I had fairly well concluded that the most likely cause was a fire disrupting the electrical and control systems, when CNN now say the sharp left turn was pre-programmed 12 minutes before sign off from Malaysian Air Traffic control, which was followed fairly quickly by that left turn.
CNN claim to have this from an US official, from data sent back before the reporting systems went off. It is hard to know what to make of it: obviously there are large economic interests that much prefer blame to lie with the pilots rather than the aircraft. But if it is true then the move was not a response to an emergency. (CNN went on to say the pilot could have programmed in the course change as a contingency in case of an emergency. That made no sense to me at all – does it to anyone else?)
I still find it extremely unlikely that the plane landed or crashed on land I cannot believe it could evade military detection as it flew over a highly militarized region. Somewhere there is debris on the ocean. There have been previous pilot suicides that took the plane with them; but the long detour first seems very strange and I do not believe is precedented. However if the CNN information on pre-programming is correct, and given it was the co-pilot who signed off to air traffic control, it is hard to look beyond the pilots as those responsible for whatever did happen. In fact, on consideration, the most improbable thing is that information CNN are reporting from the US official.
Did I say “here we go again”?
http://www.businessinsider.com/rescue-teams-spot-objects-in-water-in-airasia-plane-search-area-2014-12
http://www.ltp.com.ph/pages/Technilink.aspx?cid=54
http://www.theborneopost.com/2010/02/04/airasia-x-signs-maintenance-deal-with-lufthansa-technik-philippines/
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-30625945
This is the same MRO in the Philippines.
From today:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/air-canada-flight-850-from-calgary-to-heathrow-diverted-to-toronto-1.2885198
Also Lufthansa Technik, this one in Ireland:
http://business.financialpost.com/2012/04/25/air-canada-forced-to-ship-planes-overseas-for-maintenance-as-aveos-collapse-weighs/
In 2005, Lufthansa Technik worked with Southwest Airlines on cost-cutting and reducing the frequency of maintenance on Southwest’s fleet. That didn’t work out so well.
Couple of good videos of the Virgin landing yesterday a great outcome so pleased they were all safe.
Virgin 747-400 Gear Failure & Emergency Landing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLpRu1EzyGE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JoWS_SHe4gU
A Hurcules has spotted a shape under the sea surface.
French engines
Safran of France
The Safran Group was created on May 11, 2005, with the merger of Snecma and Sagem SA.
In June 2014, Arianespace CEO Stephane Israel announced that European efforts to remain competitive in response to SpaceX’ recent success have begun in earnest. This included the creation of a new joint venture company from Arianespace’s two largest shareholders: the launch-vehicle producer Airbus Group and engine-producer Safran.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CFM_International_CFM56
Also on board were 2 pilots, 4 cabin crews and one engineer?
Air France Flight 447 downed on 1 June 2009
was an Airbus A330-203
powered by a couple of
General Electric CF-80E1A3 engines
Lufthansa Technik worked with Southwest Airlines in 2005 to save money by reducing the frequency of maintenance on its fleet. Subsequently, a Southwest plane crashed due to metal fatigue.
AirAsia is a no-frills airline. Airasia contracted maintenance to Lufthansa Technik in the Philippines.
Tony Fernandez sold a large number of shares in the insurance company that is part of an umbrella company that includes AirAsia. Insider trades must be reported within a specified time after they occur, but I am not sure of that timeframe on the market where they were sold. Which insurer is now on the line for the AirAsia crash?
The AirAsia Airbus has been found upside down and mainly intact at a depth of about 100 feet in the Java sea.
Always the French.
The AirAsia Airbus has not been found upside-down on the bottom of the Java Sea at a depth of about 100 feet. The deceased passenger found wearing a life jacket was not found wearing a life jacket. The oil on the ocean was not from AirAsia. As predicted:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-31/airasia-wreckage-reveals-latest-plane-crash-mystery
Interesting about Alstom Energy. See Alstom connection to AREVA here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alstom
The French, indeed!
Some former AREVA properties simply changed their signs to “Alstom”.
From February 2014, including information on Malaysia:
http://www.complianceweek.com/blogs/global-glimpses/uk-bribery-charges-in-the-offing-for-frances-alstom#.VKSdWyvF-So
More of the “here we go again”, complete with a semiconductor angle, a reported landing of the plane on the island of Belitung, etc.:
http://aanirfan.blogspot.ca/2014/12/missing-airasia-flight.html
In mid-December 2014, shareholders approved the sale of Alstom Energy businesses to GE.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-19/alstom-shareholders-approve-15-1-billion-energy-sale-to-ge.html
More on Alstom in Malaysia:
http://www.alstom.com/Global/Group/Resources/Documents/Factsheets/Malaysia%20factsheet.pdf
http://www.academia.edu/4168163/Alstom_Bribery_Scandal_Probe
Names and details of the Alstom bribery scandal in Malaysia. Looks like this was just “talking the talk”:
http://www.alstom.com/integrity/Our-commitment/partners/
“Alstom is the first multinational company to sign Malaysia’s Corporate Integrity Pledge. Driven by initiatives from the Malaysian government’s anti-corruption commission, the Pledge allows companies to commit to Malaysia’s Anti-Corruption Principles for Corporations and emphasises the need to promote and strengthen corporate integrity between public and private sectors as well as among local businesses.”
The leader of Umno was caught up in the Alstom bribery scandal. This sparring match with Tony Fernandes has a certain amount of irony:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/tony-fernandes-hits-back-at-umno-mps
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/umno-leader-linked-to-alstom-bribery-scandal-says-singapore-daily
HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone and thanks for the links Q I have no idea what I am reading about and still found it interesting the financial shenanigans of the world are not for ordinary mortals like me 🙂
The (United States of America) GE acquisition deal is expected to be finalised by early 2015
Happy New Year, Pink and all following these threads. I hope for better times in the world of aviation this year.
I wonder why the “pings” from the Black Boxes have not been heard?
The lack of pings is being explained away as a perfect emergency landing on choppy water, Michael Norton. So of course, there was not sufficient impact to set it off:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/airasia-plane-may-have-touched-down-on-water-safely-experts/articleshow/45719381.cms
Is this another seventh arc fairytale?
From The Daily Mail
The director general of air transport, Djoko Murjatmodjo, said AirAsia’s permit to fly the route of Flight 8501 had been frozen because the plane had been on an unauthorised schedule.
‘It violated the route permit given, the schedule given, that’s the problem,’ Murjatmodjo told AFP, adding that the permit for the route would be suspended until investigations were completed.
A statement from transport ministry spokesman J.A. Barata said AirAsia had not been permitted to fly the Surabaya-Singapore route on Sundays and had not asked to change its schedule.
It was unclear how the airliner, which has yet to officially respond to the ministry’s statement, had been able to fly without the necessary authorisation.
It would be of use to know why they had an engineer on board?
Yes, MN. It would also be helpful to know if that engineer worked for Lufthansa, or Airbus. Also, why did it depart two hours early, when it had no authority to fly that day?
The aangirfan blog has focused on two families with high connections who missed the flight, and ISIS. I’m surprised it has taken this long for ISIS to come up.
I keep thinking back to the Borneo conflict of the 60s. Also learned today that China wants a piece of the action in the Alstom high-speed rail project between Malaysia and Singapore. Another random thought: an agreement between Singapore and Malaysia over the water supply expired in 2011…in case anyone is looking for political conflicts.
“It’s cloudy…”
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/03/us-indonesia-airplane-idUSKBN0K900D20150103
Sounds like they could use some synthetic aperture radar.
For anyone who’s interested:
http://www.bangaloreaviation.com/2014/12/airasia-qz8501-passenger-manifest-load-trim-sheet-leaked-atc-photo.html
Where is the cargo manifest?