8. What About ACARS Or Satellite?
ACARS is an acronym for Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System. Modern jets are all equipped with computers that monitor the aircrafts systems, and subsequently send reports to flight control and the jet companies themselves. Thats basically what ACARS is, and according to the one aboard Flight 370, no message was sent that indicated a problem. Both Boeing, the manufacturer of the 777, and engine-maker Rolls Royce received data from Flight 370 that indicated all was well. However, ACARS ceased to function around the same time the transponders were turned off. How do you turn off ACARS? Someone would have to disconnect a circuit breakersomething the planes manual would explain how to do, and something a trained pilot knows how to do. Why? Either subterfuge, or for the same reasons as the transponderssafety in the midst of a fire or electrical incident. It was also recently revealed the 777 was linked to a satellite. This satellite, operated by Inmarsat, a London-based company, would record pings sent by the aircraft during flight. These recorded pings are known as electronic handshakes, and the plane sent six of themthe last coming at 8:11 a.m. on Saturday. This indicates the aircraft continued to fly for something close to seven hours after contact was lost, and six hours after it was last spotted on radar. But its also inconclusive. Currently, according to the data from the satellite, there are two possible paths the plane could have taken. One leads it south into the open ocean, while the other leads it north toward central Asia. But if the plane was in the air for such a long time, how could it have evaded the commercial and military radar of the surrounding countries?