Lost Jet’s Path Seen as Altered via Computer

[octoberlib]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — The first turn to the west that diverted the missing Malaysia Airlines plane from its planned flight path from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing was carried out through a computer system that was most likely programmed by someone in the plane’s cockpit who was knowledgeable about airplane systems, according to senior American officials.

Instead of manually operating the plane’s controls, whoever altered Flight 370’s path typed seven or eight keystrokes into a computer on a knee-high pedestal between the captain and the first officer, according to officials. The Flight Management System, as the computer is known, directs the plane from point to point specified in the flight plan submitted before a flight. It is not clear whether the plane’s path was reprogrammed before or after it took off.


The fact that the turn away from Beijing was programmed into the computer has reinforced the belief of investigators — first voiced by Malaysian officials — that the plane was deliberately diverted and that foul play was involved. It has also increased their focus on the plane’s captain and first officer.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/18/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-flight.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

[AtheistCrusader]

1. I'm convinced.

It really is on the Island of Lost.

[jtuck004]

2. They wish to avoid liability, but I sure wish people would quit smearing these workers

without evidence and a chance for a defense.

Easily coulda' happened otherwise and competent authorities are saying so all over the place. This crap is just too sensational not to lead.

Pre-prgrammed? Sure...

And this is happening behind a secured door that passengers, even if alive, may not get through.

Could fly like this with everyone dead, until the fuel is gone. And the erratic flight could easily be caused by damage that is causing continuing problems.

[flamingdem]

5. You have to wonder about motive coming from the Malaysian Goverment

They can conveniently blame someone to keep the world from hating them for lax procedures?

[jtuck004]

6. Yeah, I don't know. These are the same officials that invited the shaman to the

terminal. The report was that they wanted him to help in the search, but after watching the ceremony I think they were wishing people safety on their journey into the afterlife

There was something made about the Captain waving a flag - turns out he was supporter of the opposition party (the one that told the airport officials that calling in the shaman made them look bad to the world) so there may be ulterior motives.

They also made a big deal of his having a flight simulator at home. I compare that to finding a fire in an office building so they go to the computer administrator's house and think it's is suspicious that she has a computer.

I think it was just an accident, though I am open to any real evidence that can't be explained otherwise. And I think we will find that out when they recover the black boxes in 2016.

[flamingdem]

7. An accident will make the Malaysians look terrible and China

will never forgive them, imo

[AtheistCrusader]

8. China HAS to understand that sometimes shit happens.

Though, I would expect the pilots to dial in the altitude, not just the heading in a depressurization scenario.


Still, the depressurization and unguided flight scenario is possible. Doesn't explain some of the jogs back and forth though.

[jtuck004]

9. It shouldn't, though you are probably correct. Most all the easy stuff has been

Last edited Tue Mar 18, 2014, 06:36 AM - Edit history (1)

worked out of these things. It's the weird, odd stuff that slips through now, and that could happen to China tomorrow.

Where the Malaysians might bed screwing up, I think, is the perception of their search. If it is that they aren't really handling it all that well, millions of Chinese will likely never forgive them, I suspect, and I doubt throwing the workers under a bus will help.

I wouldn't be surprised if China is preparing to sail a fleet to the Indian Ocean soon and start their own search.

I think our choice to switch to the long-range aircraft for now is a good one. They can scan much more and faster, and the last estimate I heard is that the search area is now approximately 35,000 square miles. Wow.

But if it hit the water intact, it might have broken into only a few pieces, and the currents in the Indian Ocean, one of the deepest places on earth from what I have read, can really move them a long ways away. If the planes don't find anything, that is going to leave them with sonar and ?

geesh. Could be long, long time before we hear anything.Or tomorrow. I hope the families have figured out how to insulate themselves from all this.

[davidpdx]

11. I think their liability is already pretty much minimized isn't it?

I remember asking someone about the Asiana crash at SFO and someone responded that they only have to pay a maximum of a certain amount (sorry I can't remember what it was, but I'm sure someone else will). If you consider what a life is worth, it certainly wasn't that much (again assuming everyone was killed).

[jtuck004]

13. Yes, as I recall. But with 150+ Chinese citizens on board, plus the whole world watching,

I think they want to appear competent, maybe shift the focus to "someone went crazy" instead of "we forgot to check to see if the batteries and oxy canisters were secure".

Not so much for the victims but for the world.

[davidpdx]

15. What I'm saying is I think their liability (non-PR wise) is very limited

It just doesn't seem right.

[jtuck004]

16. I agree. I remember a discussion from some years ago, I swear it was like $750 or something.

Even if it wasn't that it was silly crazy low. Some kind of international agreement. Probably among people with a lot of money.

I think if I were to fly and cared, I would find a reputable insurance co and buy some. It has to be also silly low, because the likelihood of payout is quite low, I suspect.

But those awards are also to change behavior, perhaps, and that certainly won't.

[davidpdx]

18. Not sure if it is that low, but it is pretty damn low

I'll have to go dig through my posts and see where the discussion was. Ack, I hate doing that.

[jtuck004]

19. I just saw this on a page from Ireland...

I did read something about what you said sometime back, but it didn't stick since I don't fly. I'm a boat, train, and car kinda person - like to see the ground I am going over, meet people, get in trouble I'm more interested in developments on the search and recovery. After that the fire is out for me and I move on to the next one.

So just fyi:

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/air_travel/airline_liability.html
Death or injury to passengers

There is no financial limit on the liability of an EU airline for damages sustained by you in the event of death, wounding or any other bodily injury. For damages up to 113,100 SDRs, the airline cannot contest claims for compensation. Above that amount, the airline can defend itself against a claim by proving that it was not negligent or otherwise at fault.

If you are injured or killed, the airline must make an advance payment to cover immediate economic needs within 15 days. In the event of death, this advanced payment must be at least 16,000 SDRs. An advance payment does not constitute recognition of liability and may be offset against any subsequent sums that are paid.

Any court action to claim damages must be taken within 2 years from the date the aircraft arrived or should have arrived.

[davidpdx]

20. Oh that last bit is interesting

Suppose they don't find out what happened for two years? What a screwball idea.

[kristopher]

17. Your ideas become more absurd and detached from reality with every passing minute.

You've been wrong from the beginning. Learn to accept your error and move on.

[The Stranger]

27. What liability?

Good luck with this claim.

I think you can forget that as a possible motive.

[alp227]

3. AP: US Navy ship quits search for Malaysian airliner

The Navy's 7th Fleet determined that long-range naval aircraft are a more efficient means of looking for the plane or its debris, now that the search area has broadened into the southern Indian Ocean. Long-range Navy P-3 and P-8 surveillance aircraft remain involved in the search, Cmdr. William Marks, a spokesman for the 7th Fleet, said in an emailed statement.

full story at bigstory.ap.org

[Cha]

4. Intriguing.. thanks octoberlib. Hope the Passengers and Crew are

all alright.

[octoberlib]

22. I do too , Cha and I hope they find them soon.

[tofuandbeer]

10. I think, sadly, the plane went down; but if it is otherwise,

I would say it was highjacked, and that those who did it knew how to "hide" the plane while it was in air (how to alter the software, and which wires to cut).

[yuiyoshida]

12. MAP

[cosmicone]

14. Malaysians are hiding something

Every government involved has commented on the lack of transparency and a lack of detailed info.

One example: every gram of cargo on that plane should have been described and where it was from and who it was being sent to. Malaysia still hasn't shared this info.

[jakeXT]

21. Is Boeing out there telling us everything about the vulnerabilities of the 777 to being hacked?

WTOP has learned that Boeing had been concerned about the possibility the plane's systems could be hacked and had previously contacted the Federal Aviation Administration.

On August 21, 2012, Boeing applied for permission to change the equipment to be installed as part of an onboard data network system upgrade on the 777 series of planes.

According to information listed in the Federal Register the existing "data network and design integration may result in security vulnerabilities from intentional or unintentional corruption of data and systems critical to the safety and maintenance of the airplane."

The bottom line, according to language in the Federal Register, "The integrated network configurations in the Boeing Model 777-200, -300, and -300ER series airplanes may enable increased connectivity with external network sources and will have more interconnected networks and systems, such as passenger entertainment and information services than previous airplane models. This may enable the exploitation of network security vulnerabilities and increased risks potentially resulting in unsafe conditions for the airplanes and occupants."

Boeing appeared to worry that USB connection points on the seatbacks in some of the 777 airplanes could be vulnerable, considering the interconnectivity.

http://www.wtop.com/807/3581458/777-hacking-concerns-suggest-foul-play

[thecrow]

25. What do you think?

Old link:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/11/tech/mobile/phone-hijack-plane/index.html

Yesterday:
http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/was-missing-malaysian-airlines-flight-mh370-hijacked-using-a-mobile-phone/story-fnizu68q-1226856570824

Further reading:

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=hugo teso interview&type=oberon&fr=oberhp

Very thought provoking. Apparently Teso has been working with the FAA and Boeing (and others) to resolve these possible threats, but is there another hacker out there who launched off of Teso's PlainSploit? How safe are we in that friendly sky? I shudder to think that someone could even dream this up.

[jsr]

23. They're too clumsy for that

Their performance so far has been a global joke.

[rickford66]

24. The flight computer didn't have to be reprogrammed.

Someone with very limited knowledge could fly by autopilot without touching the controls. I used to do it all the time when working on simulators. I'd be checking a system and didn't want to be distracted by manually flying it, so I used altitude and heading select etc. It's fairly easy. Changing heading makes the turns easy. I'm not implying that the pilots didn't do it, but that they may not have done it. Even if the black boxes are found, they may have been turned off by pulling the breakers early on and little or no useful data was recorded.

[thecrow]

26. "It is not clear whether the plane’s path was reprogrammed before or after it took off. "

Or so says the article, leaving us once more in darkness.
I do not think we will ever really know what happened beyond the tragedy that these 239 souls were lost on a hot morning in early March.

Edited to add:
I think that this is the most probable scenario:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024684103

[marions ghost]

28. We will know

---they didn't just slide into another dimension.