# How do things like airplanes just disappear? **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [June 1, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601 "2009-06-01T13:07:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JayS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jays/32/15375_2.png) [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/1 "2009-06-01T13:07:39Z")
With all the technology we have it just seems ridiculous to me that a commercial airliner with 220+ people on board could be “missing”. For less than $500 I can buy an EPIRB for my boat that sends a distress signal and my exact GPS coordinates to a satellite monitored by the Coast Guard the instant it gets wet. We can’t figure out some way to make one of these survive a water crash? Really? I understand it would be hard to make one withstand a crash into a mountain but when planes crash into mountains it’s generally pretty easy to find them. “hey, see that big fire, lets start looking over there”. ---
**Author:** ![Joe](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/joe/32/7219_2.png) [@Joe](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Joe)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:08pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/2 "2009-06-01T13:08:48Z")
The story I read said it likely got hit by lightning and had catastrophic electrical failure…i bet it killed all that shit. ---
**Author:** ![boxxa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxxa/32/5045_2.png) [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:11pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/3 "2009-06-01T13:11:41Z")
Haha kind of wondering the same thing. My conclusion: Aliens You can find a lost puppy within 2 feet anywhere in the world but you can lose a airplane… I guess if the electronics did fry tho and it was over water, you got nothing to go by cuz by the time the air team got to the location, the plane may have been in pieces under water. ---
**Author:** ![newman](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/newman/32/7569_2.png) [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/4 "2009-06-01T13:12:13Z")
The ocean is really fucking big. ---
**Author:** ![LAFENGAS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/lafengas/32/7573_2.png) [@LAFENGAS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LAFENGAS)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/5 "2009-06-01T13:12:24Z")
i agree to an extent. but you’re also looking at something that can transmit a signal to a satelite through 2 miles a water and that can withstand TONS of water pressure(about 10,000psi) **after** a crash. and oh yeah, the ocean is really fucking big. kinda like asking the question…why don’t they just put REEEAALLLLLLLYYYY big parachutes on planes? **edit:** If engineers starting packing every worse case scenerio into building a plane, the plane would never take off. One of the reasons why planes have the smallest factors of safety of any publically used engineered system. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/blue_eyed_devil/32/7292_2.png) [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:14pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/6 "2009-06-01T13:14:08Z")
^Damn beat me to it. GPS doesn’t work under. Maybe? But still, why can’t we come up with something that would work? A floaty GPS key chain. (?) [http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Line-92801-Soft-Float/dp/B000JPNJW2/ref=sr\_1\_1?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1243888216&sr=8-1](http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Line-92801-Soft-Float/dp/B000JPNJW2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1243888216&sr=8-1) ---
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:15pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/7 "2009-06-01T13:15:00Z")
Haven’t you people ever seen LOST? But yeah, holy fuck. Is it just me or have there been a TON of plane crashes in the last 12 months? Did China break into the aero industry or something? ---
**Author:** ![slow84ta](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/slow84ta/32/7265_2.png) [@slow84ta](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/slow84ta)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:16pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/8 "2009-06-01T13:16:41Z")
its pretty crazy, maybe, just maybe, it’s floating and poeple are alive… but it doesn’t look good > [@Fry](#): > > Haven’t you people ever seen LOST? > > But yeah, holy fuck. Is it just me or have there been a TON of plane crashes in the last 12 months? Did China break into the aero industry or something? :lol: ---
**Author:** ![boxxa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxxa/32/5045_2.png) [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/9 "2009-06-01T13:18:02Z")
> [@Fry](#): > > Haven’t you people ever seen LOST? > > But yeah, holy fuck. Is it just me or have there been a TON of plane crashes in the last 12 months? Did China break into the aero industry or something? Ya I agree. Seems like there has been some stupid crashes with pilot error like the ones in buffalo and then some freak ones like this one or the plane that hit the birds and crashed in the hudson. People did make some good points tho. If the plane is flying international over the ocean it would want to be high to get better mileage so you are looking at a FL290 (29,000 feet) if its early in the flight or upto 40,000 later in flight. That plane getting hit by lighting could have caused it to just plummet out of the sky and there must not be much left. Water is hard esp coming head on into it from 35,000 ft. Also, I cant imagine any air force jets buzzing the ocean at 500 mph can see small pieces of the plane floating. ---
**Author:** ![ILC](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ilc/32/5337_2.png) [@ILC](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ILC)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/10 "2009-06-01T13:18:17Z")
> [@Blue Eyed Devil](#): > > ^Damn beat me to it. > GPS doesn’t work under. Maybe? > > But still, why can’t we come up with something that would work? > A floaty GPS key chain. (?) shouldn’t matter. with the last radar point they can pin point where it last was. Also, with Radios UHF you can technically transmit around the world with (or a super long distance) UHF capabilities required for flying over oceans. Again radio transmission can be triangulated IIRC. also very possible that GPS doesn’t work under water… but the ELT’s should still transmit ( I think thats something that needs to be activated though) ---
**Author:** ![JayS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jays/32/15375_2.png) [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:19pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/11 "2009-06-01T13:19:45Z")
> [@LAFENGAS](#): > > i agree to an extent. but you’re also looking at something that can transmit a signal to a satelite through 2 miles a water and that can withstand TONS of water pressure **after** a crash (about 10,000psi). > > and oh yeah, the ocean is really fucking big. > > kinda like asking the question…why don’t they just put REEEAALLLLLLLYYYY big parachutes on planes? I really wasn’t planning on it sinking with the plane. Attach it to the plane in a way that it separates in the crash and remains floating. And no, it’s not like a big parachute because it wouldn’t add much weight or cost. ---
**Author:** ![LAFENGAS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/lafengas/32/7573_2.png) [@LAFENGAS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LAFENGAS)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:21pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/12 "2009-06-01T13:21:05Z")
> [@JayS](#): > > I really wasn’t planning on it sinking with the plane. Attach it to the plane in a way that it separates in the crash and remains floating. see edit. ---
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:23pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/13 "2009-06-01T13:23:07Z")
I heard on the news that the plane was outside of Rio’s radar when it transmitted a couple of automatic electrical failure distress signals, then disappeared. And the ocean water temp outside of Brazil is \<80\*F right now, so between impact, drowning, and hypothermia, it, uh, doesn’t look good. :tdown: ---
**Author:** ![ILC](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ilc/32/5337_2.png) [@ILC](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ILC)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:23pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/14 "2009-06-01T13:23:18Z")
> [@LAFENGAS](#): > > see edit. I disagree with the statement “IF they packed planes with every type of safety device they wouldn’t take off” They would take off, most planes are very overpowered for their applications. I think the larger problem is the amount of money it costs to transport an extra 1000lbs of shit around. Additionally this isn’t just one flight for commercial flights its 2 a day… ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/blue_eyed_devil/32/7292_2.png) [@Blue\_Eyed\_Devil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Blue_Eyed_Devil)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:24pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/15 "2009-06-01T13:24:12Z")
If the black box is indestructable why don’t they just build the whole plane out of the same material?.. ---
**Author:** ![ILC](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ilc/32/5337_2.png) [@ILC](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ILC)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:24pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/16 "2009-06-01T13:24:43Z")
> [@Fry](#): > > I heard on the news that the plane was outside of Rio’s radar when it transmitted a couple of automatic electrical failure distress signals, then disappeared. > > And the ocean water temp outside of Brazil is \<80\*F right now, so between impact, drowning, and hypothermia, it, uh, doesn’t look good. :tdown: I think you need it to be under 70degrees. impact in water if controlled wouldn’t cause a problem. IF they nose dive and Clarenced the water (🤓) they would all die lol ---
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:24pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/17 "2009-06-01T13:24:43Z")
Not to mention it’s really hard to protect electronics from a direct lightning strike. Just plain old not having the technology is also a factory. ---
**Author:** ![JayS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jays/32/15375_2.png) [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/18 "2009-06-01T13:25:45Z")
> [@LAFENGAS](#): > > see edit. [http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|135|714833|175973&id=794964](http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1%7C135%7C714833%7C175973&id=794964) There’s what I’m talking about. It’s 3lbs. Maybe another 5lbs for a sea water dissolving foam capsule it could be encased in and a mechanism to release it from the plane in a crash. As for lightning, planes get hit by lightning all the time. > **[BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | How planes survive lightning](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4493047.stm)** > > When Tony Blair's plane was hit by lightning, the prime minister was calm despite anxious faces around him. He had good reason not to worry. > **[How is a plane protected from Lightning strikes?](https://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ae568.cfm)** > > Ask the experts your physics and astronomy questions, read answer archive, and more. EDIT: The EPIRB I posted already comes with the float free bracket even. > Available with an automatic float-free bracket (Cat I) or manual release (Cat II) bracket. ---
**Author:** ![ILC](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ilc/32/5337_2.png) [@ILC](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ILC)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:26pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/19 "2009-06-01T13:26:13Z")
> [@Fry](#): > > Not to mention it’s really hard to protect electronics from a direct lightning strike. Just plain old not having the technology is also a factory. 🤓 lightning travels through the skin of the aircraft, electronics typically aren’t effected. We’ve been hit by lightning while landing and it blew the tail clean off the aircraft, other than UHF antenna blowing off nothing was effected electronically ---
**Author:** ![MOBOOST4U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@MOBOOST4U](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MOBOOST4U)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601/20 "2009-06-01T13:28:23Z")
I would have swan dove out of that shit from exactly one hundred ft before impact, and then promptly swim like Michael Phelps all the way to Paris just in time for my scheduled tour at the Louvre. [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/how-do-things-like-airplanes-just-disappear/68601.md?page=2)