re: CNN report of plane going up to 45K feet...

[cthulu2016]

CNN is saying that US sources say that after turning left the plane went up to 45,000 feet—higher than the plane model is even rated for.

Just to throw this into the mix... one possible reason to do that that occurs to me is that there is zero possibility of any cell-phone working at that altitude. Cells working at regular cruising altitude is unlikely enough, but since the plane was still near some land at the time it might have seemed a sensible additional method of keeping the plane out of touch.

As to how that altitude would affect other indicators of the plane, like radar or visual observation, etc., I don't know.


ALSO... I want to register this piece of speculation. There are two paths toward the Indian Ocean being discussed—north and south. The northern path would be roughly pointing toward Mecca. I would look at the point of deviation and look at a perfect line toward Mecca because a pilot would have no trouble setting a remarkably precise heading. (They have GPS)

This speculation is not bigotry (to save someone from making an ill-informed critique along those lines) The possibility of pilot suicide is widely discussed. In the Muslim faith, facing in the direction of Mecca has great significance, and if often calculated with great precision when performing prayers where one is supposed to face Mecca. And it is a case where direction (bearing) has nothing to do with destination. There is nothing odd about a Muslim wanting to die in that alignment, versus another... or to wish to be aligned that way to say a payer before dying. Saying that is not saying that all Muslims want to commit suicide and kill everybody. If a Muslim pilot was going to end his life ( a hypothetical) then in that extreme case it would not be unthinkable for him to seek to face Mecca will doing that extreme and non-typical thing. And it would help explain why someone would go through all sorts of weird changes in flight path is they were just going to crash the plane anyway.

[madaboutharry]

1. If it's higher than the plane

is rated for, would that cause the plane to break apart? I'm wondering what that would do to the integrity of the plane.

[cthulu2016]

2. I would guess against that because there's so much redundancy in specs.

Though the pressurization required at that altitude would, over the long life of a plane, fatigue the parts too much, my hunch is that it would not have simply done a blow-out at that height.

But maybe. Yes, it is surely a possibility.

[Blue_Tires]

3. The engines would eventually stall first

(or at least lose sufficient thrust for lack of oxygen) and the aircraft would slow down, lose lift and glide/plummet back down to earth...

[Capt.Rocky300]

4. Not quite...........

once the aircraft descended to a lower altitude/denser air, the engines can be restarted.

[Voice for Peace]

5. k/r nt

[Rex]

6. STOP IT!

Don't you know that when you speculate on DU in GD...God kills a puppy!? Won't you think of the puppies? Won't you?