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So what happened to Flight 370

I just herd a report on npr that said the latest data indicates that not only did the plane fly for several hours after the tracking equipment was turned off, but it flew at an altitude that was between to main routes. Like if 30K ft was a main traveling altitude and 25K ft was a main altitude, 370 was at 28,500 during that time. A plausable reason would be to avoiding mid air contact with other planes. Looking more and more like some sneaky **** was going on.
Flying between altitudes to avoid traffic is not uncommon in a equipment failure. If your equipment fails you can not react like other aircraft can. In laymen's terms anti-collision equipment uses the locator equipment to speak with other aircraft to avoid collision in flight. So if it stops working than yo fly between altitudes to avoid collisions and lessen the reaction time of other aircraft. Backing this with years on A&P and Avionics maintenance experience and experience instructing. It's possible the plane had an inflight emergency and tried to return to land. But I don't buy that to far off course unless there was a total avionics failure. Near impossible case. And no wreckage? Also near impossible. If it crashed falling from altitude kills sponge like humans.
 
Oh yeah google search Boeing 777 corrosion. Has potential to lead to mid air break up. Other countries are not as good at preventative maintenance as people think. Ask the Philippino General that dead when a USA surplus C-130 not maintained correctly fell out of the sky when the "wings!!!!" broke off.
 
Under what circumstances would a pilot need to turn off the transponder ? Is there a reason why it is even possible to turn it off ?

That's my point, there is no good reason to turn it off in flight. Hell, commercial airplanes have backup transponders! You can't go near a controlled airport without squawking or you'll raise the ire of the ATC's! Want to see a couple of F-18's up close? Try flying a jumbo into ATL without squawking!
 
That's my point, there is no good reason to turn it off in flight. Hell, commercial airplanes have backup transponders! You can't go near a controlled airport without squawking or you'll raise the ire of the ATC's! Want to see a couple of F-18's up close? Try flying a jumbo into ATL without squawking!
Agreed. But ATL is to small to effect to country like the towers did. Plus someone would ping it on radar in time and see no ELT signal. "Flaming lawn dart"
 
That's what I was wondering. I know nothing about this stuff and figured there may be some instance where it would need to be turned off. I have "heard" through news reports that it is pretty hard to turn it off and you have to know how to do it. It seems to me, if there is never a "good" reason to shut it off..... there would be no possible wat to turn it off.
 
Some ELT's have remotely located panels in the cockpit for easier maintenance testing. It's simply a Arm, off, test switch. With a separate reset button. So an ELT could be turned off technically but it would not by a pilot or copilot, we'll on purpose. Last report I saw said they picked up pings. Probably from the ELT as it sank. Or burned or.........?
 
That's what I was wondering. I know nothing about this stuff and figured there may be some instance where it would need to be turned off. I have "heard" through news reports that it is pretty hard to turn it off and you have to know how to do it. It seems to me, if there is never a "good" reason to shut it off..... there would be no possible wat to turn it off.


Not true. On/off/standby. That's it. One switch panel typically controls two transponders on transport category aircraft, head A/head B respectively one at a time. ATC will sometimes instruct you to turn the transponder off or switch to the secondary if it is transmitting erroneous information, which at that time you would revert to reporting waypoints to ATC as you cross them.
 
Some ELT's have remotely located panels in the cockpit for easier maintenance testing. It's simply a Arm, off, test switch. With a separate reset button. So an ELT could be turned off technically but it would not by a pilot or copilot, we'll on purpose. Last report I saw said they picked up pings. Probably from the ELT as it sank. Or burned or.........?



Not true. On/off/standby. That's it. One switch panel typically controls two transponders on transport category aircraft, head A/head B respectively one at a time. ATC will sometimes instruct you to turn the transponder off or switch to the secondary if it is transmitting erroneous information, which at that time you would revert to reporting waypoints to ATC as you cross them.

Now this I can understand. I figured there had to be a reason that it was possible to turn it off. thanks
 
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