Posted on 08/15/2005 6:48:15 AM PDT by dead
Greece has problems with airspace incursions. They routinely intercept aircraft. I would expect "shoot" is always on the table.
Just a layman chiming in, but it seems feasible that terrorists *could* have done something on the ground to disable whatever systems went wrong.
On the news this AM the reporter-person stated that the fighters accompanying the plane saw someone or someones trying to take control of the plane; implying that either passengers or other crew memebers likely were trying to save it.
Might need someone on board for the occasional reboot. ;-)
Temp at 35,000 feet should be in the vicinity of -60 degrees F. Quite cold, but not by any means instant death or enough to freeze someone solid in less than several hours.
My experience when the cabin of the 727 that I was on depressed in flight was different. It was not an explosive event. It was rather quiet.
My ears popped (nothing unusual), but when I cleared them, they popped again, and again. It was then that I knew something was amiss. The air suddenly got COLD!!, like opening a freezer. No haze or fog, just cold. The plane then pushed over in a steep dive, engines throttled down, and speed brakes out. Then the masks popped open. Everyone then followed the training that we have all seen, and donned them.
Scarey as hell during the dive, but since it was a gradual thing at first, nobody recognized it for what it was. We were told that one of the toilets had vented the cabin and caused this.
An explosive event would have gotten everybody's immediate attention.
I am pretty sure that the masks drop automatically. But if the warning in cockpit did not go off, they might not have noticed until it was too late to react to the situation.
if the phone had the T9 language enabled, it probably wouldn't have taken more than a minute.
I have the same question. If the cockpit door was unlocked to see the pilot, why couldn't this guy on his cell phone take the wheel? Just wondering timing-wise.
Yes, I agree, except it could have been sabotage. That it doesn't fit the paradigm of terrorism that we are used to and expect doesn't mean that it couldn't be a terrorist saboteur.
Somestimes, and it varies per person...A hypoxic condition will effect your mental and motor skills...
Even a trained pilot, your skills can be reduced to the point where they are not very effective in controlling an aircraft...
But given the chance to get down to an altitude where you can begin to regain some function, mentally and physically, things get a little better and the odds of avoiding catastrophy increase...
Thats why, and I saw a post above, describing a personal experience, that passengers are going to get a good ride down to that altitude where lack of oxygen does not effect most people...Thats usually below 10,000 feet...Then the next thing is to get the aircraft on the ground...Hopefully in a normal manner...
It does not appear to be that way in this case...And I hope they find some clear answers to this tragedy...
this story about the text message hit the air while the plane was still burning I have my doubts....
I believe I heard they have arrested the guy who claimed to have recieved it...
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