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MH370 flew as low as 1,500m to avoid detection, says paper
The Malaysian Insider ^ | 17 March 2014 | The Malaysian Insider

Posted on 03/16/2014 9:30:37 PM PDT by Meet the New Boss

As the search for the missing flight MH370 enters its 10th day with few clues as to its whereabouts, the New Straits Times said today the Boeing 777-200ER dropped 5,000 feet (1,500m) to evade commercial radar detection.

In an exclusive story, the government-backed paper said investigators analysing MH370’s flight data revealed that the 200-tonne, fully laden twinjet descended 1,500m or even lower to evade commercial (secondary) radar coverage after it turned back from its flight path en route to Beijing.

snip

Investigators poring over MH370’s flight data had said the plane had flown low and used “terrain masking” as it flew over the Bay of Bengal and headed north towards land, the NST reported.

snip

“Terrain masking” refers to an ability to position an aircraft so there is natural earth hiding it from the radio waves sent from the radar system. It is a technique mostly used in aerial combat where military pilots would fly at extremely low elevations upon normally hilly or mountainous terrain to “mask” their approach.

Experts said flying a Boeing 777 in such a way would be dangerous, stressing the airframe and possibly causing those on board to be air sick and suffer from spatial disorientation.

(Excerpt) Read more at my.news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: iran; malaysia; maldives; mh370; thailand; waronterror
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To: txhurl

Where are these pictures?


41 posted on 03/16/2014 10:12:11 PM PDT by DB
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To: Meet the New Boss

There is, but they can search wide areas quickly with things like infra-red and planes do tend to float unless their structural integrity has been compromised.

If Iran does have the plane, it is very dangerous in their hands. Even using conventional explosives, we’d be talking about the explosive force of a small warhead.


42 posted on 03/16/2014 10:13:02 PM PDT by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is that they are both death cults)
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To: txhurl

I’ve seen lots of sat photos. Which one?

Tuesday? Why aren’t they pulling up the wreckage?


43 posted on 03/16/2014 10:14:02 PM PDT by ltc8k6
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To: LyinLibs

I hope is not #2.


44 posted on 03/16/2014 10:15:40 PM PDT by Finalmente
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To: ltc8k6; DB

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3133830/posts


45 posted on 03/16/2014 10:18:09 PM PDT by txhurl
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To: DB

http://www.tomnod.com/nod/challenge/malaysiaairsar2014/map/128148

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3133830/posts?q=1&;page=51#99


46 posted on 03/16/2014 10:18:54 PM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network ( http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5700.html#2013)
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To: txhurl

Posters on Airliners.net have said nothing of interest was found there, iirc.

No luggage was ever found, apparently. It was a bad translation. They were asked to look for aircraft debris such as luggage.


47 posted on 03/16/2014 10:21:29 PM PDT by ltc8k6
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To: ltc8k6

Look around yourself.

48 posted on 03/16/2014 10:25:22 PM PDT by txhurl
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To: Sarah Barracuda

I am hoping the Chinese find out who is behind this. They will make sure those people die.

obama on the other hand is rooting for the terrorists.


49 posted on 03/16/2014 10:26:29 PM PDT by minnesota_bound
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To: txhurl

Need to see pics from before 9M-MRO went missing. If the spot looks the same, it’s not the plane.


50 posted on 03/16/2014 10:29:22 PM PDT by ltc8k6
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To: Cringing Negativism Network

I wonder about people who haven’t looked at the sat photos yet.


51 posted on 03/16/2014 10:29:46 PM PDT by txhurl
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To: Meet the New Boss

another reason to be flying low would be disposal of the deceased. It just wouldn’t to be caught with a recent mass grave on one’s hands.


52 posted on 03/16/2014 10:31:41 PM PDT by blueplum
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To: txhurl

I’m not entirely convinced, but I certainly am waiting, because it sure looks right to me.

Completely.


53 posted on 03/16/2014 10:32:14 PM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network ( http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5700.html#2013)
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To: Cringing Negativism Network

Easiest way to show that it’s new, is to show earlier photos of the spot, or show later photos with the debris farther away.


54 posted on 03/16/2014 10:39:40 PM PDT by ltc8k6
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To: CFIIIMEIATP737
Why is the airframe stressed? At a low altitude, the cabin is barely pressurized.

I'm no expert, but it occurs to me that high speeds at lower altitudes probably cause more stress on the airframe due to the increased air density.

Combine that with being closer to the ground, the heat radiated back up would probably cause increased turbulence, though I admittedly don't know what the effect would be over the ocean.

Mark

55 posted on 03/16/2014 10:42:07 PM PDT by MarkL (Do I really look like a guy with a plan?)
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To: ltc8k6

Well, most of us FReepers can’t afford SAT feeds, so we have to go with what’s published. You could always check weather sats from Tuesday to look for a splashdown. And resultant debris.


56 posted on 03/16/2014 10:43:14 PM PDT by txhurl
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To: txhurl

Seems to me it’s a quick way for whoever is running the sat feed to weed out possibles.

If it’s our target, we’d expect to see nothing there the day before, and the debris spread farther the day after.

I can see the day before being missing, as there was no reason to look there.

The days after should be doable.

They would also confirm the drift direction for searchers.


57 posted on 03/16/2014 10:49:48 PM PDT by ltc8k6
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To: txhurl

Those pictures are pretty obviously an airliner.

But now you have shut down the funny conspiracy theories and I will have no funnies to read with my coffee in the morning.


58 posted on 03/16/2014 10:59:50 PM PDT by rbmillerjr (Lectio Divina...Adoration...Mass)
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To: Meet the New Boss

It didn’t do that without waypoints built into its electronics.

It did splash down in the Indian Ocean....


59 posted on 03/16/2014 11:02:32 PM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
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To: Vendome
Ok, my dumb question— why are transponders so easily turned off on commercial airlines? Why can the ASCAR system be turned off? In other words, why would they ever want them to be turned off?
60 posted on 03/16/2014 11:10:15 PM PDT by MacMattico
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