From a Pilot, Muhammad Ahmad - explaining their protocol. We have on board a transponder on all aircraft and when we taxi out, an Air Traffic Control clearance is given which specifies the the Runway for departure, SID (Standard Instrument Departure), initial Airway to clear the Control Zone, Flight Level (Altitude to fly at) and Squawk Code (transponder code for SSR (Secondary Surveillance RADAR) which has to be set on the transponder panel in the cockpit. As we are lining up, we have to put the transponder on TARA (Trafiic Alert/Resolution Advisory). As soon as we take off, and we are are handed over from ATC to Area RADAR. They see the aircraft (because of transponder) on their RADAR screens and announce RADAR contact. After that, the aircraft is continuously tracked. When we transition from one FIR (Flight Information Region) to another, again the Controller announces RADAR Contact. If due to any reason, the transponder stops working or in other words, the blip disappears from the RADAR screens of the ground station, it is a situation of an alarm. Pilots are immediately informed and other measures as per SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) are taken by the controllers. When the transponder is turned off or goes unserviceable, the controllers become more alert. They try to reestablish RADAR contact. If not possible, they create an alert. The Air Defence RADARs and military authorities are immediately contacted. The Air Defence RADARs are passive RADARs. They continuously monitor their airspace through low, medium or high level RADARs. Any unidentified aircraft entering their airspace is challenged. If no response is given/obtained, then Air Defence Alert (ADA) fighters are scrambled to identify the object and/or take tactical action. If the aircraft is entering any danger, prohibited or restricted airspace, then some countries have the option of shooting down the object by Air Defence Missiles (Some countries would like to shoot down aircraft heading towards their Nuclear facilities for example). In case of Malaysian Air MH370 Boeing 777-200, once the transponder was shut down, it flew for hours as has been determined beyond doubt. Modern commercial aircraft have ACARS (Aircraft Communication, Addressing and Reporting System) for digital communications primarily for maintenance or traffic tracking.By this system, certain information is sent by the aircraft engines, doors or even parking brakes through VHF, HF and now satellite systems. Again, digital data was received through aircraft systems, after it had disappeared from the civil RADAR screens, meaning thereby that the aircraft was flying. I do not buy the point that if the aircraft was flying, it was not tracked by any MILITARY RADAR. Not possible.Aircraft like Boeing 777s have a big RCS (RADAR cross section). I have been to Malaysia a number of times to their Air Force, and was briefed that they have Air Defence RADARs in that region (they also have enemies). Furthermore, it is absurd to even think that it may have crossed the FIRs in countries like Burma, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Nepal, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, and nobody was aware of that aircraft. The other possibility is that it could have flown South towards the wide expanse of Indian Ocean. But to head in that direction, it certainly would have passed through the Air Defence RADARs of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Australia. Again none challenged an unidentified aircraft nor intercepted it. Strange and unbelievable. Whether it was hijacked, flown deliberately by the pilots on these perceived routes or pilots and passengers were incapacitated (by slow/rapid decompression) and aircraft flew on autopilot on the fed-i n route on FMC (Flight Management Computer), is not an issue of primary concern. To me more important is to determine and find an answer, why it was not detected by Air Defence RADARs of so many countries in the region. It was not a two seater Cessna with extremely small RCS. For Gods sake it was a Boeing 777-200, a huge aircraft. To me the answers are with Malaysian authorities. Why they are hiding it, I have no clue. The other possibility is that it disappeared into thin air due to some super natural phenomenon. I leave to you to guess.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 16:13:40 +0000