<p>Very troubling–plane from Kuala Lumpur to Bejing has vanished with 229 passengers. Two of the passengers bought tickets and boarded with passports that had been reported stolen many months prior.</p>
<p>One report (I read online and can’t find any more), also stated the preliminary scanning revealed no explosions in the area where the flight was last on the radar. International cooperation is working to try to figure out what happened and searching the area. Two oil slicks have been spotted in the ocean, similar to the size and placement of fuel tanks. No distress was reported by the crew nor any distress code sent.</p>
<p>Could it be Uighur separatist terrorism? Plane load of Chinese pax flying from a complacent country. Malaysia, being muslim, probably doesn’t regard itself as a terrorism target from the “usual suspects”.<br>
Some of these overseas carriers don’t have the same cockpit security as American carriers. A few months ago on a foreign carrier, my teenage son was invited to ride in the cockpit w the pilots during the flight.</p>
<p>Water depth in the Gulf of Thailand is pretty shallow, unlike the AF flight that disappeared over the Atlantic deeps. If the plane is in the gulf, it will be found.</p>
<p>This is something a playwright couldn’t think of. I am very interested to see how it all develops. Thoughts and comfort to all the families affected. A deep and long term tragedy. </p>
<p>As a white knuckle flier I have been following this very odd story. Latest I heard was 4 stolen passports, and now they’re saying they believe the plane had turned around. How can a big plane like that just disappear?</p>
<p>eymamom, I also read that the plane may have turned back. And two definite stolen passports, but also 2 other passengers besides that they are “looking at”. And regarding having it disappear – crashing in the ocean makes it very, very small… But it does seem like someone might have noticed that it turned around on the radar. Although I don’t know how much it is tracked/watched when not near an airport…</p>
<p>That is why they think something catastrophic happened. Boeing 777s are designed to constantly communicate with the airlines in regard to speed, fuel, etc. I hope they find it soon. So sad.</p>
<p>Paper this morning says the oil slick in the sea is consistent with airline liquids. Very sad for those families, and scary for those flying in that region. </p>
<p>I understand that the stolen passports trigger fears of terrorism, and that may be true . . . but that seems, at the moment, like it should be the least of our concerns. Over 200 people missing, and their families in Malaysia and Beijing receiving what has been described as an utter lack of communication from the airline . . . yes, it’s intriguing to contemplate the cause of the disaster, but, at the moment, this is simply a terrible human tragedy.</p>
<p>I just hope, above all else, that something is found so the families can have closure. </p>
<p>I just looked it up to see if this was anywhere near the Devil’s Sea in Asia (their equivalent of our Bermuda Triangle). Doesn’t look like it is so hopefully that means SOMETHING will be found. </p>
<p>Perhaps, but as someone who is flying this week (amongst millions of others), this is very disturbing and a big concern for me. We don’t yet know if this is a stand-alone incident, or there are other events about to happen. What those families are going through, I don’t want my family to have to go through.</p>
<p>I do agree that the lack of communication to those families is negligent at the least.</p>
<p>Igloo’s article claims they have visuals of the two people with the stolen passports. I read in another article that their tickets were bought at the same time.</p>
<p>If this was an act of terrorism I would expect that someone would soon come forward to take “credit.”</p>
<p>Apparently buying and using stolen passports in this part of the world is not uncommon. </p>
<p>There is an article in The Australian (I don’t know how to link it with my phone) that talks about previous malfunctions with the autopilot mechanism on 777 that sounds consistent with this incident. I don’t know why it isn’t getting more press. It could also explain why they tried to turn back. </p>
<p>Not really that strange. I’d guess there may be an established market for the resale of stolen passports. Once stolen, these two made it into that market and were later sold (together) to the two men who were aboard this plane.</p>
<p>@dodgersmom, I don’t know the person, but my colleagues do. How unreal for this person to suddenly vanish!</p>
<p>There is conjecture now that the plane may have disintegrated in mid-air, and that is why there is no concentrated debris field. But is this consistent w the 2 oil slicks being together?</p>