Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 vanishes without trace

[Minnie_the_Minx]

By text message from what I can gather

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26716572



How compassionate of them

That's what I thought, until I wondered how they'd tell that many families the news without alerting the media before the press conference

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

They sent it in English. Likely not all recipients can speak / read it. Seriously thoughtless of the airline.

ONLY in English?

 

[twentythreedom]

ONLY in English?

Yeah, according to Sky, that is.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Blimey

 

[TitanSound]

My only question is why has it taken so long for this to become known as "fact". Is it a case of sifting through massive amounts of data?

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Hang about. It wasn't JUST in English

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

My only question is why has it taken so long for this to become known as "fact". Is it a case of sifting through massive amounts of data?

Someone on news said Immarsat were number crunching before sending new data to AAIB who then forwarded to Malaysians

 

[TitanSound]

Ah I see.

But number crunching what exactly? It doesn't seem that it would be an area used to regular air traffic. If it "pinged" it pinged. Where was the data that has been discovered? Not asking you that directly btw

 

[maomao]

Hang about. It wasn't JUST in English

View attachment 50791

The final line in Chinese says it's an automatic translation.

 

[TheHoodedClaw]

Where was the data that has been discovered?

It sounds like it was a new analysis of the existing data, and the result was passed to AAIB for checking.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

The final line in Chinese says it's an automatic translation.

ah right. Very strange. It's not like Malaysia's short on Chinese to do a translation for them

 

[maomao]

ah right. Very strange. It's not like Malaysia's short on Chinese to do a translation for them

In my experience Malaysian Chinese aren't normally very literate in Mandarin Chinese but my experience is limited and you'd think they could still find someone.

 

[wiskey]

In my experience Malaysian Chinese aren't normally very literate in Mandarin Chinese but my experience is limited and you'd think they could still find someone.

It's not like it's an unusual or little spoken language...

 

[laptop]

It sounds like it was a new analysis of the existing data, and the result was passed to AAIB for checking.

Doppler effect, apparently - (rather small) shift in frequency of the "ping" transmission indicated relative velocity of plane and satellite.

 

[maomao]

It's not like it's an unusual or little spoken language...

It's not used as an official written language much outside the PRC, Taiwan and Singapore. It's a pain in the arse to write and few Malaysian Chinese can be bothered. A lot more speakers of Cantonese, ,Fukien, Minnanese and Teochew among the Chinese down there.

 

[wiskey]

It's not used as an official written language much outside the PRC, Taiwan and Singapore. It's a pain in the arse to write and few Malaysian Chinese can be bothered. A lot more speakers of Cantonese, ,Fukien, Minnanese and Teochew among the Chinese down there.

That is no excuse for not finding someone.

 

[purves grundy]

No excuse for sending a text tbf. What went on in their heads to lead them to the conclusion that this was a good thing to do?

"You're in charge - you go in and tell them it's defo gone down!"

"No way! I told them about the debris, it's YOUR turn."

"Oh I DAREN'T though! Hey how about we send a text? I'll write it and send it, you spy on them from behind the vending machine and let me know how they take it."

 

[Lemon Eddy]

Ah I see.

But number crunching what exactly? It doesn't seem that it would be an area used to regular air traffic. If it "pinged" it pinged. Where was the data that has been discovered? Not asking you that directly btw

Basically they've had to do a very non-standard bit of complicated analysis based around the metadata of the standard transmission. It wasn't the fact they were getting squawks, it was the very specific tone of the squawk itself that they had to work out. Fair plays to inmarsat here, it sounds like they've pulled out the stops on this one.

 

[WWWeed]

Ah I see.

But number crunching what exactly? It doesn't seem that it would be an area used to regular air traffic. If it "pinged" it pinged. Where was the data that has been discovered? Not asking you that directly btw

According to the beeb:

Inmarsat has told the BBC it gave the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) the new data on Sunday - adding it needed to be checked before it was made public.

The firm said its latest calculation involved a large amount of data analysis, focusing on a number of factors including the movements of other aircraft.

It involved an entirely new way of modelling which is why the analysis took some time, the firm added.

Doesn’t answer your question directly, but I don’t think we are going to get any more info on that at the moment.

 

[2hats]

But number crunching what exactly?

Further analysis of the data they already have and comparison to similar signals (from aircraft that have subsequently flown in and around the area of interest) to better constrain the route and location of the final signal. In particular, ruling out the northern arc previously published (I don't know precisely how they did this but it might be one or both of an asymmetry in the signal reception geometry and signal behaviour/modification, for example, that favours/hints at south over north).

Either that or your favourite three letter agency has tipped them off and this is the cover story

 

[Dogsauce]

The families would have been made aware via the media circus. On one hand you have relatives screaming about not being kept informed and a hungry press desperate to break news first, and the other side the time it would take to break the news sensitively. Doubtlessly someone amongst the first to have been informed would break down in front of the press before others knew what was going on, allowing rumour to spread via the media circus. Really hard situation to deal with I guess, text message sounds insensitive but at least families are informed first and simultaneously. I don't envy the people making these decisions.

BBC live coverage is bothering to publish gems like this:

Alastair, London, England
emailed his question: "What I don't get is, if the plane flew for hours after it should have, how come not one passenger or crew member sent a text or made a call to someone?"

Why even bother adding stuff like this to the feed? It's just flanneling isn't it?

 

[sim667]

That's what I thought, until I wondered how they'd tell that many families the news without alerting the media before the press conference

Doesnt matter, they should have some fucking reps or something rather than a "OMG, totes lost plane, your famz dead innit" text.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Doesnt matter, they should have some fucking reps or something rather than a "OMG, totes lost plane, your famz dead innit" text.

It is with deep sadness that Malaysia Airlines earlier this evening had to confirm to the families of those on board Flight MH370 that it must now be assumed the flight had been lost. As the Prime Minister said, respect for the families is essential at this difficult time. And it is in that spirit that we informed the majority of the families in advance of the Prime Minister’s statement in person and by telephone. SMSs were used only as an additional means of communicating with the families. Those families have been at the heart of every action the company has taken since the flight disappeared on 8th March and they will continue to be so. When Malaysia Airlines receives approval from the investigating authorities, arrangements will be made to bring the families to the recovery area and until that time, we will continue to support the ongoing investigation".

http://www.malaysiaairlines.com

 

[equationgirl]

The families would have been made aware via the media circus. On one hand you have relatives screaming about not being kept informed and a hungry press desperate to break news first, and the other side the time it would take to break the news sensitively. Doubtlessly someone amongst the first to have been informed would break down in front of the press before others knew what was going on, allowing rumour to spread via the media circus. Really hard situation to deal with I guess, text message sounds insensitive but at least families are informed first and simultaneously. I don't envy the people making these decisions.

BBC live coverage is bothering to publish gems like this:

Alastair, London, England
emailed his question: "What I don't get is, if the plane flew for hours after it should have, how come not one passenger or crew member sent a text or made a call to someone?"

Why even bother adding stuff like this to the feed? It's just flanneling isn't it?

It is just flannelling, although it does show that Alastair from London is a bit of a muppet.

 

[wiskey]

PM seemed to imply that the families were told in person (and took it badly)

 

[Dogsauce]

It is just flannelling, although it does show that Alastair from London is a bit of a muppet.

Why didn't they try and flag down a passing plane or ship for help, maybe by waving a bedsheet out of one of the windows?

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

hm, seems hotel managers informed some of those in hotels. Wouldn't have thought it was the job of hotel managers to break news like that

Wonder if hotel managers really means hotel managers or whether it was a representative or airline/support group etc. who was managing the relatives that are currently in hotels

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Why didn't they try and flag down a passing plane or ship for help, maybe by waving a bedsheet out of one of the windows?

I think they did do this, but the HELP message was written in Mandarin, the Malay-Chinese couldn't read it, so shrugged and got on with their day.

 

[weltweit]

The Malaysian Prime Minister said "no one survived".. is that not premature, don't aircraft have some kind of inflatable life rafts, it may be unlikely but is it not possible some souls might be alive in a life raft somewhere in the ocean?

 

[existentialist]

The Malaysian Prime Minister said "no one survived".. is that not premature, don't aircraft have some kind of inflatable life rafts, it may be unlikely but is it not possible some souls might be alive in a life raft somewhere in the ocean?

It's possible that he's party to more information than we are. And it may be that they are taking the view that a life raft would have been spotted by now - I don't know whether life rafts carry any kind of beacon or transponder, though...