The Plane

[fadedrose]

I got an idea of where the plane is and what it's going to do. Nobody has mentioned anything like it.

The plane was taken by maybe Chechnyans or paid by them to take it. All of the "Stans" are right up there, and not really very far from Russia.

Moscow would be a piece of cake once they refueled. Kazakstan is a big place and easy to hide a plane. Money will get them fuel and maybe munitions.

I don't think this time around the US is going to be the victim. Putin has so many problems (I looked at Russia's rocket-launchings and many have been failures, despite that fact that we use Russian engines in all our launches because of their superior quality, and it runs cheaper than if we made our own).....

Some folks are mad at Russia, and I think they are going to make a play of some sort.....the passengers could be alive and not aware of whatever plans they have for the plane.

The 777 is a popular plane, and I wonder if it could be painted to resemble another country's 777's....

Sounds nutty, but when you think of 911, they do like planes....and if they took the upper arc of the satellite's catch, they're in just the right place to go to Russia...who knows what they'd do there....They planned to take out the White House or Capitol, Pentagon, and the Towers here...and they couldn't even fly. I think they've been learning.

Doubtless it will be a suicide mission when they get their act together...

[ChisolmTrailDem]

1. I have been wondering what the target would be. Moscow is as good as any. nt

[fadedrose]

4. I think they hate the Russians more than us . . .

A lot of the Moslems would join in to help pay for the cost of this venture.... The Kremlin, Putin's house, lots of interesting places to see in a plane....

Not Moslems, radical islamists. I knew some Moslems (now dead) and they were anything but warlike. Lovely people...

[ellisonz]

2. Nope. Bottom of nowhere in the Southern Indian Ocean.

[fadedrose]

3. You mean the US Navy is going to tell them they're coming

The CIA wouldn't like it....

[ellisonz]

5. The CIA isn't all that functional...

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-cia-workplace-20140317,0,2858175.story#axzz2wHlX2Mm1

[fadedrose]

11. Anybody working on Iran can't be that functional

The Congress is having skirmishes because some want to add more sanctions and some don't, because the Security Council of the UN made the agreement with sanctions, and Iran went for it. Anybody in charge of Iran inspections is going to be in very hot water....for no good reason except maybe some want to break the UN agreement and pressure could be great.

Can't change until Iran breaks the agreement, and the warlovers in Congress are not happy. They would lay more sanctions than before, not less...

[Nevernose]

6. One of the flaws with that theory

There's no possible way to get to the 'Stans without going through Pakistani and Indian airspace, and those are two very paranoid, heavily armed nations with lots of radar coverage. There's just no way an anonymous 777 could slip through. I've been over this today with my spouse, who is convinced that the plane is in Kyrgyzstan.

Personally, I think it's on the bottom of the ocean -- some sort of massive electrical failure, everything shuts off, pilot tries turning back, eventually crashes into the Indian Ocean.

I suppose there are all sorts of places to "lose" a plane on purpose in Indonesia and SE Asia, but it's highly unlikely.

[fadedrose]

9. One Pilot, an expert in Asian countries

says that they are poor countries and turn off their radar at night, and their radar is not first class to begin with. Other pilots agreed with that.

Also, with the responder turned off, and so many blips in the night, who could identify "the plane."

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/me.htm

A lot maps there show that Moscow is within range, and no one there would report the plane if they know what's going to happen. This is a huge conspiracy..

[fadedrose]

12. Tell her I agree with her

Next step is to ask her why they are there.

Our spelling of that country's name is atrocious, I think...Kazakhstan is right, or maybe close...

[2naSalit]

13. ...

Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are two different countries.

[fadedrose]

15. Didn't consider Kyrgyzstan . . .

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/me.htm

I had only Kazakhstan in mind because it's closest to Russia and bigger...but they had to go thru Kyrgyzstan which is probably watched closely as Tajikistan would be.

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/as.htm (this is a good site)

I think they'd want to stay as far away as they could from Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pakistan already said that they would have shot it down if it were over their country..

Wish I knew more about the Stan countries as far as language, religion and political leanings, like who do they like and who do they hate....

[hfojvt]

7. from the title

I thought maybe it was on Fantasy Island

[fadedrose]

10. No, I would have said, De Plane, De Plane! :)

[yuiyoshida]

20. Didn't he leave that island and go work for the

man with the GOLDEN GUN?

[JHB]

29. Other way around...

Mr. Rourke offered better medical and dental than Scaramanga.

[yuiyoshida]

30. Guessing that took place after

007 allowed him out of the luggage case!

[Art_from_Ark]

8. Interesting scenario

I think it makes much more sense than flying aimlessly towards a certain doom in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Theoretically, I guess, the plane could have skirted along Burma toward Bangladesh, both of which probably don't have adequate detection systems, flown below radar when it reached India/China, then along the Himalayas on to Tajikistan, but still, it might be a stretch. But then again, the plane might have crashed in the Himalayas somewhere.

[ellisonz]

17. If the purpose is certain doom...

...flying to the middle of the Indian Ocean makes a lot of sense.

[Art_from_Ark]

18. Not really

Why take evasive action, like doubling back to the country of origin and flying under radar, if all the pilot had to do was keep going and pull an "Egypt Air" to doom himself and the others?

[ellisonz]

19. Yeah...

1. To avoid being spotted by radar and interdicted by military aircraft.
2. To make certain that wreckage including flight recording equipment would not be found.

This appears to have been a success on both counts.

All evidence suggests Zaharie Ahmed Shah was a highly capable pilot with a deep interest in aviation, he would have been familiar with regional air traffic patterns and with regional military capabilities and procedures.

[Art_from_Ark]

21. That could be a possibility

But I don't think it is the only one. If he did take the plane northwestward toward Burma, Bangladesh, etc., he could probably have avoided radar, then flown under the radar while in Indian airspace, then flown along the Himalayas on his way to Tajikistan. So he could conceivably have crashed in the Himalayas somewhere, which could also make it difficult to find the wreckage.

[ellisonz]

23. I think there are a couple problems with the scenario

1) The flight-time - the last ping is recorded 7 hours after take-off. How much fuel would he burn flying low and fast like that? I think that would substantially shortened the range and increased the likelihood of detection over the coastal plains of relatively flat, heavily populated Burma, Bangladesh and India.

2) Elevation - he would have needed to dramatically gain elevation to maintain that into the Himalayas and increase the chance of being spotted by radar. Given the estimated flight time, he would have needed to probably circle extensively over the ocean to not simply crash into the Himalayas. The Himalayas are of course not unpopulated so there would be a good chance of ground detection already given the time lapse since disappearance.

3) China - the PRC undoubtedly has better air defense systems - there could always of course be a coverup. Otherwise, this would be a major demonstration of weakness for a nuclear power.

Where would the final destination have been? Was an organized group or state helping them? Neither pilot is known to be a religious fundamentalist. Furthermore, why would a Malaysian purposefully crash a 777 into a Himalayan mountain?

It would be difficult to hide a 777 without existing facilities and substantial ground support given the number of eyes probably looking right now.

[Art_from_Ark]

24. One does not have to be a religious fundamentalist

in order to hijack a plane, especially if an expected payoff is involved. Really, how many airplanes have actually been hijacked by religious fundamentalists?

To me, it makes more sense for the pilot, if indeed he did have a grudge against his government, to try to get even while receiving a big payoff and staying alive, than purposely committing suicide out in the middle of nowhere. In fact, it seems like a religious fundamentalist might be more inclined to commit suicide if he expected to be rewarded in the afterlife.

Potential destinations could include Tibet or Tajikistan. Burma joined the rest of the world only relatively recently and in all likelihood does not have an up-to-date air traffic control system. Bangladesh is another 3rd world country with antiquated 3rd world infrastructure, as are Bhutan and Nepal, two other countries that might have been along a Himalayan route.

[ellisonz]

25. What's the payoff?

What do you do with the plane? Where are the passengers?

If he's alive, he's a real Nick Brody.

Gotta feel bad for the family

[Art_from_Ark]

28. I'm not privy to his thoughts,

but I would guess that the payoff could be $$$ for the plane, or (maybe more likely) for a lot of Chinese hostages for a group that is opposed to the Chinese government. If the plane crashed over the Himalayas or wherever, there would be no survivors, thus no ransom demands.

[1000words]

14. You're right.

Sounds nutty.

[longship]

16. Oh for fuck's sake.

Not much information has been released about MH370.

So let's all just make shit up! Yup! That will do it.

[grahamhgreen]

26. I say they landed in BKK and are having a hell of a party!

[MADem]

22. Anything's possible, and I am just so puzzled by this event that I

can't really scoff at anything. If your theory is correct it will certainly change the political landscape.

[Live and Learn]

27. Speculation is fun.

Not very productive usually but then again I guess one has to develop a theory to investigate. Which 'Stan' will you be heading to first?