Flight MH370 Tragically Mort

This is a most difficult blog to write, as it will include life's experiences; projects and facts undisputed. So I have decided to say it is a 'Story based on Facts'.

We all know the beginning of this story, when the World was told that a Malaysian flight MH370 had gone off radar, four hours out of Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing. I remember thinking the route would have been over Vietnam and it  took me back to the sixties when civil aircraft would fly over during the Vietnam conflict. A  British Airways flight was one,where pilot said, don't be alarmed ladies and gentlemen, we have company on the right side of the aircraft- Just an American fighter, come to check us out  - then he was gone.

The next thing I heard, was that all communication with MH370 had been cut and later it was thought the aircraft had turned left  ---- that did it. I was then fully awake at 78 and alarm bell's rang and sleep eluded me for some time. My mind had shifted back quite along time agoe when I had written papers and reports on this kind of event --first things first.

Next came the report that two young men had boarded the flight with passports not their own. Interesting in that the actual passports were the genuine article. It was the passenger who fitted the document and not the other way round, this is in this day of computor imaging and comparing, the international syndicates are able to quickly identify a genuine  passport with its client, or near enough with little alteration to the clients face.
How these two chaps thought they could get their very near look alike features past Chinese and European Immigration I don't know. The question still remains in my mind - did they indeed intend completing their journey to Europe.

Before I forget. This story was started 30 March 2014. On the 30 March 1944 the bombing of Nuremburg took place. Lancaster Bombers were the main force and Ninety Seven planes were lost with their crews , a sad day for all the families of those brave men -- Pilots and crews, dedicated every one.
In the fifties at Technical College we had two mature students, both RAF men. One who became our mature leader,if you will, was one Stanley Arthurs. Stan was a rather disturbed but very kind man, who had a scar from one ear the the other. He had been a Lancaster Pilot who I was told got his aircraft back dispite his injuries for one last time, how many sorties I know not or wether it was Nuremburg or Dresden. ------ Pilots are dedicated people, every one, some a little maverick of course.

Here comes the emmbarasing part of my story. All through my life I have rarely contacted the mainstream media, always addressing my thoughts direct with the authorities concerned , I have broadcast documentries on public radio  but not main stream. Oh dear------ All the TV stations showed a two engined aircraft for the 777-200. somehow I had envisioned a stretched 747, which aligned with past insidents of the MH370 kind.
On reading my favourite paper The Guardian Weekly page 3 vol190 no14, 14-20 March 2014, there was a picture of a Asean TV screen indicating the news and on the side was a diagram of a Four engined plane. Something is wrong,very wrong, my mind kept going  back to Lockerbie and others.

I decided to telephone ABC TV newsroom in Sydney to clarify matters. An answering machine, as ever I thought, so I emailed and I quote''' You consistantly show a two engined aircraft on the news background screen and two engined aircraft moving on the ground (archival). The aircraft on that fateful flight was a Boeing 777-200 a four engine plane and the upgrade of the old 747, the plane was rather old machine and vunerable to all sorts of interference I believe.You may like to check, it  is a genuine mistake or an instruction.'''.

And an answer came directed in a way unexpected and I think the same was written with a computor not so far. T'was a senior man who wrote it and verbatum I will quote it ''''Hi Malcolm, sorry to disagree  but every image I've seen of the Boeing 777-200, including the actual missing aircraft is of two engined planes. Check for yourself on Google.  What could I say, my mind was on the past.
I did of course check out my favorite provider and in embarasment hid from view, for aday or two.

Before I get down to the real serious stuff, I should tell you about my adventures in Air Incident  Land when I travelled in the sixties and seventies World Wide usually first class. Just a simple list.
Air India - Engine on fire. - India - 707?.             1960,s.
Air France - Shudder and nearly off runway - Caravelle. HK.
Philipine Airways - Spun on runway landing - Manila.
Uruguay Air - Forced  to land on military airbase BunosAiries, our plane on wrong flight path. We were bused across city to waiting AirCanada for Mexico.
Qantas - Lost rudder control due oil leak. 707 Sydney to London, me for West Indies. 1972?.
There were numerous incidents Civil and Military, including interrogation by the Viet- Cong in Saigon, since visted and reconciled my experience.

 OK - Here we go-----------------------

The most up to date aircraft are,  what is known as the 'Fly by Wire' or what I prefer to call 'Fly by Computor' . That is say the pilot sends a signal to his control system and the computors act on the input. The most Pure Breed aircraft series is the Airbus, from the small to the mighty A380. In the simplest terms the plane is steered not with the old 'Joy Stick', but single column at the pilots right in the centre of the cockpit.
The pilot simply adjusts the column or handle or stick, can take his/her hand off and the computors do the work of converting the signal though the system to the mechanical parts of the plane, flaps-rudder etc.

This required intensive training of pilots and really without the absolute mental concentration of a fully trained 'Fly by Wire' pilot, there is no hope of flying the aircraft.  If you are still with me. It is my opinion that this breed of aircraft, if taken over by terrorists, they would not a able to fly it ,or at least aim the damn thing.
Americans will not like this, but if the three planes in 2001 were pure 'Fly by Wire',  911 could not have happened.

Whilst on New York US, Airways flight 1549   pilot- Captain Sully Sullenberger which was ditched successfully in the Hudson river, was an Airbus A320-214 and it did not sink and all on board saved.

Now to the Google search, advised by Australias ABC TV news, Sydney boss.

Typed in Boeing 777-200, pressed the search button and  there it was a Two Engined aircraft, pages and pages of it, so I decided to run the Wekipedia take, all twenty four pages of it. What revealing story it made -to me at least.

The aircraft in more detail was  a 777-200ER , registered 9M-MRO, belonging to Malaysian Airlines on flight Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with 227 passengers and 12 crew.  The aircraft is indeed a very modern one with new construction materials plus fibre optics in its systems.

All seemed ok but didn't clear my initial confusion. Then came page  7 of 24. 'Fly by Wire' and I quote from this document --  "In designing the 777 as its first 'Fly by Wire' commercial aircraft, Boeing decided to retain conventional control yokes, rather than change to sidestick controlllers, as used by many 'Fly by Wire' fighter aircraft and in many Airbus airliners". end of quote. In my opinion the 777 is a Hybrid, in that it is not a pure 'Fly by Wire' systemed aircraft, but Boeings choice.

So, we really do have an aircraft, capable of  being flown for a short distance by none licienced  or none qualified people, once in the air, that is and not intended to land on a runway.---- and so ends my original confusion, so admireably cleared by the good people of  ABC TV news , Sydney.

I have spoken about the Airbus and the Hudson River, now about the Airbus 380 Qantas flight QF32 coming out of Changi Airport , Singapore. Engine number two exploded and delt with by another extraordinary pilot, one Richard De Crespigny and crew ( all detail in his book QF32). This chap is a died in the wool 'Fly by Wire' enthusiast and for some reason gives the impression that Rolls Royce, can do no bad . Anyway, he like Sully Sullenberger, got all to safety(book-Highest Duty) and we thank them for their dedication to duty, as I am certain the MH370 Captain would do the same.

My Lockerbie submmision at the time was accepted through Prime Minister Tatchers office, by the investigating teams but not acted upon, as the US had its own agenda. I was helped by a Qantas 747 pilot, now deceased. I will let it stay forgotten, together with my papers on Airport protection - Anti Terrorist and A passengers guide. There were others including The death of Princess Diana and other matters and the Think series  published also, as a blog.

Rolls Royce - An aside really - BUT - I must say in most of the incidents I have seen, the name Rolls Royce pops up with failures due to Ice, or fuel lines and equipment. The most frightening to me, was when Captain De Grespigny could not shut the engine down. The computor reacted NO and kept speeding the unit up - I hope they fixed that one- Stop a spinning disc, lob great quantities of foam or fibre glass batts, as in roof insulation, in the intake. Works great in armour plating to jam a cutting saw. Rolls Royce, I don't knmow these days -My   opinion only of course. 

Flight MH 370 Tragically Mort- Listen to the silence of Beoing on security of recording; broadcast and controls, from ground attack. (my Tweet). I don't think Boeing would like me in their boardroom, advocating 'Pure bred 'Fly by Wire; Number of models or versions cut  by 50%; Power units two and components or sections US made - At present it must be an engineers nightmare.

Flight MH370 bound for Beijing , last control tower contact, we are told was at  06-55-15N by 103-34-43E I think about 1.2 hours out of KL  over the South China Sea. They said fours hours no contact and turning to Port, just like Pam-Am was about to, for the Atlantic.
Whether flown by official crew or by Hi-Jackers, we had an aircraft going somewhere or nowhere.
What have we got?.
1.No response from any ground radar, civil or military ie no fighter jets scambled.
2. No response from any airborn aircraft, in this busy area with their forward radar.
3.The Satelite people in London , gave ideas, but even the CEO was not certain the info was MH370.
4.No ground reports of wreckage in SEA ie Cambodia; Viet-Nam; Thailand; Indonesia etc.
5.No indication of hostile non transmitting aircraft by Commercial or Military installations ie Border protection and certainly no fighter or fighter bombers up and  intercepting.  
6.All countries spend billion s of dollars on equipment and planes - Could it be bad management by top brass?.
7.The oceans and seas are full of debrie, from dead animals/fish to containers and sunken vessels, plus of course sonic repeaters; cables et al.
Nearly there. We have seen the reaction of Chinese relatives and freinds to the bad news. The pilot of MH370 or any Hi- Jacker, would have been in deep trouble if the passengers thought some thing was wrong and could have ditched early. Therefore the the South China sea should not be ruled out entirely.
With all the attention given by so many and so much money being spent, one wonders what is in the hold of MH370
I HOPE that from this terrible experience, we can learn something about life and the part we play in it. For the families and friends of the 329 people who died, here is a poem or prayer I have. Hand written 11 August 1879 by Helen Herbert.It ever is the darkest hour,comes just before the dawning. Our father shows his loving power, when sorrows darkest storm-clouds over, by changing night to morning. And when our faithless hearts are prone, to doubt his tender caring, some deeper joy, before unkown,some pleasant path, is open thrown, to check our lone dispairing.
Malcolm E Mason     7  April  2012.
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