After that, it is anyone’s guess as to what has happened to the airplane or its passengers but conspiracy theories, which are normally discounted greatly by officials seem to be more and more just possibilities.
For days now I have assisted with the Tomnod campaign which has allowed volunteers to scour thousands of square miles of both land and sea via satellite images. It has been a painstaking task for me, spending countless hours staring into a computer screen rarely seeing even a fishing vessel let alone debris, a plane wing…anything. Emotionally it is exhausting as each time I took on another assigned map area, I wanted so badly to the “the guy that found it”. I am not alone. There are tens of thousands looking for the Malaysian airliner. (Image below is a screen shot of Tomnod search grid)
Over the last several days, it appears that a catastrophe due to engine failure or some weather-related phenomena has dwindled. There are too many other factors now that have come to light in the investigation.
The flight's Aircraft Communications Addressing and
Reporting System communicates various data to the ground, including engine
reports, maintenance requirements and weather conditions. The last transmission
from Flight 370's ACARS system came at 1:07 a.m.
The next update was due at 1:37 a.m. It never came.
At some point in that 30 minutes, the history of the
world could have radically changed, and no matter what theory you subscribe to
today, you have to admit, even the best case scenarios are pretty grim.
I am no specialist in commercial airliners by any
means, but I have become quite knowledgeable in the state of affairs around the
world which has led me to my own conclusions and theories that, with the
exception of this blog, will merely be shelved until the plane is located
whereupon we will see who had the craziest but most accurate prediction for the
outcome of this global mystery.
My thoughts have led me to question why someone
would want a Boeing 777? If I was
wanting to transport illegal substances, explosives or even a small military
group, surely I would have hijacked something smaller, something more maneuverable
and easier to land without detection. So what could the purpose of a large
plane be?
My first thought goes to distance flying. A plane
designed for international travel is going to give me the ability to go further
and longer. Thinking of who might want
this ability is frightening.
My second thought came to me in my driveway. As my
family prepares for a trip this weekend, we were cleaning out the Suburban when
I said to my wife, “Why not take the mini-van since we won’t have that much
luggage?” Ahhhh. A bigger plane means I
can carry MORE. “More what?” was the
question that made the goosebumps appear.
My third thought as I searched for wreckage in the
Indian Ocean Monday night was this: Why the hell would someone want THIS plane
in THIS place where there is obviously no place to land it and get away with
the crime???
Practice.
From the flight simulator in the pilots home (see
the CNN stories) to the difficulty rating the experts have placed on not only
turning this plane, but on disconnecting the transponders and flying both above
and below radar, this area of the world seems to be the perfect place to
practice stealing a large international carrier with the least amount if
intervention. In other words… let’s see
if we can steal one in the middle of nowhere first before we go get the one we
REALLY want.
The martyr mentality of terrorism only makes this
more sensible as we already know there are zealots who would surely be willing
to sacrifice their lives to test the plan before diving into the ocean’s
depths.
So, why write about it today? There are no real new developments, so I have
posted no news worth publishing here, only my personal theories. I write today
because I believe as the ocean is scoured for clues, the world needs to wake up
and realize that we are living in a different time where a sixth grade student
can access bomb-making instructions on the internet, where unarmed TSA agents
are the only line of defense between us and 9-11 Part 2, where
climate-change-related disasters are growing and leaving major metro areas
overwhelmed and vulnerable, and where readiness and resilience still appears to
be at staggeringly low-levels across the board.
Tomorrow is Spring, and despite the light dusting of
snow on the ground when I woke this morning, there is something in the air…a
warmth of sorts with a hint of moisture…something is different. A BlueJay is
crying outside my window as I write this…something else that screams we are
about to enter a new season…
A new season is upon us and with it will come the
threats of severe weather like tornadoes, derechos and more, but perhaps we
should be thinking beyond weather radios and umbrellas as we enter April…it
could be we are about to enter another new season. One we have never seen the
likes of. One that will challenge us like we have never been challenged
before. Perhaps we should consider
becoming more vigilant, more prepared, and perhaps…just maybe…more supportive
of the responders that serve our communities.
If MY theory is correct, we are all going to have to change very soon.
