The lost Malaysian airplane

[Wicky]

Five ways to make sure we never lose a plane again

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25317-five-ways-to-make-sure-we-never-lose-a-plane-again.html#.UzcwY1xu8mk

 

[OldBob1]

The teckie things and gizmos are there but it needs to be made Mandatory.
This operation must be costing thousands to find this aircraft and will hopefully change international air operational law.

 

[Emo Rider]

The teckie things and gizmos are there but it needs to be made Mandatory.
This operation must be costing thousands to find this aircraft and will hopefully change international air operational law.

It must be very frustrating for the search teams and the families of the missing that no debris found has been that of the plane. I think everyone watching this terible incident unfold would like to see some form of closure.

 

[trex]

the Malaysian goverment seems to be hiding something. Could they be wishing for the plane never to be found because a suit filed in the US Courts would drive MAS to bankrupcy if proven that the fault is theirs? The thought must have crossed MAS executives' mind.

 

[Emo Rider]

To me, I would find it unbelievable that a large plane going away from it's arranged flight path would not be tracked. If it was not tracked, how easy would it be to have another 9/11 type attack led by terrorist. I believe that the truth begins at the point where the plane first disappeared from radar. Over time the answers will come to light. If Malaysian, or for that matter Chinese officials are hiding something, that truth certainly would be unacceptible for the rest of the world.

 

[flecc]

I think one problem is that the southern ocean like all the world's oceans is full of our junk, everything from discarded plastic to containers lost off ships at sea.

Where the northern hemisphere has numerous land masses to collect the junk on beaches, the southern ocean is mainly just that, allowing the debris to circulate and accumulate almost continuously.

 

[Emo Rider]

I think one problem is that the southern ocean like all the world's oceans is full of our junk, everything from discarded plastic to containers lost off ships at sea.

Where the northern hemisphere has numerous land masses to collect the junk on beaches, the southern ocean is mainly just that, allowing the debris to circulate and accumulate almost continuously.

Sadly this is probably the case with the debris spotted. Finding bits of the plane would be like going to the local land fill to find the button you threw away in error.

 

[NZgeek]

I can't see it on here: http://www.flightradar24.com/

It's a bit surprising more don't go missing.

 

[Scimitar]

It'll turn up on Wheeler Dealers.

 

[Kudoscycles]

They didn't learn did they! I assumed that with the strong possibility that one of the pilots of MH 370 locked the other out of the cockpit all airlines would adopt a '2 in the cockpit' policy,Malaysian airlines immediately introduced such a sensible rule and some others did similar,I assumed the CAA would make it compulsory.
This is the same CAA that is intending to allow a pilot to be at the controls for 22 hours at a stretch and fly 4 sector flights for 7 consecutive days...currently those pilots on 'earlies',leave their home at 3.30am,may do 4 x 2-3 hour flights,return home at 6pm,have a snack/shower,go to bed to do same in 6 hours time,most are on zero hours contracts and only paid for flying time(block to block)...it is still a highly respected job,these pilots are often young and keep themselves fit to physically and mentally cope.
After 9/11 we made the cockpit door bomb proof to keep the bad guys out,but we have created a situation where one pilot can stop the rest of the cabin crew getting in,with the thousands of pilots and the obvious stress and long hours of that job, it is inevitable that any pilot could have mental problems,no pilot should be left alone on the flight deck.
It is not common knowledge that the Irish Aviation Authority have had a 2 in the cockpit rule,for some years,that includes Ryanair and Air Lingus, I see that immediately Easyjet and Virgin have introduced same.
For those who say that nothing was proven as to what happened to MH370,I say that planes don't turn left out of radar range,zigzag down the coast to avoid radar,do a hook around Penang and then choose to fly to some remote place and then land it carefully on the sea,very clever plane!
I am so impressed by the French prosecutor in explaining what happened to this Lufthansa plane,contrast that to the garbled waffle that to this day still doesn't explain what happened to MH370,I think the Malaysians are still hiding much that would help to explain. The whistleblower who released the details on the Lufthansa flight recorder did us all a favour in releasing that the co-pilot clearly murdered 150 people,it forced Lufthansa to come out in the open immediately,these airlines hope that delays discount the media involvement and time kills public interest.
Am I the only one who thinks that the arrogance of the CEO of Lufthansa was both uncaring and ignorant,more looking at the cost in Euros of compensation claims than that one of his employees had just killed 150 of his passengers,to say that his vetting procedures of pilots was sound and that he would not change to a 2 in the cockpit rule was at best inept.
With attitudes like that CEO I would not feel comfortable with flying with German Wings or Lufthansa,recent news has suggested that their handling of this co-pilot was very lax.
KudosDave

 

[jonathan75]

.
Am I the only one who thinks that the arrogance of the CEO of Lufthansa was both uncaring and ignorant,more looking at the cost in Euros of compensation claims than that one of his employees had just killed 150 of his passengers,to say that his vetting procedures of pilots was sound and that he would not change to a 2 in the cockpit rule was at best inept.

KudosDave

Do you think that the pilot's history of depression was a red light he was going to commit mass murder? I suppose that's 1/6 of all of Britain's workers out of a job then.

 

[oldtom]

I agree with every word of big Dave's piece. Changes must follow as another incident like the Germanwings mass murder would be regarded as criminal negligence on the part of the airline.

Tom

 

[flecc]

Two in the cockpit at all times rule is an obvious answer and after this latest incident must surely become the international standard. This is the fourth suspected incident of deliberate downing of an airliner for other than terrorist reasons in very recent years.

This link refers
.

 

[oriteroom]

Do you think that the pilot's history of depression was a red light he was going to commit mass murder? I suppose that's 1/6 of all of Britain's workers out of a job then.

But 1/6 of Britain's worker do not have the fate of another 149 people in their hands when they slam them into a mountainside at 450 mph with the absolute certainty that all will die. You have to look at the job and consider the risk.

Good post Dave.

 

[trex]

Whydo airlines still believe that their training and screening procedures are so good that nutters can't possibly be their pilots or their staff could not be blackmailed to commit suicide?
to this day and age, it's surprising that cockpit is still not video monitored by airlines and traffic controllers or recorded in the blackbox.
A simple remote locking override of the cockpit door to let air marshalls/crew members/passengers to intervene would prevent these lunatics to commit murders.

 

[jonathan75]

But 1/6 of Britain's worker do not have the fate of another 149 people in their hands when they slam them into a mountainside at 450 mph with the absolute certainty that all will die. You have to look at the job and consider the risk.

Good post Dave.

Ok. But there are a lot of people who drive cars. Maybe most adults. They could all easily take out say 20 or more people on a market day. Shall we take away their licences, if they've suffered depression?

The truth is depression no more caused this murder than Hitler's grandmother caused the Holocaust. What is sick about murderers which lets them kill people is a lack of empathy for other human beings. And that has nothing to do with depression.

 

[Kudoscycles]

Do you think that the pilot's history of depression was a red light he was going to commit mass murder? I suppose that's 1/6 of all of Britain's workers out of a job then.

If this pilot had a history of depression it makes a mockery of the boss of Lufthansa's declaration that they are comfortable with their control and checking of the mental state of their pilots.
1/6 of British workers are not flying a 60 ton machine at 500 mph with the responsibility of possibly 180 people's lives in their hands.
The real shame of such incidents is that it reduces the publics confidence in the

Do you think that the pilot's history of depression was a red light he was going to commit mass murder? I suppose that's 1/6 of all of Britain's workers out of a job then.

kudosdave

 

[jonathan75]

If this pilot had a history of depression it makes a mockery of the boss of Lufthansa's declaration that they are comfortable with their control and checking of the mental state of their pilots.

How?

1/6 of British workers are not flying a 60 ton machine at 500 mph with the responsibility of possibly 180 people's lives in their hands.
The real shame of such incidents is that it reduces the publics confidence in the

kudosdave

I'm sorry but I no more see how depression causes mass murder than how Jamie Oliver causes nuclear fission. We most of us drive cars and could take out 30 people or more easy.

 

[flecc]

A simple remote locking override of the cockpit door to let air marshalls/crew members/passengers to intervene would prevent these lunatics to commit murders.

There is an override outside, but the pilot in the cockpit can delay it five minutes, this for anti-hijacking reasons. Having an immediate override would just increase hijackings again, some like 9/11 with suicidal intent.

I'm afraid this is a "between devil and deep blue sea" situation, there is no foolproof answer.
.

 

[Kudoscycles]

My post got chopped.
The real shame of such events is that it reduces the publics confidence and respect in these pilots. To get into aviation school is difficult,to complete the 18 month training is tough and the airlines only select the best to become pilots,100 per cent pass is obligatory.
Even when they get a job,they are simulator checked every 6 months and mentally/medically checked every year.
But despite this most pilots would choose to do nothing else,it is still one of the most respected vocations.
KudosDave