

[840high]

3. Interesting.

[Mojo Electro]

4. I've also been checking out airline pilot forums

It's interesting seeing their take on it. They are folks who actually fly jets like this and are very knowledgable. Lots of great info there to help paint the picture and add context.

[choie]

6. Mojo Electro

for those of us who are interested, could you recommend some of these pilot forums for us to peruse?

Thanks, Choie

[Mojo Electro]

8. Sure thing!

In addition to the PPRuNe site above. I've been checking out this thread:

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/safety/80284-malaysian-777-missing-41.html

That's all I've got so far but I'll come back and post again if I find any other ones. I've been pretty interested in this story.

[choie]

10. Thanks! N/t

[Recursion]

5. I remember reading about that sodomy trial (before the plane disappeared)

Really weird story.

[Separation]

7. Two of the 9-11 hijackers came from Malaysia.

Not sure why this isn't been talked about more. Ya got 239 suspects, you got a flight path that leads to am unstable Islamic region of China. Ya got a copilot who has let pretty girls in the cockpit during take offs and landings. Very, very, weird.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. What makes you say that?

The hijackers in the September 11 attacks were 19 men affiliated with al-Qaeda, and 15 of the 19 were citizens of Saudi Arabia. The others were from the UAE (2), Egypt and Lebanon.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijackers_in_the_September_11_attacks

[countryjake]

11. Well, here's a video that the Flight Captain's family made...

A tribute to a man well loved by many...