(apologies if this has been posted; can't keep up with this thread!)
Expert Was Needed to Disable Malaysia Airlines Jet Systems
Detailed Knowledge Would Be Required
If multiple communication systems aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 were manually disabled, as investigators increasingly suspect happened, it would have required detailed knowledge of the long-range Boeing 777's inner workings.
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After vanishing, the jet's satellite communications system continued to ping orbiting satellites for at least five hours. The pings ceased at a point over the Indian Ocean, while the aircraft was at a normal cruise altitude, say two people familiar with the jet's last known position. Investigators are trying to understand that loss, and whether or not "something catastrophic happened or someone switched off" the satellite communication system, says one of the people.
A
physical disconnection of the satellite communications system would require extremely detailed knowledge of the aircraft, its internal structure and its systems. The satellite data system is spread across the aircraft and disabling it would require physical access to key components.
Disconnecting the satellite data system from the jet's central computer, known as AIMS, would disable its transmission. The central computer can be reached from inside the jet while it is flying, but its whereabouts would have to be known by someone deeply familiar with the 777.
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Getting into the area housing the 777's computers would "not take a lot" of knowledge, said an aviation professional who has worked with the 777. However, this person added, "to know what to do there to disable" systems would require considerable understanding of the jet's inner workings.
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http://online.wsj.com/news/article_...4579439653701712312-lMyQjAxMTA0MDEwNDExNDQyWj
Or...perhaps radar-blocking computer technology was used? Such as the aeronautic technology Freescale manufactures?
fftobed:
opcorn:
