The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has sparked a wave of controversy and confusion. With the whereabouts of the plane and the cause of the disappearance still unknown, we will try to answer a few basic questions about the flight.
Q: Planes don’t just disappear into thin air.
A: Yes they do! Planes are only in radar contact when near major airports – which can be relatively rare, depending on where the aircraft is flying. When an aircraft is outside of radar coverage and is flying IFR (almost all domestic flights file flight plans and fly under Instrument Flight Rules), pilots maintain contact with Air Traffic Control using verbal communication. As with Air France Flight 447, it is likely that the pilots were unable to inform ATC of the problem before it was too late.
Q: Doesn’t Air Traffic Control and airplanes always maintain radio contact?
A: The first priority in any situation is to fly the airplane – informing ATC of the problem will not immediately solve it. In the case of Air France Flight 447, the pilots were aware of the problem for over four minutes, but never informed ATC due to the priority of controlling the plane.
Q: The 777-200ER is a modern aircraft, with a high safety record. How could it have crashed?
A: The 777-200ER does have a high safety record compared to other aircraft – in fact, there have been only two major accidents involving 777’s. However, Boeing aircraft (particular the 737 and 747) have been known to suffer from a poorly designed rudder controlling mechanism, which has led to multiple crashes in the past. Although it is hoped that this issue has since been fixed, there is the possibility that this aircraft was fitted with a defective rudder system when it was manufactured in 2002. Furthermore, 777’s fitted with Rolls-Royce Trent engines, such as the missing airliner, are known to suffer from ice in the fuel lines, clogging fuel filters and engine failure, as seen with British Airways Flight 38. Although mechanical failure is a possibility, terrorism and pilot error are more likely.
Q: Why hasn’t the aircraft been found after days of searching?
A: Finding an airplane, especially in remote areas or in the ocean, is very difficult. However, the fact that the plane has not yet been found is quite perplexing. Had the aircraft suffered a catastrophic failure immediately after losing contact, the remains of the aircraft, including the black boxes, should have already been found. Instead, despite the fact that over 12,000 square miles of land and sea are currently being searched, no traces of the airliner have been located. Many people believe that the plane changed course after losing contact with ATC, either to deal with a mechanical problem or to cope with a cockpit intrusion. If this is the case, finding the aircraft will take a considerable amount of time.
Q: How far could MH370 have gone after losing contact?
A: Flight MH370 had hours of fuel onboard when it disappeared. This makes it very difficult to estimate the location of the aircraft – it may have disintegrated only seconds after its last transmission, or it may have continued on for thousands of miles in an unforeseen direction. New reports by Malaysian military officials indicate that the plane may have made a sharp left turn, heading into the Strait of Malacca.
Q: With this latest information, why would the pilots have headed out into the ocean?
A: Although there are many possibilities, I firmly believe that the pilots did not intend to fly away from civilization. It appears that the plane made this radical change in course after ATC lost transponder information, indicating a power failure within the aircraft. With failed instruments, in complete darkness and over ocean, the crew may have become disoriented as they tried to return to an airport.
Q: Is there a chance of survivors?
A: Unfortunately, the latest information indicates that the wrecked plane is located many miles away from shore. Assuming that the pilot was able to make successful water landing in a wide body airliner (which is thought of as impossible by the aviation community), survivors would have been stranded in the ocean since March 8th. The chances of survival are very, very slim.