Flight 370 and the cell phones on board

[greenvillesc]

I have been following the Malaysian flight 370 mystery and I keep hearing talk about cell phone and why no one tried to make a call. If the media is correct when the plane turned west they crossed land in an area that was populated, so even if they were 20,000 plus feet up wouldn't be possible for someone to get signal? Unless they were taken or disabled. I flown many times and turned my phone on or off airplane mode over land and picked up a signal I'm not sure what altitude I was but had to be fairly high up. I know over water a signal is a lost cause, but what about GPS? Do you have to have cell service? If I remember correctly I have been using GPS and went into a no service area and was still able to use my GPS.

[ericdabbs]

GPS shouldn't need data.  I have used GPS many times without turning on data.  However you do need data if you want turn by turn navigation.

[JossMan]

I believe around 7000-10000ft in altitude is when cell phones start losing signal as far as cellular goes. 

 

As far as flight 370 mystery goes, (1) the aircraft crashed into the ocean (2) it was hijacked and flown by a professional someone who knows how to pilot a commercial aircraft below radar...preferably someone with some type of military piloting.  

 

If number two is what happened where did it go?  Whats it going to be used for, a weapon?  Only time will tell...

[greenvillesc]

I believe around 7000-10000ft in altitude is when cell phones start losing signal as far as cellular goes. 

 

As far as flight 370 mystery goes, (1) the aircraft crashed into the ocean (2) it was hijacked and flown by a professional someone who knows how to pilot a commercial aircraft below radar...preferably someone with some type of military piloting.  

 

If number two is what happened where did it go?  Whats it going to be used for, a weapon?  Only time will tell...

wouldn't that depend on what type of network you are on?

[greenvillesc]

GPS shouldn't need data.  I have used GPS many times without turning on data.  However you do need data if you want turn by turn navigation.

that should be traceable right?

[WiWavelength]

that should be traceable right?

 

What should be traceable?

 

AJ

[JossMan]

wouldn't that depend on what type of network you are on?

Good question, I don't know, AJ could probably answer that for you.  

[WiWavelength]

Apparently, many are trying to call cellphones of people who were on board the flight, but they are all getting the "Please hold while the Nextel subscriber you are trying to reach is located" message.

 

AJ

[tommym65]

The O P assumes 1. Passengers/cabin crew knew they were being diverted; 2. If/when they knew, they were someplace where they could make and receive calls.

 

1. If you have ever flown at night over water, you know that it is virtually impossible to see anything, nor to sense your direction. Admittedly, in this age of GPS, some people in the cabin may have seen that the flight had changed direction. But, if there was no fight for the cockpit or other indication of trouble, they would assume that the pilots knew where the plane was supposed to go, so why would they become upset. Moreover, some analysts have suggested that people in the cabin would have noticed the "hard left turn". Nope, it was a programmed turn, so smooth that virtually no one would notice anything amiss.

 

2. Once the plane was more than 20 or so miles from land, there would be no cells to connect to. The plane turned left and was over open ocean less than an hour later. From that point on, no communication from or to the cabin would have been possible.

[mrknowitall526]

Did the plane have Wifi?  Couldn't that have been helpful?

[greenvillesc]

What should be traceable?

 

AJ

if the location part of the device was on: not sure what its called, for example if you Google gas stations and your search pulls up gas stations that are around you. Wouldn't the device be traceable from this aspect? Or have I been watching to much law and order.

[WiWavelength]

if the location part of the device was on: not sure what its called, for example if you Google gas stations and your search pulls up gas stations that are around you. Wouldn't the device be traceable from this aspect? Or have I been watching to much law and order.

 

GPS is one way, nothing but a reference signal.  How do you run a geo search on anything if no wireless data connection is available?

 

AJ

[S4GRU]

If it is someone's intent to take control of a plane for a grand scheme, do not rule out the possibility of being able to shut down WiFi or many other types of communications.  Especially if the pilot and possibly other crew members are involved.

 

Robert

[dstar2002]

When the plane went to 45k feet everyone would of died if the oxygen masks had already used up their supplies (chemical generation of oxygen), where the pilot(s) are on bottled oxygen which will last much longer.

 

By the time they hit land again, they were probably already dead/unconscious. That's my opinion based on what "facts" have been released.

 

Either way, I am going to say, if it were possible for someone to communicate they would of. During 9-11, 13 years ago, they communicated, certainly if they could of, they would of.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

 

 

[mrknowitall526]

If it is someone's intent to take control of a plane for a grand scheme, do not rule out the possibility of being able to shut down WiFi or many other types of communications. Especially if the pilot and possibly other crew members are involved.

 

Robert

Hm, excellent point! Hadn't thought of that.

 

I am simultaneously fascinated by this story and also creeped out. Never flown by plane and this really makes me not want to!

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

 

 

[greenvillesc]

Aliens? And not the illegal kind!

[lilg740]

I still don't understand why they wouldn't be able to track a GPS signal on a cellular device. Also I don't understand why a simple GPS transmitter is not installed on these planes.

 

Also if they were flying around 5000 feet over land to avoid radar as some have suggested then they could have possibly connected to a cell site somewhere. We haven't heard about the authorities checking cell phone records or anything.

[WiWavelength]

I still don't understand why they wouldn't be able to track a GPS signal on a cellular device. Also I don't understand why a simple GPS transmitter is not installed on these planes.

 

A "GPS transmitter" is on a satellite.  As I stated previously, GPS is a one way transmission.  If you think that it is a two way transmission, you are sorely mistaken.  So, you can track a "GPS signal" device as easily as you can track my TV or transistor radio -- they are all just receivers of broadcast signals.

 

AJ

[lilg740]

A "GPS transmitter" is on a satellite.  As I stated previously, GPS is a one way transmission.  If you think that it is a two way transmission, you are sorely mistaken.  So, you can track a "GPS signal" device as easily as you can track my TV or transistor radio -- they are all just receivers of broadcast signals.

 

AJ

Guess i skipped over that post. My bad. So how does lojack work? Onstar the same thing. They can track a vehicle and even shut it down if need be. How do they do that?

[lilg740]

And I know that it is possible to install GPS locators on vehicles. Why is it such a stretch to put them on aircraft.

[Destroyallcubes]

Guess i skipped over that post. My bad. So how does lojack work? Onstar the same thing. They can track a vehicle and even shut it down if need be. How do they do that?

I thought onstar worked through cellular connections?

[lilg740]

I thought onstar worked through cellular connections?

Still I know that GPS locators exist. My employer wanted me to check on them for his trucks.

[Dkoellerwx]

Still I know that GPS locators exist. My employer wanted me to check on them for his trucks.

 

They have a GPS on them, something else relays the location back, generally through cell signals or through other means of communication. GPS alone doesn't do anything except for the person holding it.

[lilg740]

They have a GPS on them, something else relays the location back, generally through cell signals or through other means of communication. GPS alone doesn't do anything except for the person holding it.

Ya, just read that myself. Consider me an idiot. 

[richy]

Doesn't plain jane gsm have a maximum range of about 35km due to timing, so being 10k ish up in the air would mean you would need to be closer (though not by 10k) to the tower, and although you would have LOS you would possibly also have clouds reducing the range.